Seminar Series: Dr. Luciano Sposato
Atrial fibrillation detection in stroke patients: mechanistic and prognostic implications.
Luciano Sposato, MD, MBA, FRCPC
Professor
Clinical Neurological Sciences
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
Western University
Short Biography:
Dr. Luciano Sposato is a Professor of Neurology and Head of the Stroke Program at the Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), Western University, London, ON, Canada. He is a stroke neurologist and clinician-researcher, with cross appointments with the Departments of Epidemiology & Biostatistics and Anatomy and Cell Biology (Western University).
Dr. Sposato is the inaugural Kathleen and Henry Barnett Chair in Stroke Research, is the Director of the Heart & Brain Lab at Western University, Associate Scientist at Robarts Research Institute, and Adjunct Scientist at Lawson Health Research Institute.
Dr. Sposato is the Inaugural Chair of the World Stroke Organisation Brain & Heart Task Force and he holds several editorial roles in leading peer-reviewed journals in the field of Stroke and Cardiology. He is member of the Editorial Board and serves as Editor of the Neurocardiology Section of STROKE (American Heart Association), is member of the Editorial Board of NEUROLOGY (American Academy of Neurology) and JAHA, and serves as Associate Editor for JAHA.
Abstract:
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 a stroke. Atrial fibrillation detected after stroke is associated with a lower prevalence of risk factors, cardiovascular comorbidities, and atrial cardiomyopathy than atrial fibrillation known before stroke occurrence. These differences might explain why it is associated with a lower risk of recurrence of ischaemic stroke than known atrial fibrillation. Patients with ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack can be classified into 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 the application of a personalised risk-based approach to the selection of patients for anticoagulation.
Keywords:
Neurocardiology, atrial fibrillation, stroke
Date: Friday, February 16
Time: 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Location: PHFM 3015 (Western Centre for Public Health and Family Medicine)
