Consumer-Led Screening for Atrial Fibrillation: Frontier Review of the AF-SCREEN International Collaboration

Circulation. 2022 Nov 8;146(19):1461-1474. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.121.058911. Epub 2022 Nov 7.ABSTRACTThe technological evolution and widespread availability of wearables and handheld ECG devices capable of screening for atrial fibrillation (AF), and their promotion directly to consumers, has focused attention of health care professionals and patient organizations on consumer-led AF screening. In this Frontiers review, members of the AF-SCREEN International Collaboration provide a critical appraisal of this rapidly evolving field to increase awareness of the complexities and uncertainties surrounding consumer-led AF screening. Although there are numerous commercially available devices directly marketed to consumers for AF monitoring and identification of unrecognized AF, health care professional-led randomized controlled studies using multiple ECG recordings or continuous ECG monitoring to detect AF have failed to demonstrate a significant reduction in stroke. Although it remains uncertain if consumer-led AF screening reduces stroke, it could increase early diagnosis of AF and facilitate an integrated approach, including appropriate anticoagulation, rate or rhythm management, and risk factor modification to reduce complications. Companies marketing AF screening devices should report the accuracy and performance of their products in high- and low-risk populations and avoid claims about clinical outcomes unless improvement is demonstrated in randomized clinical trials. Gen...

Source: Circulation - November 7, 2022 Category: Cardiology Authors: Axel Brandes Stavros Stavrakis Ben Freedman Sotiris Antoniou Giuseppe Boriani A John Camm Clara K Chow Eric Ding Johan Engdahl Michael M Gibson Gregory Golovchiner Taya Glotzer Yutao Guo Jeff S Healey Mellanie T Hills Linda Johnson Gregory Y H Lip Trudie Source Type: research