Diagnosis of AF

[Finvola]

Recognition of at-risk patients may help faster diagnosis of AF.

bbc.com/news/health-46758997

[BobD Volunteer]

Just check the pulse at every consultation. Cheaper and more effective! Must get the message across that anticoagulation is not an option.

[Hidden]

Very interesting, thanks. This is the original paper.

academic.oup.com/eurheartj/...

[Hidden]

I found the original paper hard to unravel. One thing that was mentioned was that they screened for silent AF with 7 day holter monitoring. If a blood test can identify patients who would benefit from further screening for silent AF, that could presumably reduce stroke events. Perhaps the scientists here could have a look. Enjoy!

[Finvola in reply to Hidden]

Yes, in my own case I might have been diagnosed 6 years earlier had a blood test raised a flag as my AF has been detected only once in the last 12 years by physicians, including three 24 hour Holter monitors and umpteen clinic and consultant visits. Heart behaved almost perfectly each time - pulse normal, ECG normal but fast arrhythmias when no-one else was looking. Except for my wonderful Kardia, that is.

[S11m]

Holter monitors are expensive - and difficult to access on the NHS... but, hopefully, the Apple Watch 4 will kick them into history - when they let us use the ECG in this country.

[Hidden]

Thanks for that Finvola. Good one.