Singer DE, Ziegler PD, Koehler JL, et al. - Findings demonstrate a temporal association between multihour episodes of atrial fibrillation (AF) and a transient elevation in the risk of stroke among patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs). Observations from this study support a study of time-delimited anticoagulation in patients with infrequent multihour episodes of AF.

• This case-crossover study comprises 891 patients with CIEDs and ischemic stroke.

• Multihour AF episodes increased the odds of stroke 3.7-fold for up to 30 days.

• Stroke risk was highest within 5 days of the AF episode and reduced rapidly thereafter.

• Results are consistent with the conventional perspective that AF is directly and transiently linked with ischemic stroke.