Prevalence of atrial fibrillation without diagnosis or treatment in Primary Health Care in Joinville, Brazil
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Abstract
Introduction: Estimation of the prevalence of undiagnosed or untreated atrial fibrillation (AF) is crucial for the prevention of AF-related ischemic stroke. Objective: To assess the prevalence of undiagnosed or untreated AF in primary care. Methods: We conducted a prospective cross-sectional non-randomized study in Joinville, Brazil, among elderly individuals in primary care units (PCUs). Results: One thousand individuals were included, with a mean age of 69±7 years, and 57% women. Prevalence of AF was 3%, with 50% of AF patients being previously undiagnosed and 33% of previously diagnosed AF patients not receiving oral anticoagulation despite clinical indication. Using age-standardized prevalences, we estimated 68 and 27,342 strokes per year due to untreated or undiagnosed AF in Joinville and Brazil, respectively. Conclusion: The observation that two out of three AF patients were either undiagnosed or untreated is very alarming. Screening strategies to uncover this population are urgently needed.
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