Heart condition will double by 2050

Published on 03/07/2012 01:04

A HEART condition linked to strokes will become twice as common by 2050, a new report has warned.

The study, whose authors include a number of doctors and the Stroke Association, says better treatment is needed.

They say almost half of atrial fibrillation (AF) patients remain undetected

AF affects 60,000 people in Scotland every year and is the cause of more than 14,000 strokes.

The report says GPs are prescribing aspirin for stroke prevention in patients with AF, but clinical evidence demonstrates anticoagulant therapies – pharmaceuticals that reduce blood clotting – are more effective.

Dr Alan Begg, lead author, said: “It has long been recognised by UK experts from trial evidence that aspirin is less effective at preventing stroke in patients with AF.”