Epidemiology of transient ischemic attack and ischemic stroke in patients with underlying cardiovascular disease

It is estimated that 15 to 30% of ischemic strokes are cardioembolic in origin, and that atrial fibrillation, valvular heart disease, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, and myocardial infarction are significant risk factors for stroke, which underscores the importance for cardiologists to understand this condition. The high incidence and substantial cost of stroke justify aggressive treatment of stroke risk factors, especially in the elderly, diabetic, and black populations, and in patients who have had an initial stroke. Antiplatelet therapy and administration of oral anticoagulants have both been shown to have a substantial impact on stroke in specified populations at risk.