For more information on AF and CHADS2 & CHA₂DS₂-VASc score (stroke risk calculator) visit Topic Loop: Atrial Fibrillation.
If a patient has atrial fibrillation the risk of stroke is 5 times that of somebody in normal heart rhythm, is this:
An absolute risk – No – This is a relative risk. It is the risk of a person with a risk factor compared with that of a person without that risk factor. It may be expressed as a ratio eg 5 fold or 5 x but also as a percentage, in this case 500% relative risk.
A relative risk – Yes – This is a relative risk. It is the risk of a person with a risk factor compared with that of a person without that risk factor. It may be expressed as a ratio eg 5 fold or 5 x but also as a percentage, in this case 500% relative risk.
Page last reviewed: 22 Apr 2022
