The Danish Atrial Fibrillation Registry: A Multidisciplinary National Pragmatic Initiative for Monitoring and Supporting Quality of Care Based on Data Retrieved from Administrative Registries.

Aim: The Danish Atrial Fibrillation (AF) Registry monitors and supports improvement of quality of care for all AF patients in Denmark. This report describes the registry's administrative and organizational structure, data sources, data flow, data analyses, annual reporting, and feedback between the registry, clinicians, and the administrative system. We also report the selection process of the quality indicators and the temporal trends in results from 2017-2021.

Lenient rate control versus strict rate control for atrial fibrillation: a protocol for the Danish Atrial Fibrillation (DanAF) randomised clinical trial.

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart arrhythmia with a prevalence of approximately 2% in the western world. Atrial fibrillation is associated with an increased risk of death and morbidity. In many patients, a rate control strategy is recommended.

Subclinical and overt thyroid dysfunction and risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events: a large population study.

Context: Thyroid dysfunction has been associated with both increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, but limited data are available on mild thyroid dysfunction and cause-specific mortality.

Objective: The objective of the study was to examine the risk of all-cause mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), and cause-specific events in subjects with overt and subclinical thyroid dysfunction.

Design: This was a retrospective cohort study.

Diagnostic value of exercise-induced changes in circulating high sensitive troponin T in stable chest pain patients.

Objective: We investigated the diagnostic value of exercise-induced increase in cardiac Troponin T (cTnT) in stable chest pain subjects.

Methods: CTnT was measured before and 20 h after an exercise test in 157 subjects suspected of coronary artery disease (CAD).

Results: CAD subjects (n = 41) had higher baseline cTnT levels compared to non-CAD subjects (n = 116), 6.

New-onset atrial fibrillation is a predictor of subsequent hyperthyroidism: a nationwide cohort study.

Aims: To examine the long-term risk of hyperthyroidism in patients admitted to hospital with new-onset AF. Hyperthyroidism is a well-known risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF), but it is unknown whether new-onset AF predicts later-occurring hyperthyroidism.

Methods And Results: All patients admitted with new-onset AF in Denmark from 1997-2009, and their present and subsequent use of anti-thyroid medication was identified by individual-level linkage of nationwide registries.

The spectrum of thyroid disease and risk of new onset atrial fibrillation: a large population cohort study.

Objectives: To examine the risk of atrial fibrillation in relation to the whole spectrum of thyroid function in a large cohort of patients.

Design: Population based cohort study of general practice patients identified by linkage of nationwide registries at the individual level.

Setting: Primary care patients in the city of Copenhagen.

Atrial fibrillation in heart failure is associated with an increased risk of death only in patients with ischaemic heart disease.

Aims: The prognostic importance of atrial fibrillation (AF) in heart failure (HF) populations is controversial and may depend on patient selection. In the present study, we investigated the prognostic impact of AF in a large population with HF of various aetiologies.

Methods And Results: We included 2881 patients admitted to hospital with symptoms of worsening HF over a 4-year period (2001-2004), all patients were participants in the Echocardiography and Heart Outcome Study (ECHOS).

Rhythm control versus rate control for atrial fibrillation and heart failure.

Background: It is common practice to restore and maintain sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure. This approach is based in part on data indicating that atrial fibrillation is a predictor of death in patients with heart failure and suggesting that the suppression of atrial fibrillation may favorably affect the outcome. However, the benefits and risks of this approach have not been adequately studied.

Increased risk of sudden and non-sudden cardiovascular death in patients with atrial fibrillation/flutter following acute myocardial infarction.

Aims: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common complication in patients with acute myocardial infarction and is associated with an increase in the risk of death. The excess mortality associated with AF complicating acute myocardial infarction has not been studied in detail. Observations indicate that AF facilitates induction of ventricular arrhythmias, which may increase the risk of sudden cardiovascular death (SCD).

The immediate future for the medical treatment of atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation is the most commonly sustained cardiac arrhythmia and a common reason for mortality and morbidity. Atrial fibrillation causes disease for three reasons: i) the ventricular rate is often high, which leads to symptoms ranging from discomfort to life threatening heart failure; ii) the rhythm causes loss of atrioventricular synchrony, which reduces diastolic filling and may lead to heart failure; and iii) atrial contraction is lost leading to stagnant blood that again may lead to atrial thrombi and peripheral embolism. Thus, the treatment of atrial fibrillation is focused on the maintenance of sinus rhythm, rate control and prevention of embolism.

New antiarrhythmic agents for atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia and is a frequent reason for antiarrhythmic therapy. Existing antiarrhythmic drugs have important side effects and presently the therapy to maintain sinus rhythm is not superior to a strategy of controlling excessive heart rate. This review summarises current strategies to improve antiarrhythmic therapy for atrial fibrillation.

Impact of congestive heart failure and left ventricular systolic function on the prognostic significance of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter following acute myocardial infarction.

Background: Reports on the prognostic importance of atrial fibrillation following myocardial infarction have provided considerable variation in results. Thus, this study examined the impact of left ventricular systolic function and congestive heart failure on the prognostic importance of atrial fibrillation in acute myocardial infarction patients that might explain previous discrepancies.

Methods: The study population was 6676 patients consecutively admitted to hospital with acute myocardial infarction.

A benefit-risk assessment of class III antiarrhythmic agents.

The prevalence of arrhythmia in the population is increasing as more people survive for longer with cardiovascular disease. It was once thought that antiarrhythmic therapy could save life, however, it is now evident that antiarrhythmic therapy should be administrated with the purpose of symptomatic relief. Since many patients experience a decrease in physical performance as well as a diminished quality of life during arrhythmia there is still a need for antiarrhythmic drug therapy.

Can antiarrhythmic drugs save lives in patients with congestive heart failure?

Although arrhythmic death is a common cause of death in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF), numerous trials involving prophylactic antiarrhythmic drug treatment have yielded few gains. To date, only beta-blockers have shown a distinct mortality-reducing effect and despite the antiarrythmic effect of gamma-blockers, results point towards causes other than the antiarrhythmic effect in obtaining this beneficial effect. Atrial fibrillation is an often-encountered arrhythmia in patients with CHF and recent trials have cast doubt on the present treatment strategy of persistently striving to obtain sinus rhythm.

Does conversion and prevention of atrial fibrillation enhance survival in patients with left ventricular dysfunction? Evidence from the Danish Investigations of Arrhythmia and Mortality ON Dofetilide/(DIAMOND) study.

Background: Atrial fibrillation is a common arrhythmia in patients with left ventricular dysfunction associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The present study investigated the potential of dofetilide to restore and maintain sinus rhythm in patients with left ventricular dysfunction, which might reduce mortality and hospitalizations.

Methods And Results: In the Danish Investigations of Arrhythmia and Mortality ON Dofetilide (DIAMOND) studies, 506 patients were in atrial fibrillation (AF) or atrial flutter (AFl) at baseline.

Prevalence, prognostic significance, and treatment of atrial fibrillation in congestive heart failure with particular reference to the DIAMOND-CHF study.

Atrial fibrillation is a growing health problem and the most common cardiac arrhythmia, affecting 5% of persons above the age of 65 years. The number of hospital discharges for atrial fibrillation has more than doubled in the past decade. It occurs very often in patients with congestive heart failure and the prevalence increases with the severity of the disease.

Dofetilide: a new drug to control cardiac arrhythmia.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia. Mortality, and especially morbidity caused by AF, are major and growing health problems in the western world. AF is strongly associated with arterial hypertension, congestive heart failure, valvular heart disease, ischaemic heart disease, and with prevalence increasing with age.