Arrhythmias & electrophysiologyGuideline or statement
Longer and better lives for patients with atrial fibrillation: the 9th Atrial Fibrillation NETwork (AFNET)/European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) consensus conference
- Consensus conference report
Recommendations
As issued by the authors
Active rhythm management should be part of the default initial treatment for all suitable patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).
Patients with device-detected AF have a low AF burden and a low stroke risk; anticoagulation prevents some strokes and also increases major but non-lethal bleeding.
More research is needed to improve stroke risk prediction in AF, especially with a low AF burden; biomolecules, genetics and imaging can support this.
The presence of AF should trigger systematic workup and comprehensive treatment of concomitant CV conditions.
Machine learning algorithms have been used to improve detection or likely development of AF; cooperation between clinicians and data scientists is needed.
Original publication
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it