Study of Continuous Cardiac Monitoring to Assess Atrial Fibrillation After Cryptogenic Stroke

CRYptogenic STroke And underLying AF Trial

The 2006 American Heart Association / American Stroke Association Council on Stroke Guidelines for Prevention of Stroke in Patients With Ischemic Stroke or Transient Ischemic recommended that patients with cryptogenic stroke take antithrombotic drugs (i.e. aspirin) in order to prevent a second stroke. When a stroke patient is found to have atrial fibrillation (AF), the guidelines recommend oral anticoagulation due to its superior efficacy over aspirin for stroke prevention. Physicians can best optimize the use of medicines only if they can precisely and correctly diagnose a patient's AF. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the time to first AF by 6 months' continuous rhythm monitoring versus control treatment in subjects with a recent cryptogenic stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) without history of AF.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Recent cryptogenic symptomatic transient ischemic attack (TIA) or cryptogenic ischemic stroke.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Known etiology of TIA or stroke.
2. Untreated hyperthyroidism.
3. Myocardial infarction less than 1 month prior to stroke or TIA.
4. Coronary bypass grafting less than 1 month prior to stroke or TIA.
5. Valvular disease requiring immediate surgical intervention.
6. History of AF or atrial flutter.
7. Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) and PFO is or was an indication to start oral anticoagulation (OAC).
8. Permanent indication for OAC at enrollment.
9. Permanent contra-indication for OAC.
10. Included in another clinical trial.
11. Life expectancy less than 1 year.
12. Pregnant.
13. Indicated for Implantable Pulse Generator (IPG), Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD), Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) or an implantable hemodynamic monitoring system.
14. Not fit, unable or unwilling to follow the required procedures of the protocol.