A patient with atrial fibrillation at a general practitioner's appointment

Abstract

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common types of arrhythmias and represents a significant health and economic burden worldwide. Along with the aging of the population, there has been a rapid increase in the prevalence and incidence of AF. Among adults over the age of 55, one in three is expected to be diagnosed with AF during their lifetime. However, due to the fact that some patients do not experience symptoms associated with arrhythmia, unfortunately, all too often AF remains undiagnosed and untreated. Detection of asymptomatic and/or previously unknown AF is one of the key tasks of outpatient care, and considering that prevention of cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular complications is considered an important part of the work of general practitioners, this article will review pathophysiological mechanisms of AF, risk factors and diagnostic criteria of AF, and discuss algorithms of management tactics for patients with AF, which may be useful for routine clinical activities of the general practitioner.

Keywords

• atrial fibrillation
• anticoagulants
• adherence to therapy
• apixaba