Prevalence of atrial fibrillation in Asia and the world

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in persons of advanced age, and it is a potent risk factor for cardiogenic ischemic stroke. The overall prevalence of AF is less than 1%, but in people aged 80 years or older the rate is approximately 7-14% in Western countries and 2-3% in Japan. The number of people with AF has been increasing worldwide as the population has aged, and continued increases in the prevalence and incidence of AF are expected with the aging of society. It is predicted that 5-16 million in the United States and more than 1 million in Japan will be affected by 2050. Therefore, AF is one of important diseases that needs to be managed because it is a common disease in aged populations. (C) 2012 Japanese Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.