Anticoagulants are the usual treatment to prevent stroke. Warfarin or newer blood thinners such as rivaroxaban or dabigatran are effective for preventing strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation. They actually slow or stop clot formation, so are more “anti-clotting” drugs, even though they are known as blood thinners.
When your heart beats irregularly, blood may “pool,” or not flow forward. This increases the possibility of blood clots. Stroke is the most serious event when a blood clot travels to your brain.
Atrial fibrillation is an irregular or uneven rhythm in your heart. The top chambers of your heart, called the atria, do not beat in time with the bottom chambers, known as the ventricles. Patients often say they feel a fluttering, racing, or jumping in their chest when they have atrial fibrillation.
