Screening for Atrial Fibrillation in Asymptomatic Older Adults

Q: What does this research mean for the field?

The clinical decision to screen for atrial fibrillation in asymptomatic older adults involves competing considerations, with reasonable evidence supporting both active screening and deferral of screening. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.SYNTHESIS. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

Clement D. Lee; Mårten Rosenqvist; John M. Mandrola

doi:10.1056/nejmclde2203726

August 10, 2022New England Journal of Medicine

Screening for Atrial Fibrillation in Asymptomatic Older Adults

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Key result

Routine screening for atrial fibrillation in asymptomatic older adults faces competing clinical arguments.

Key Points

Examine the clinical arguments for and against initiating routine screening for atrial fibrillation in asymptomatic older adults.
Framed clinical considerations around a case vignette of an asymptomatic older patient evaluated in primary care.
Presented two expert essays evaluating evidence supporting screening versus deferral of screening.
The pro-screening perspective emphasizes that early detection of silent atrial fibrillation enables timely anticoagulation therapy to reduce ischemic stroke risk.
The counter-screening perspective highlights the absence of definitive trial evidence showing net clinical benefit, emphasizing risks of false positives, overtreatment, and bleeding complications.

Population

Asymptomatic older adults

Comparison

Screening for atrial fibrillation vs deferral of screening

Design

Interactive feature with a case vignette and two essays

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Implication

AF screening in asymptomatic older adults remains debated; leaves open whether benefits justify routine use pending definitive trials.

Abstract

This interactive feature about screening for atrial fibrillation in asymptomatic older adults offers a case vignette accompanied by two essays, one supporting screening and the other supporting deferral of screening.

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Cite This Study

Lee et al. (2022) studied this question. Screening for atrial fibrillation in asymptomatic older adults is presented with arguments for both active screening and deferral of screening.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6af2fa1c97ab923cb2d326f9 https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmclde2203726

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Screening for Atrial Fibrillation in Asymptomatic Older Adults

Key Points

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Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

Screening for Atrial Fibrillation in Asymptomatic Older Adults

Key Points

Ask about this paper

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

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