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According to the results of the AFFECT-EU project, which will hold its final event today in Brussels, Belgium, people at risk should be tested for atrial fibrillation every time they attend a health checkup. Patients at high risk for this disease, such as those with a history of heart failure or stroke, should be encouraged to undergo screening tests.

Atrial fibrillation screening can identify undiagnosed atrial fibrillation so the condition can be managed according to guidelines, such as starting anticoagulants to prevent stroke. AFFECT-EU believes that screening at-risk groups when they contact the health system, and further opportunistic screening targeting patients at specific risk, is a productive and cost-effective way to carry out screening across Europe. It was concluded that this may be a highly effective method. ”

Renate Schnabel, Scientific Coordinator, Professor, Hamburg-Eppendorf University Hospital, Germany

Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm disorder worldwide. The number of adults aged 55 and over living with the disease in the European Union is expected to more than double, from 8.8 million in 2010 to 17.9 million by 2060. People with atrial fibrillation are up to five times more likely to have a stroke than healthy people. This disorder often has no symptoms and remains undiagnosed until a stroke occurs.

The four-year EU-funded AFFECT-EU project brings together healthcare professionals, patient representatives, payers and industry in a consortium of 26 partners, including the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), to develop viable atrial defined a dynamic screening strategy. The ultimate goal is to prevent subsequent strokes and early death.

The ability of atrial fibrillation screening to reduce stroke was confirmed in a recent meta-analysis of 35,836 participants by a consortium. Further research conducted by the consortium in 11 European countries found that there were no national screening programs and most cases of atrial fibrillation were detected in symptomatic patients. But in a study carried out by the group in 18 European countries, GPs said screening for atrial fibrillation was almost as important as screening for common cancers.

Subsequent analysis by project members demonstrated that screening saves stroke-related costs, regardless of method (e.g., opportunistic or targeted). Next, project members developed a budget impact analysis calculator that health regulators and payers can use to estimate the financial impact of implementing her screening program over five years.

For people who are at high risk for atrial fibrillation or stroke and therefore should be screened, studies by consortium members show that older age, obesity, high blood pressure, and elevated blood N-terminal pro-B levels are risk factors. It turns out. Natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). Commonly tested to diagnose heart failure.

“People with atrial fibrillation are more likely to be severely disabled or die from stroke or heart failure than people without atrial fibrillation,” said Daniel Engler, project manager at Hamburg-Eppendorf University Hospital in Germany. Probability is high. Prevention is essential to reduce morbidity and maintain a high quality of life. AFFECT-EU paves the way for well-implemented atrial fibrillation screening programs, increasing the number of new diagnoses and guiding guideline-aligned treatments, thereby reducing stroke risk and the burden of atrial fibrillation disease. Did. ”

sauce:

European Society of Cardiology (ESC)

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