This review highlights the growing global burden of atrial fibrillation and outlines a roadmap for tailored surveillance, management, and prevention strategies in developed versus developing regions.
Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm disorder in the world, with major public health impact especially due to increased risk of stroke and hospitalizations. The recently published results on epidemiology of atrial fibrillation from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study confirm the existence of a significant and progressive worldwide increase in the burden of atrial fibrillation. However, there appears to be regional variation in both the burden of atrial fibrillation and availability of epidemiological data regarding this condition. In this review, the authors identify issues that are unique to the developed versus developing regions and outline a road map for possible approaches to surveillance, management, and prevention of atrial fibrillation at the global level.
Chugh et al. (Sat,) studied this question.