MELAKA, June 17 -- Atrial fibrillation (AF), a heart rhythm disorder that frequently causes no symptoms, is behind up to a quarter of all strokes in Malaysia, yet it remains widely undetected. A routine pulse check, taking less than 30 seconds, could change that.

Globally, AF accounts for 20 to 30 per cent of all ischaemic strokes, according to the Framingham Study. In Malaysia, the Ministry of Health puts the figure at 15 to 25 per cent locally, a substantial share driven by a condition most people have never heard of.

Dr Hartini Mohd Yusof, a triple-specialist in Cardiology, Electrophysiology and Internal Medicine at Oriental Melaka Straits Medical Centre, says AF is not getting the attention it deserves.

"Atrial fibrillation increas...