For most people with atrial fibrillation, blood thinners lower the risk of stroke. However, blood thinners (also called anticoagulants) can cause bleeding. Some people with a very high risk might consider a procedure called left atrial appendage closure that places a device in the heart to prevent strokes.
If you have atrial fibrillation, use this Stroke and Bleeding Risk Calculator together with the decision aids below to help you decide with your care team what treatment is right for you.
If you are living with atrial fibrillation and have Low Risk for Stroke, use this decision aid to understand no treatment vs. treatment with blood thinners.