[Editorial] Atrial fibrillation and stroke: unrecognised and undertreated (Lancet)

When did you or your primary care physician last palpate your wrist to check for a regular heart rate? This simple action, followed by an electrocardiogram if the heart rate is irregular, might be crucial in preventing death and disability from ischaemic stroke, heart failure, or myocardial infarction. In this week`s issue, we publish a clinical Series of three papers on atrial fibrillation ahead of the annual European Society of Cardiology (ESC) meeting held in Rome, Italy, Aug 27-31. Atrial fibrillation is estimated to affect 33 million people worldwide.