Dubai, Aug. 21 -- DEAR MAYO CLINIC, I've been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. I've read that it puts me at greater risk of stroke. Can you tell me more about this?

ANSWER:You may not have known you had atrial fibrillation (AFib) until your condition was discovered during a physical examination. For others, AFib can have life-altering symptoms that affect their ability to perform daily activities.

Atrial fibrillation is a common type of heart rhythm disorder where the heart doesn't beat efficiently. This makes the heart unable to pump enough blood out to the body with each heartbeat.

People with AFib are at a higher risk of stroke - about 1 in 7 strokes are AFib related - due to clots that can form in the upper chambers of the heart...