The AF Epidemic
AF has emerged as a major public health problem and global
epidemic.15,16 Not only is it the most common
arrythmia but it is also responsible for more morbidity than any other
rhythm disorder.17,18 Data from the Framingham Heart
Study revealed a lifetime risk of approximately 1 in 4 for men and
women of age 40 years or older.19 This signifies a
substantial burden on healthcare costs with approximately 350,000
hospitalizations, 5 million office visits, 276,000 emergency visits and
234,000 outpatient visits attributable to AF annually within the United
States translating to an estimated cost of treatment at 6.65 billion
dollars.18 The prevalence is further estimated to
increase 2.5 to 3-fold which projects to 5.6 million affected Americans
2050.20 Additionally, global AF burden is not well
known and is most likely underestimated in many regions outside of North
America and Europe.21
AF is vastly heterogenous with a myriad of causes, presentations and
complications. There is a need to improve contemporary practices as the
prevention and treatment outcomes in AF are
sub-optimal.22 AF is an independent predictor of
all-cause mortality, hemorrhage, left ventricular dysfunction and
thromboembolism.23,24 A global collaborative effort to
deal with the growing concern of AF is underway especially in the past 2
decades in areas of basic sciences, epidemiology, genetics along with
clinical studies and now with the use of AI.