Background Prevalence Of Atrial Fibrillation Afib

Treating Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) – The 2023 Guideline Update

Background - Prevalence of Atrial Fibrillation (AFib)

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) – the most common heart arrhythmia – affects 33.5 million people worldwide.

With a current US prevalence of ~2.7 million, this number is expected to increase to 12.1 million by 2030 due to our growing, aging population.

Guideline Update

Last updated in 2019, the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, and Heart Rhythm Society released new clinical practice guidelines for the management of patients with atrial fibrillation in 2023.

This update focuses on optimizing patient care through shared decision-making, assessing a patient’s individual risk of stroke and bleeding, addressing comorbidities and social determinants of health, and promoting equity in care.

Key Updates

• Shared decision-making is now emphasized throughout the guideline, highlighting the importance of involving patients in their care planning.
• The CHA2DS2-VASc score is still the primary tool for assessing stroke risk, but the guideline now recommends considering additional factors such as age, sex, and race/ethnicity when making treatment decisions.
• The HAS-BLED score is the recommended tool for assessing bleeding risk, and the guideline now provides more guidance on how to manage patients at high risk of bleeding.
• The guideline now includes a new section on addressing comorbidities, such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity, which can impact the management of AFib.
• The guideline also includes a new section on promoting equity in care, recognizing that disparities in access to care and outcomes exist for patients with AFib from certain racial and ethnic groups.

Conclusion

The 2023 AFib guideline update provides comprehensive guidance for the management of patients with AFib.

By emphasizing shared decision-making, assessing individual patient risk, addressing comorbidities, and promoting equity in care, these guidelines aim to improve the quality of care and outcomes for patients with AFib.