Managing heart conditions
Know the unknown about your stroke.
1 in 4 people who have a stroke will experience another stroke within five years.1
You’ve had a stroke and, unfortunately, are at risk for another. Your stroke may have been caused by atrial fibrillation, or AFib, a type of irregular and often rapid heart rhythm. Fortunately, AFib is treatable.2
The link between AFib and stroke
AFib is a heart problem that increases the risk of stroke. People may experience AFib regularly or infrequently, and sometimes without any noticeable symptoms,3 making it hard to detect.
People with AFib are 5x more likely to have another stroke.4
An AFib-related stroke has twice the fatality of a non-AFib stroke.5
Patients are at higher risk of AFib after their stroke.3,6
LINQ II™ ICM is an insertable long-term heart monitor that reduces the risk of another stroke.
After a stroke, many patients receive a 30-day heart monitor to help determine if they have AFib. However, 30 days of monitoring may not be long enough to detect if you or your loved one has AFib.7 LINQ II™ insertable cardiac monitor (ICM) provides industry-leading accuracy in detecting atrial fibrillation.8 If even the slightest AFib is detected, LINQ II™ ICM will inform your doctor. You can then begin treatment and may reduce your risk of another stroke.
You’re in the dark about what caused your stroke. Shed light on answers with LINQ II™ ICM.
LINQ II™ ICM detects 98.9% of AFib, a common cause of strokes.9
Leading consumer smartwatches only detect 26% of AFib incidences.10
LINQ II™ ICM can help reduce your chance of another stroke by 60%.11
AFib is missed in 88% of people with 30-day monitoring.3 LINQ II™ ICM can monitor your heart for up to 4.5 years.†,‡,12
† Nominal settings.
‡ With mobile app optimization set to “off,” the battery is projected to last 4.5 years. With mobile app optimization set to “on,” the battery is projected to last 2.5 years. See patient manual for additional information.
See how LINQ II™ ICM has helped patients like you.
Pam had a stroke, and the cause was unclear. She found peace of mind with a Medtronic LINQ II™ ICM.§
§ Not every person will receive the same results. Talk to your doctor about your treatment options.
Or, call to find a cardiologist near you.
800-551-5544 (Toll free)
7 a.m.–6 p.m. CT, Monday–Friday
If you or a loved one has experienced an ischemic stroke (a type of stroke where a blood clot blocks the blood flow to your brain), prepare for the next follow-up visit with your doctor by downloading, printing, and completing this discussion guide. Your answers could help your doctor decide if long-term, implantable heart monitoring may help.
1. Mohan KM, Wolfe CD, Rudd AG, Heuschmann PU, Kolominsky-Rabas PL, Grieve AP. Risk and cumulative risk of stroke recurrence: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Stroke. 2011;42(5):1489–1494. doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.110.602615.
2. Tsivgoulis G, Katsanos AH, Mac Grory B, et al. Prolonged cardiac rhythm monitoring and secondary stroke prevention in patients with cryptogenic cerebral ischemia. Stroke. 2019;50(8):2175–2180. doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.119.025169.
3. Sanna T, Diener HC, Passman RS, et al. Cryptogenic stroke and underlying atrial fibrillation. N Engl J Med. 2014;370(26):2478–2486. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1313600.
4. Wolf PA, Abbott RD, Kannel WB. Atrial fibrillation as an independent risk factor for stroke: The Framingham Study. Stroke. 1991;22(8):983–988. doi:10.1161/01.str.22.8.983.
5. Lin HJ, Wolf PA, Kelly-Hayes M, et al. Stroke severity in atrial fibrillation. The Framingham Study. Stroke. 1996;27(10):1760–1764. doi:10.1161/01.str.27.10.1760.
6. Bernstein RA, Kamel H, Granger CB, et al. Effect of long-term continuous cardiac monitoring vs usual care on detection of atrial fibrillation in patients with stroke attributed to large- or small-vessel disease: The STROKE-AF randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2021;325(21):2169–2177. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.6470.
7. Buck BH, Hill MD, Exner DV. Implantable vs prolonged external electrocardiographic monitoring for atrial fibrillation detection in patients with ischemic stroke. JAMA. 2021;325:2160–2168. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.13490.
8. Spooner MT, Messé SR, Chaturvedi S, et al. 2024 ACC expert consensus decision pathway on practical approaches for arrhythmia monitoring after stroke: A report of the American College of Cardiology solution set oversight committee. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2025;85:657–681. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2024.10.100.
9. Ahluwalia N, Majumder S, Koehler J, Landman S, Sakar, S, Schilling RJ. Episode-level and clinical characterization of asymptomatic atrial fibrillation events. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol. 2024;35(12):2273–2279. doi:10.1111/jce.16423.
10. Piccini J, Lande J, Kanwar R, Johnson L, Passman R. Performance of apple watch for detecting atrial fibrillation among a known atrial fibrillation population. Eur Heart J. 2024;45(S1):ehae666.3538. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehae666.3538.
11. Shoamanesh A, Field TS, Coutts SB, et al. Apixaban versus aspirin for stroke prevention in people with subclinical atrial fibrillation and a history of stroke or transient ischaemic attack: subgroup analysis of the ARTESiA randomised controlled trial. Lancet Neurol. 2025;24(2):140–151. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(24)00475-7.
12. LINQ II™ LNQ22 ICM clinician manual. M974764A001D. Medtronic; 2022.
