By checking their pulse for 60 seconds just once a month, people can detect if they may have atrial fibrillation, a leading risk factor in stroke that accounts for more than 100,000 strokes nationally every year. Most Americans are unaware of the potentially life-threatening link between atrial fibrillation and stroke. It takes just seconds to do something that may save your life.
Stroke is a devastating physical, financial and emotional experience.
Atrial fibrillation is one of the many factors associated with stroke, but it is one that can be treated and controlled if discovered early. These blood clots pose a danger as they can break loose and travel to the brain causing a stroke. Although people with atrial fibrillation are five times more likely to suffer a stroke, AF is one of the controllable factors in stroke. To determine if you have AF, turn the left hand palm-side up. Place the first two fingers of the right hand on the wrist bone just below the thumb.