Screening for Atrial Fibrillation: the Role of CHADS-VASc and Atrial Fibrillation Burden

Overview

Journal Eur Heart J Suppl

Publisher Oxford University Press

Date 2024 Aug 5

PMID 39099574

Authors

Lucas Yixi Xing

Oliver B Vad

Daniel Engler

Jesper H Svendsen

Soren Z Diederichsen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Individuals with subclinical atrial fibrillation (AF) face an increased risk of thromboembolic events, which may potentially be mitigated through AF screening and subsequent anticoagulation. However, data from randomized clinical trials (RCTs) indicate a lower stroke risk in subclinical AF compared with the clinical phenotype. This-along with the inherent bleeding risk related to anticoagulation-seems to render the net clinical benefit of AF screening less evident. Further, current guidelines recommend consideration of CHADS-VASc score and AF episode duration to guide screening and treatment. These recommendations, in general, lack support and seem questionable in view of the limited RCT data. More evidence is warranted to provide insights into the potential benefits of screening and treatment of screen-detected AF in specific population subgroups and AF phenotypes.

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