Why the study?
A century ago, atrial fibrillation was less regularly recognized, prompting interest in the survival outcomes of patients with this newly identifiable arrhythmia.
This historical review highlights a century-old study of 500 patients with atrial fibrillation at the Mayo Clinic, reflecting early efforts to understand survival outcomes associated with the arrhythmia.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Early AF survival data contextualizes modern prognosis; leaves open how current therapies modify outcomes.
Atrial fibrillation is a common disease affecting millions of Americans. A century ago, it was a less regularly recognized phenomenon. With the advent of the electrocardiogram (ECG), this arrhythmia could be more readily identified. Frederick Willius, the first specialist in cardiology at the Mayo Clinic Rochester, became interested in the survival of patients with this condition. Using the tools at hand, he studied the outcome of 500 patients found to have ECG changes consistent with auricular fibrillation, as the condition was known at that time.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Newman et al. (2019) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: