Five-minute test during routine GP appointments could prevent stroke

Medical Xpress / European Society of Cardiology / AFFECT-EU project ^ | March 18, 2024 | Sophia Antipolis / Professor Renate Schnabel et al

[ConservativeMind]

People at risk should be tested for atrial fibrillation every time they attend a health appointment.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm disorder globally. The number of adults aged 55 years and older living with the condition in the European Union is expected to more than double from 8.8 million in 2010 to 17.9 million by 2060. People with atrial fibrillation are up to five times more likely to have a stroke than their healthy peers. The disorder often has no symptoms and remains undiagnosed until a stroke occurs.

The consortium identified the ability of atrial fibrillation screening to reduce strokes in a contemporary meta-analysis of 35,836 participants. A further study by the consortium in 11 European countries found that there were no national screening programs, and most atrial fibrillation was detected in patients with symptoms. But in a survey conducted by the group in 18 European countries, GPs said screening for atrial fibrillation was nearly as important as screening for common cancers.

Regarding who is at elevated risk of atrial fibrillation or stroke and should therefore be screened, studies by consortium members identified that the following are risk factors: increasing age, obesity, high blood pressure, and high blood levels of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), which is commonly tested to diagnose heart failure.

Project manager Daniel Engler of the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany, said, "People with atrial fibrillation are more likely to be severely disabled or die from a stroke or heart failure than those without atrial fibrillation, making prevention an imperative to reduce morbidity and maintain a high quality of life."

[ConservativeMind]

Early A-fib knowledge can help prevent complications.

[ConservativeMind]

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[George from New England]

So just what is this five minute test involve. No info at the link that I found.

[nickcarraway]

What about people who’ve already had AFib?

[3ZZZ]

EKG I think.

[ConservativeMind]

A doctor uses a device called a “stethoscope,” which has an apparatus that is placed in his or her ears and is connected with a rubbery tube to a metal hollow device that, together, transmits all your heart sounds to the doctor’s ears.

[backpacker_c]

I don’t think you know what would be used, so you shouldn’t be putting out false information.

[ConservativeMind]

Okay, then read this:

How Atrial Fibrillation Is Diagnosed

Atrial fibrillation, or AFib, may or may not cause symptoms. Your doctor could find it during a regular physical. Or you might make an appointment after you notice signs like a fluttering heartbeat or fatigue.

If your doctor thinks you have it, the first thing they'll do is listen to your heart. They may be able to hear your irregular heartbeat with a stethoscope.

https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/atrial-fibrillation/afib-diagnosis

This is done a lot by general practitioners, but not all, nor all the time.

[backpacker_c]

Auscultation of the heart beat is not a reliable way to determine if there is afib.

Irregular heart rhythms can be caused by other conditions, other than afib.

Since afib is abberent electrical activity that may trigger irregular heart beats, you have to do an ekg to detect and verify it.

[mbj]

+1

Thank you

[The Westerner]

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