Introduction
Given the advances in Atrial Fibrillation (AF) management and the availability of new ESC guidelines, there is a need for the systematic collection of contemporary data regarding the management and treatment of AF in the member ESC countries. It is now nearly 10 years since the last European registry of AF management was undertaken (as part of the ESC EuroHeart Survey programme), and a new registry was needed.
New guidelines on the management of AF have recently been published by the ESC, but it remains unclear how often clinicians adhere to them. Since the last EuroHeart survey, a change in management strategy has necessitated an update on prevalent management practices in AF. This is influenced by clinical availability of catheter ablation as a routine procedure and new antiarrhythmic drugs, and also by developments in stroke thromboprophylaxis and medical therapy options. Under the EurObservational Research Programme (EORP), an AF ablation sentinel pilot registry was launched in 2010.
A survey of AF management under the EORP programme will enable a timely assessment of the uptake of the new ESC guidelines, allow monitoring of implementation and uptake of catheter ablation, new antithrombotic drugs and new antiarrhythmic agents, and will inform about outcomes related to guideline-adherent management of AF.
The Objectives of the Study
The general objectives of the EORP registry on clinical epidemiology and medical management of atrial fibrillation are summarized as follows:
- To verify the applicability, and to adapt or strengthen European practice guidelines (recommendations) on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cardiovascular diseases and facilitate implementation of such guidelines.
- To investigate the applicability of the results of clinical trials in everyday practice.
- To analyse the outcome of different disease management strategies.
- To foster the implementation of evidence-based medicine.
Aims for immediate analysis
Analysis of the frequency of a complete diagnostic work-up concerning:
- Underlying heart disease
- Other possible associated conditions
- Type of AF
- Triggering factors
- Consequences of AF
Analysis of the frequency of:
- Proper anti-thrombotic treatment
- Proper treatment of the underlying heart disease
- Proper rate control measures
- Rational drug use in pharmacological cardioversion
- Proper indications for electrical cardioversion
- Rational drug use in the maintenance of SR
- Description of the use of new therapeutic options (more prevalent use of antithrombotic agents, catheter ablation and antiarrhythmic drugs) that have recently become available.
- Analysis of the relationship between management of AF and morbidity/mortality at one year.
In addition, the registry will in itself contribute to the awareness of the new ESC guidelines by asking questions about the topics covered.
Study Organisation
The registry is chaired by Professor Giuseppe Boriani
The Executive Committee:
Guiseppe Boriani (Chairman)
Gregory Lip (Past Chairman)
Luigi Tavazzi
Aldo Pietro Maggioni
Laurent Fauchier
Francisco Marin
Michael Näbauer
Zbigniew Kalarus
Tatjana Potpara
Gheorghe-Andrei Dan
Roberto Ferrari
Alena Shantsila (Research Fellow for the AF General Registry)
The Steering Committee is composed of one National Coordinator per participating country. National Societies are responsible for national coordinators and selection of participating centres.
The Steering Committee:
Artan Goda (AL)
Georges Mairesse (BE)
Milos Taborsky (CZ)
Lars Hvilsted Rasmussen (DK)
Ignacio García Bolao (ES)
Olivier Piot (FR)
Kakhaber Etsadashvili (GE)
Conor McCann (IE)
Moti Haim (IL)
Massimo Santini (IT)
Erkin Mirrakhimov (KG)
Koshumbaeva Kulzida (KZ)
Andrejs Erglis (LV)
Osama Bhaleel (LY)
Lidija Poposka (MK)
Melanie Burg (MT)
Radosław Lenarczyk (PL)
Mário Martins Oliveira (PT)
Dipen Shah (CH)
Gheorghe-Andrei Dan (RO)
Tatjana Potpara (RS)
Elena Serdechnaya (RU)
Gregory Lip/Deirdre Lane (UK)
The Pilot Registry Committees
The Executive Committee
Gregory Lip (Chairman)
Panos Vardas
Luigi Tavazzi
Aldo Pietro Maggioni
Paulus Kirchhof
Harry Crijns
The Steering Committee
The Steering Committee is composed of one National Coordinator per participating country. National Societies are responsible for national coordinators and selection of participating centres.
Clemens Steinwender (AT)
Georges Mairesse (BE)
Carsten Israel (DE)
Lars Hvilsted Rasmussen (DK)
Philippe Mabo (FR)
Emmanouil Simantirakis (GR)
Massimo Santini (IT)
Harry Crijns (NL)
Dan Atar (NO)
Zbigniew Kalarus (PL)
Mario Martins Oliveira (PT)
Gheorghe-Andrei Dan (RO)
Our mission: To reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease.