Atrial Myopathy: Analysing the link to ischaemic stroke.

In Australia approximately 60,000 strokes occur every year of which 30% do not have a recognised cause. A significant proportion of these strokes are thought to originate in the heart as a result of clot formation that ultimately migrates to the brain resulting in a stroke. This thesis aims to summarise the current mechanism for stroke. We used various modalities of investigations to identify markers of abnormal heart structure and function that occur in patients with stroke. In the future, these markers may allow us to identify patients at risk for stroke and lead to novel treatment strategies.