Prevalence of Undiagnosed Atrial Fibrillation and of That Not Being Treated With Anticoagulant Drugs: the AFABE Study

New-onset atrial fibrillation after anatomic lung resection: predictive factors, treatment and follow-up in a UK thoracic centre

“…In their 10-year analysis of patients undergoing thoracic surgery, Amar et al similarly showed a correlation between increasing age and a risk of POAF that increased from 4% in patients <50 years to 25% in patients aged above 70 years [12]. The association between increasing age and atrial fibrillation in the general population is well recognized, with up to 20% of over 80-year-olds in Europe and the USA thought to be living with this arrhythmia [13,14]. With increasing age, a number of structural changes are observed within the atrial myocardium, subsequently predisposing to the initiation and maintenance of AF re-entrant circuits.…”

Effectiveness and safety of drugs used for stroke prevention in a cohort of non‐valvular atrial fibrillation patients from a primary care electronic database

“…Both authors described a prevalence higher than 17% in older than 80 years. Clua‐Espuny et al described similar prevalence and an approximately 20% of undiagnosed cases …”

“…Clua-Espuny et al described similar prevalence and an approximately 20% of undiagnosed cases. 6 Atrial fibrillation is associated with a variety of cardiovascular conditions such as hypertension, symptomatic heart failure or stroke. In fact, it increases stroke risk by fivefold, and one in five strokes may be attributed to AF.…”

Anticoagulation for stroke prevention in elderly patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation: what are the obstacles?

“…29 A population-based study revealed that 20.1% of AF in patients aged >60 years was undiagnosed. 30 Paroxysmal AF, which bears a similar stroke risk and benefit from anticoagulation to sustained AF, 31 also easily evades ordinary electrocardiography (ECG) screening. Paroxysmal AF is common (up to 16%) in cryptogenic stroke 32 that constitutes 25% of ischaemic stroke.…”