Abstract: AIM:To investigate elderly patients in Tongchuan city with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) with cerebral embolism (CE) as a risk factor. METHODS: In Tongchuan city, there were 309 confirmed cases of males and females with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation stroke. This was a 1∶1 matched case-control study using environmental exposure data with EPI-info (6.04) and SPSS (15) statistical software for uni- and multivariate logistic regression analysis and the calculation of each factor as adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence limit (CI). RESULTS: Single factor analysis revealed that elderly NVAF patients with complications of hypertension, diabetes, heart failure, transient ischemic attack (TIA), obesity, smoking, alcoholism, high homocysteine, and CE were positively correlated, and that anticoagulation therapy may reduce the risk of CE. Multiple factor analysis showed hypertension, diabetes, TIA, and hyperhomocysteinemia as risk factors of CE. CONCLUSION: NVAF patients from Tongchuan city with CE have independent risk factors of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, TIA and hyperhomocysteinemia, and anticoagulant therapy is a protective factor.