Journal Mobile

Author(s): 
GYH Lip, K Lalukota
Journal Issue: 
Volume 37: Issue 3: 2007

Format

Abstract

 

Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia in everyday clinical practice, and has a significant morbidity and mortality related to it, either directly or indirectly. Atrial fibrillation results in a heavy burden on NHS services, in terms of both in-patient admissions, and out-patient care. Atrial fibrillation can be  symptomatic  or  asymptomatic, yet  morbidity  and  mortality  are  not  much different  in  relation  to  symptom  status.  However, young  patients  with  ‘lone  AF’(i.e. AF  without  ‘overt’  structural  heart  disease, as  defined  by  essentially  normal clinical  history  and  examination, electrocardiogram, chest  X-ray, and, in  more recent series, the ECG) are often considered as being ‘at low risk’, although recent
data have been less conclusive on this aspect

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