Global variations in the prevalence, treatment, and impact of atrial fibrillation in a multi-national cohort of 153 152 middle-aged individuals
Why the study?
To compare the prevalence of ECG-documented AF across eight regions of the world, and to examine antithrombotic use and clinical outcomes.
Population
153 152 middle-aged participants (ages 35-70 years) across 20 countries
Comparison
Eight global regions and country income levels
Design
Multi-national community-based cross-sectional and prospective cohort study
Follow-up
Mean 7.4 years
Authors
Discussion
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Member takes
Implication
AF prevalence varies 12-fold by region/income despite risk-factor adjustment; leaves open unmeasured drivers and optimal antithrombotic strategies in low-resource settings.
Structured PICO
P
Population
153,152 middle-aged participants (ages 35-70 years) from two community-based studies spanning 20 countries, mean age 52.1 years, 57.7% female.
O
Outcome
Prevalence of ECG-documented atrial fibrillation (or flutter), antithrombotic use, and clinical outcomes (stroke and death)hard clinical
There are large global variations in AF prevalence, and antithrombotic therapy is significantly underutilized in low- and middle-income countries despite the high risk of stroke and death associated with AF.
Cite This Study
Joseph et al. (2020) studied this question.