Atrial fibrillation is also found in some patients with coronary artery disease and other structural heart problems. As a result, some blood remains in the atrium too long, and clots can begin to form in this stagnant blood. If one of those clots is carried into the bloodstream, it can block one of the arteries serving the brain, precipitating a stroke. Nor is this an unlikely occurrence. That isn't the only risk associated with the condition, either.
Treatment consists of medication to correct the atrium's improper contraction.
In older patients with underlying heart conditions that thwart effective stabilization of the heartbeat, the doctor may prescribe a clot-fighting drug like warfarin. Unfortunately, atrial fibrillation is one of those potentially lethal heart conditions that doesn't produce particularly alarming symptoms.