A 79-Year-Old Woman With a Pacemaker and High Atrial Rates

Jeff S. Healey, MD, MSc, FRCPC; Jonathan P. Piccini, MD, MHS, FACC; Christian T. Ruff, MD, MPH

March 22, 2019

Editorial Collaboration

Medscape &

The results of the ARTESiA and NOAH-AF trials will have major implications for the viability and logistics of population-based atrial fibrillation screening.^[7,8,15] Short-lasting subclinical atrial fibrillation is much more common than clinical atrial fibrillation that is detected with single time-point, ECG-based screening. However, detecting such episodes is cumbersome and more costly. If treating subclinical atrial fibrillation proves worthwhile, then screening for longer periods of time may prove to be a cost-effective way to prevent stroke in the population.^[15] Otherwise, simple intermittent screening or symptom-driven investigations may be preferred.

Insights from pacemaker studies and studies in a more general population have shown that subclinical atrial fibrillation is common and associated with stroke.^[17] Ongoing studies will determine when and how patients with subclinical atrial fibrillation should be treated and will help clarify whether population-based screening for atrial fibrillation is a cost-effective stroke-prevention strategy.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6

Next Section

Cite this: Jeff S. Healey, Jonathan P. Piccini, Christian T. Ruff. A 79-Year-Old Woman With a Pacemaker and High Atrial Rates - Medscape - Mar 22, 2019.

Comments

Commenting is limited to medical professionals. To comment please Log-in.

Comments on Medscape are moderated and should be professional in tone and on topic. You must declare any conflicts of interest related to your comments and responses. Please see our Commenting Guide for further information. We reserve the right to remove posts at our sole discretion.