ESOC 2021 | Optimizing stroke management in patients with AF: next steps

When atrial fibrillation (AF) is being considered in the management of patients with stroke, it is regarded as present or not present. Ana Catarina Fonseca, MD, PhD, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal, talks on the need for greater stratification of these patients to optimize their management. Duration of AF episodes and AF burden are likely to impact stroke risk and these factors should be accounted for. Another unanswered question is the optimal time to start anticoagulant treatment after stroke, says Prof. Fonseca. Several large-scale trials and registries investigating this question in patients with atrial fibrillation are underway, with data likely to be reported in 2022. This interview took place at the European Stroke Organisation Conference (ESOC), 2021.