Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia physicians face in clinical practice, with an incidence of up to 2.3% per year and a prevalence of almost 9% in those aged 80-89 years. In addition to having various symptoms, patients with AF have increased risk for stroke and death. This report synthesizes the available evidence on strategies for handling each of the following key aspects in the management of patients with new onset AF: electrical cardioversion and pharmacological conversion, mantenance of sinus rhythm, ventricular rate conrol, stroke prevention, outpatient management and echocardiography.