Pooled yield of screening was greater in males across all age strata .
Neither the choice of screening methodology or device , the geographical region , nor the screening setting influenced the detection rate of AF .
The main limitation of this study is there are insufficient data on sociodemographic variables of the population s and possible ascertainment biases to explain the variance in the sample s. CONCLUSIONS People with screen-detected AF are at elevated calculated stroke risk : above age 65 , the majority have a Class-1 OAC recommendation for stroke prevention , and > 70 % have ≥1 additional stroke risk factor other than age/sex .
BACKGROUND The precise age distribution and calculated stroke risk of screen-detected atrial fibrillation ( AF ) is not known .
Therefore , it is not possible to determine the number needed to screen ( NNS ) to identify one treatable new AF case ( NNS-Rx ) ( i.e. , Class-1 oral anticoagulation [ OAC ] treatment recommendation ) in each age stratum .
If the NNS-Rx is known for each age stratum , precise cost-effectiveness and sensitivity simulations can be performed based on the age distribution of the population /region to be screened .
Such calculations are required by national authorities and organisations responsible for health system budgets to determine the best age cutoffs for screening programs and decide whether programs of screening should be funded .
Therefore , we aim ed to determine the exact yield and calculated stroke-risk profile of screen-detected AF and NNS-Rx in 5-year age strata .
The prevalence, incidence, management and risks of atrial fibrillation in an elderly Chinese population: a prospective study
Background There is limited information on prevalent and incident atrial fibrillation in Chinese . We aim ed to investigate the prevalence , incidence , management and risks of atrial fibrillation in an elderly Chinese population . Methods In a population —based prospect i ve study in elderly ( ≥60 years ) Chinese , we performed cardiovascular health examinations including a 12-lead electrocardiogram at baseline in 3,922 participants  and biennially during follow-up in 2,017 participants . We collected information on vital status during the whole follow-up period . Results The baseline prevalence of atrial fibrillation was 2.0 % ( n = 34 ) in 1718 men and 1.6 % ( n = 36 ) in 2204 women . During a median 3.8 years of follow-up , the incidence rate of atrial fibrillation ( n = 34 ) was 4.9 per 1000 person-years ( 95 % confidence interval [ CI ] , 3.4–6.9 ) . In univariate analysis , both the prevalence and incidence of atrial fibrillation were higher with age advancing ( P < 0.0001 ) and in the presence of coronary heart disease ( P ≤ 0.02 ) . Of the 104 prevalent and incident cases of atrial fibrillation , only 1 ( 1.0 % ) received anticoagulant therapy ( warfarin ) . These patients with atrial fibrillation , compared with those with sinus rhythm , had significantly higher risks of all-cause ( n = 261 , hazard ratio [ HR ] 1.87 , 95 % CI , 1.09–3.20 , P = 0.02 ) , cardiovascular ( n = 136 , HR 3.78 , 95 % CI 2.17–6.58 , P < 0.0001 ) and stroke mortality ( n = 44 , HR 6.31 , 95 % CI 2.81–14.19 , P = 0.0003 ) . Conclusions Atrial fibrillation was relatively frequent in elderly Chinese , poorly managed and associated with higher risks of mortality
Pooled yield of screening was greater in males across all age strata .
Neither the choice of screening methodology or device , the geographical region , nor the screening setting influenced the detection rate of AF .
The main limitation of this study is there are insufficient data on sociodemographic variables of the population s and possible ascertainment biases to explain the variance in the sample s. CONCLUSIONS People with screen-detected AF are at elevated calculated stroke risk : above age 65 , the majority have a Class-1 OAC recommendation for stroke prevention , and > 70 % have ≥1 additional stroke risk factor other than age/sex .
BACKGROUND The precise age distribution and calculated stroke risk of screen-detected atrial fibrillation ( AF ) is not known .
Therefore , it is not possible to determine the number needed to screen ( NNS ) to identify one treatable new AF case ( NNS-Rx ) ( i.e. , Class-1 oral anticoagulation [ OAC ] treatment recommendation ) in each age stratum .
If the NNS-Rx is known for each age stratum , precise cost-effectiveness and sensitivity simulations can be performed based on the age distribution of the population /region to be screened .
Such calculations are required by national authorities and organisations responsible for health system budgets to determine the best age cutoffs for screening programs and decide whether programs of screening should be funded .
Therefore , we aim ed to determine the exact yield and calculated stroke-risk profile of screen-detected AF and NNS-Rx in 5-year age strata .