Lancet neurology
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Globally, up to 1·5 million individuals with ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack can be newly diagnosed with atrial fibrillation per year. In the past decade, evidence has accumulated supporting the notion that atrial fibrillation first detected after a stroke or transient ischaemic attack differs from atrial fibrillation known before the occurrence of as stroke. ⋯ Patients with ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack can be classified in three categories: no atrial fibrillation, known atrial fibrillation before stroke occurrence, and atrial fibrillation detected after stroke. This classification could harmonise future research in the field and help to understand the role of prolonged cardiac monitoring for secondary stroke prevention with application of a personalised risk-based approach to the selection of patients for anticoagulation.