Atrial Fibrillation: Public Health Implications

摘要: Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia in United States, affecting 2.3 million Americans. AF associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and poor quality of life. its treatments result high healthcare resource use costs. Objective To develop a framework for public health action prevention, detection, control AF. Methods A literature search was conducted via MEDLINE CINAHL 1990–2004 period. Key words included atrial fibrillation, epidemiology, treatment, health. Results Published data predict substantial increase prevalence due to improved survival people coronary heart disease; increasing hypertension, failure, diabetes; aging American population. Low awareness quality-of-care issues related control, management are evident. Conclusions Awareness, early detection patient self-management, attention by programs essential reduce burden Partnerships among professional nursing medical organizations, Centers Disease Control Prevention, advocacy groups represent another important approach improving outcomes Hospitalizations controversies over optimal treatment strategies (e.g., rate vs rhythm control) underscore need both applied research.