Heart, lung & circulation
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Heart, lung & circulation · Sep 2017
ReviewTo Screen or Not to Screen? Examining the Arguments Against Screening for Atrial Fibrillation.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, with a lifetime risk of one in four of developing AF over the age of 40 years. Around 40% of patients are asymptomatic, which is of concern as AF is a major risk factor for stroke. ⋯ Overall, to be of value any screening program must fulfil the World Health Organization (WHO) Wilson and Jungner criteria for screening programs. In this paper we address the common arguments, and determine if AF screening fulfils the WHO criteria.