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Atrial Fibrillation  /  Human Value

Every year around 75,000 Americans learn that they have atrial fibrillation (AFib)—the most common type of arrhythmia, or abnormal heart rhythm. Having AFib puts people at an increased risk for stroke, which can be both deadly and costly. Medicare alone is estimated to pay .7 billion per year to treat newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation patients.

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    • Identifying individuals at high risk for developing AFib
      Using simple bedside measures, identification of individuals at risk for developing atrial fibrillation is feasible. Selecting high-risk individuals for inclusion in atrial fibrillation prevention trials may also enhance prevention strategies.  
    • Catheter ablation reduces risk of stroke and death among AFib patients
      Atrial fibrillation patients who underwent catheter ablation had a reduced risk of stroke and death—2.2% of those who had ablation experienced stroke versus 4.7% on medications alone, and 6% died from…  
    • Decrease in AFib hospitalization rates
      The use of practice guidelines in atrial fibrillation patients saw a decrease in rate of hospitalization from 74%to 38%.  
    • Stroke risk reduction from thrombin inhibitor in AFib patients
      A recently approved direct thrombin inhibitor was found to reduce the risk of stroke/peripheral embolic events in atrial fibrillation patients by 34%, and the risk of hemorrhagic stroke by 74%—compared…  
    • Adjusted-dose warfarin reduced stroke risk in AFib patients
      Meta-analysis of randomized trials found that adjusted-dose warfarin reduced stroke risk in atrial fibrillation patients by 60%. Antiplatelet agents reduced risk by 20%.  
    • Aspirin use in AFib patients
      Meta-analysis of a number of randomized controlled trials found that aspirin use in atrial fibrillation patients reduced stroke risk by an average 22%.  
    • Stroke rates among Afib patients
      In one year, 58,283 of the 1.265 million Medicare beneficiaries with atrial fibrillation that did not receive prophylaxis suffered a stroke. For those who did receive anti-coagulants, 38,468 suffered strokes.  
    • Atrial fibrillation ablation prevents recurrence of AFib
      Atrial fibrillation ablation, which involves using a catheter inserted into the heart to destroy electrical conduction tissue in or near the atria, prevents the recurrence of atrial fibrillation in up…