Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, affecting an estimated 5 million Chinese. Atrial fibrillation is the primary cardiac abnormality associated with embolic stroke; among patients with AF, there is an annual stroke rate, about 5 times for the same age population in sinus rhythm.~Although warfarin therapy is effective at reducing the risk of stroke, chronic anticoagulation presents problems of safety and acceptability for many patients. Drug and dietary interactions, frequent blood tests, and compliance issues all contribute to difficulties with chronic warfarin therapy. New oral anticoagulant compounds with better therapeutic range and without need for similar monitoring, such as Dabigatran, Rivaroxaban, Apixaban and Edoxaban,have been studied, but there is no direct comparison with left atrial appendage closure(LAAC).~However,the left atrial appendage (LAA) is the major location of thrombi in patients with AF. In patients with nonrheumatic AF and thrombus in the left atrium, the clot was located in the LAA in 90%. And the WATCHMAN Left Atrial Appendage System is a novel device designed to prevent the embolization of thrombi that may form in the LAA. It is hypothesized that it may prevent ischemic stroke and systemic thromboembolism in patients with AF.The PROTECT-Af and PREVAIL trails confirmed this device's efficacy and safety, compared with warfarin, for preventing the combined outcome of stroke,systemic embolism, and cardiovascular death. And the device has been approved by China's FDA.~Stroke is the primary cause of death in China, and recurrence of stroke remains a major public health issue.~This cohort study is designed to evaluate the effects of mechanical left atrial appendage (LAA) closure for secondary prevention of ischemic stroke in the patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation in China, compared with medicine approach (Warfarin or NOAC),.
To evaluate the effects of mechanical left atrial appendage (LAA) closure for secondary prevention of stroke in the patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation