SynthesisPloS one2019
Effectiveness of screening for atrial fibrillation and its determinants. A meta-analysis.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 29 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
29 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 55 citations in OpenAlex.
- Screening strategies for atrial fibrillation in the elderly population: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society · 2023Pooled it
- Trial
- A Deep Neural Network for Interpreting Wearable Electrocardiogram Data in Atrial Fibrillation: Prospective Observational Diagnostic Accuracy Study.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2026Observational
- Article
- Active Monitoring for AtriaL FIbrillation (AMALFI): Rationale, protocol, and pilot for a pragmatic, randomized, controlled trial of remote screening for asymptomatic atrial fibrillation.American heart journal · 2025Article
- Brazilian Atrial Fibrillation Guidelines - 2025.Arquivos brasileiros de cardiologia · 2025Article
- Universal Atrial Fibrillation Screening Using Electrocardiographic Artificial Intelligence: A Cost-Effective Approach in Rural Communities.Journal of medical systems · 2025Article
- Photoplethysmography in recent-onset atrial fibrillation: automatic detection of rhythm change and burden.European heart journal. Digital health · 2025Article
- Systematic screening for atrial fibrillation with non-invasive devices: a systematic review and meta-analysis.The Lancet regional health. Europe · 2025Article
- 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics: A Report of US and Global Data From the American Heart Association.Circulation · 2025Review
- Feasibility and reliability of a smartwatch to detect atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery: a prospective study.Frontiers in digital health · 2025Article
- Advances in Cardiovascular Wearable Devices.Biosensors · 2024Review
- Assessing the impact of atrial fibrillation self-care interventions: A systematic review.American heart journal plus : cardiology research and practice · 2024Review
- 2024 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics: A Report of US and Global Data From the American Heart Association.Circulation · 2024Review
- Prevalence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Among Atrial Fibrillation Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study from Jordan.Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare · 2024Article
- Improving Automatic Smartwatch Electrocardiogram Diagnosis of Atrial Fibrillation by Identifying Regularity within Irregularity.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Early Diagnosis of Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke Incidence in Primary Care: Translating Measurements into Actions-A Retrospective Cohort Study.Biomedicines · 2023Article
- Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics-2023 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association.Circulation · 2023Review
- Efficient on-site confirmatory testing for atrial fibrillation with derived 12-lead ECG in a wireless body area network.Journal of ambient intelligence and humanized computing · 2023Article
- [Cardiovascular preventive recommendations. PAPPS 2022 thematic updates. Working groups of the PAPPS].Atencion primaria · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMany atrial fibrillation patients eligible for oral anticoagulants are unaware of the presence of AF, and improved detection is necessary to facilitate thromboprophylaxis against stroke.
objectiveTo assess the effectiveness of screening for AF compared to no screening and to compare efficacy outcomes of different screening strategies. MATERIALS AND
methodsCochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE and MEDLINE from Jan 1, 2000 -Dec 31, 2015 were searched. Studies employing systematic or opportunistic screening and using ECG or pulse palpation in populations age ≥40 years were included. Data describing study and patient characteristics and number of patients with new AF were extracted. The outcome was the incidence of previously undiagnosed AF.
resultsWe identified 25 unique (3 RCTs and 22 observational) studies (n = 88 786) from 14 countries. The incidence of newly detected AF due to screening was 1.5% (95% CI 1.1 to 1.8%). Systematic screening was more effective than opportunistic: 1.8% (95% CI 1.4 to 2.3%) vs. 1.1% (95% CI 0.6 to 1.6%), p<0.05, GP-led screening than community based: 1.9% (95% CI 1.4 to 2.4%) vs. 1.1% (95% CI 0.7 to 1.6%), p<0.05, and repeated heart rhythm measurements than isolated assessments of rhythm: 2.1% (95% CI 1.5-2.8) vs. 1.2% (95% CI 0.8-1.6), p<0.05. Only heart rhythm measurement frequency had statistical significance in a multivariate meta-regression model (p<0.05).
conclusionsActive screening for AF, whether systematic or opportunistic, is effective beginning from 40 years of age. The organisation of screening process may be more important than technical solutions used for heart rhythm assessment.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.