AFib Treatments Can Reduce Your Stroke Risk

An irregular, fluttering heartbeat, known as atrial fibrillation, or AFib, can increase your risk of a serious, disabling stroke. In AFib, the atria (the heart’s upper chambers) don’t move blood properly. This allows blood to pool and form clots. These clots can then travel to the brain and cause a stroke. According to the CDC, AFib causes 1 in 7 strokes. At Franciscan Health, patients have access to the latest AFib treatment options that are safer, more effective and help people return to normal activities sooner.

Key Takeaways: AFib Treatments To Reduce Stroke Risk

• AFib is a major cause of stroke. The condition, which causes an irregular heart rhythm, can lead to the formation of blood clots that can travel to the brain.
• Treating AFib reduces your stroke risk. With proper treatment, including lifestyle changes, medication, and, when necessary, procedures, the risk of stroke can be significantly reduced.
• Blood thinners are a primary treatment for AFib. Anticoagulants (blood thinners) are used to prevent dangerous blood clots. For those who can't take them, a device called a Left Atrial Appendage Occluder (LAAO) may be an option.

Why Stroke Prevention Is Key

“The cornerstone of therapy is stroke risk reduction,” said Manoj Duggal, MD, cardiac electrophysiologist and electrophysiology medical director at Franciscan Health Crown Point. 

Lifestyle changes to treat AFib and reduce stroke risk

Lifestyle modifications can help keep your heart healthy and manage your symptoms. Remember that when you live a healthy lifestyle, it positively impacts your heart and AFib symptoms. Some tips to help you get started:

• Maintain a healthy weight because extra weight can strain the heart and worsen your symptoms.
• Get regular exercise to improve your overall heart health and regulate heart rhythms.
• Eat a heart-healthy diet full of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean proteins.
• Reduce the amount of salt, added sugar, and processed foods in your diet.
• Limit or avoid alcohol.

Medicine to treat AFib and reduce stroke risk

Heart specialists often use anticoagulation medications (or blood thinners) to help manage Afib and its underlying cause. Doctors continue to use older medications like warfarin (Coumadin), but there are newer anticoagulation medications that don't require blood draws to monitor the effectiveness of the drug. These drugs reduce the likelihood of experiencing potentially dangerous blood clots within the heart that may cause a stroke.

But blood thinners are not safe for everyone.

“Some patients cannot take blood thinners because of a history of bleeding or because they are at high risk for bleeding,” Dr. Duggal said. For these patients, surgical procedures may be the best option. Other patients may benefit from direct cardioversion. This simple, painless procedure uses medication or a mild electrical shock to restore a normal rhythm.

Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion: WATCHMAN™ Implant And Amulet™

The left atrial appendage occluder (LAAO) device, is a minimally invasive procedure designed for people with non-valvular AFib who are at higher risk for stroke but cannot take blood thinners long-term. Nearly 90 percent of blood clots that cause strokes in AFib form in a small pocket of the heart called the left atrial appendage, where blood can gather.

"This area of the heart makes it somewhat easier for blood clots to form there - more so than anywhere else in the heart," explained  Saifullah Siddiqui, MD, interventional cardiologist atFranciscan Health Cardiology Olympia Fields.

The LAAO device is an implant that occludes (closes off) that small part of the heart - eliminating the possibility of blood clots forming. The device prevents blood flow from entering this part of the heart, which in turn prevents blood clots from forming there.

"As a result, with the left atrial appendage occluder device, we can help eliminate the risk for stroke with a well-implanted device," explained Dr. Siddiqui.

“We insert a catheter through a vein in the leg and seal the appendage off using an occlusive device,” explained Saeed R. Shaikh, MD, interventional cardiologist at Franciscan Health Indianapolis. “We place a device that blocks the appendage. Tissue grows over it eventually. This closes the pocket so patients no longer need blood thinners and can still be protected from stroke.”

Franciscan Health offers both FDA-approved LAAO devices, the WATCHMAN Implant and the Amulet. With nearly 600 procedures expected in 2025, Franciscan Health’s program is among the largest in the region.

“Our success rate is 99 percent and the complication risk is only 0.5 percent,” said Dr. Shaikh. "It’s a very safe and effective treatment for a serious, real-world problem.”

Innovative Approaches To Ablation

Another important option for AFib patients is catheter ablation, which targets the faulty electrical signals in the heart that trigger irregular rhythm. Franciscan Health uses the latest ablation methods. Cryoablation freezes tissue and pulsed-field ablation (PFA) creates scar tissue using high voltage over very short durations.

“With ablation, we create a bit of scar tissue in the atrium to block abnormal impulses from triggering AFib,” said Philip George Jr., MD, cardiac electrophysiologist at Franciscan Health Indianapolis. “Radiofrequency ablation heats the tissue, while cryoablation freezes it. Both are safe, but they carry small risks such as possible injury to the esophagus or phrenic nerve.”

The chance of injury is low — under 1 percent — but PFA makes the procedure even safer and achieves the same outcome. “It delivers high voltage over a very short duration and creates scar tissue with very little risk of injury,” Dr. George said. “We began using PFA at Franciscan in 2024, and the outcomes have been excellent.

“PFA has helped us treat patients more quickly and shorten wait times. I expect it will soon become the main ablation method we use for AFib.”

Access To Advanced AFib Care At Franciscan Health

Franciscan Health has been part of clinical research that shaped these new approaches, so patients here are among the first to benefit. Whether through medication, device therapy or AFib ablation, patients can feel confident knowing their care team focuses on reducing stroke risk and restoring a normal rhythm.

Every patient’s care plan is unique. Some may only need lifestyle changes and medication, while others benefit from procedures like cardioversion, atrial fibrillation care with ablation or device therapy. Learn more about atrial fibrillation care and explore our heart and vascular services to see how Franciscan Health supports patients at every stage of heart care.