Devices to decrease stroke risk.

: Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States. Cryptogenic stroke may account for up to 40% of strokes, and it is commonly associated with patent foramen ovale. Ischemic strokes often are associated with atrial fibrillation and left atrial appendage. Devices have been developed to reduce stroke risk by occluding patent foramen ovale or left atrial appendage, and early results with these devices suggest that interventional cardiology will have an increasingly important role in the prevention of stroke.