Awareness of atrial fibrillation-effectiveness of a pilot national awareness campaign.

Background: Although atrial fibrillation (AF) causes one-third of strokes in Ireland, studies have shown that public awareness and knowledge of AF are poor. The Irish Heart Foundation conducted a national AF awareness campaign in 2013.

Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the campaign in promoting awareness of AF in the general Irish population, by analyzing knowledge of AF at a population level pre- and post-campaign.

Safety and tolerability of Tilt Testing and Carotid Sinus Massage in the octogenarians.

Objective: to evaluate the safety and tolerability of Tilt Testing (TT) and Carotid Sinus Massage (CSM) in octogenarians with unexplained syncope.

Methods: patients consecutively referred for transient loss of consciousness to the 'Syncope Units' of three hospitals were enrolled. TT and CSM were performed according to the European Society of Cardiology guidelines on syncope.