Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31385256›Full record

ArticleHigh blood pressure & cardiovascular prevention : the official journal of the Italian Society of Hypertension2019

Opportunistic Screening for Atrial Fibrillation in the Pharmacies: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

Marco Bacchini, Samuele Bonometti, Francesco Del Zotti, Alessandro Lechi, Federico Realdon, Cristiano Fava, Pietro Minuz

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Article in High blood pressure & cardiovascular prevention : the official journal of the Italian Society of Hypertension, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Marco BacchiniFederfarma Verona, Verona, Italy.
Samuele BonomettiDepartment of Medicine, Unit of General Medicine for the Study and Treatment of Hypertensive Disease, University of Verona, Policlinico GB Rossi, Piazzale LA Scuro, 10, 37134, Verona, Italy.
Francesco Del ZottiNetaudit, Verona, Italy.
Alessandro LechiDepartment of Medicine, Unit of General Medicine for the Study and Treatment of Hypertensive Disease, University of Verona, Policlinico GB Rossi, Piazzale LA Scuro, 10, 37134, Verona, Italy.
Federico RealdonFederfarma Verona, Verona, Italy.
Cristiano FavaDepartment of Medicine, Unit of General Medicine for the Study and Treatment of Hypertensive Disease, University of Verona, Policlinico GB Rossi, Piazzale LA Scuro, 10, 37134, Verona, Italy.
Pietro MinuzDepartment of Medicine, Unit of General Medicine for the Study and Treatment of Hypertensive Disease, University of Verona, Policlinico GB Rossi, Piazzale LA Scuro, 10, 37134, Verona, Italy. pietro.minuz@univr.it.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5450-2186
University of Verona · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionOpportunistic screening of atrial fibrillation is a valuable approach to the identification of subjects with unknown or non-symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) with the potential of reducing the burden of ischemic stroke in the population.

aimTo evaluate the feasibility of a large-scale screening for atrial fibrillation using a blood pressure monitor (MicrolifeAFIB) endowed with a validated algorithm able to detect AF calculating the irregularity of interval times between heartbeats.

methodsIn this cross-sectional study conducted in 74 pharmacies in Verona participated 3071 people aged 50 years or more. In 6 months, information about drugs, previous diagnoses of cardiovascular diseases, anthropometric and demographic data was recorded, together with the measurement of blood pressure and cardiac rhythm by using the MicrolifeAFIB device. Pharmacists also collected anthropometric and demographic data of the participants, along with information concerning their personal history of cardiovascular disease and the use of antihypertensive and antithrombotic agents. All those who were positive at the screening for atrial fibrillation were referred to their family doctor.

resultsThe screening revealed 98 subjects (3.2%) positive for AF; 44 of these reported a previous diagnosis of AF and were treated with anticoagulants (77%) or with antiplatelet agents (7%). By logistic regression analysis, age, male sex and heart failure were independently associated with positivity for AF. Association between positive test and previous stroke/TIA was found in the 54 subjects without a previous diagnosis of AF (9% had a previous stroke/TIA).

conclusionsOpportunistic screening for atrial fibrillation in the pharmacies is feasible and allows to identify a number of subjects with silent, non-previously diagnosed AF, therefore is potentially useful in large-scale projects aimed at the prevention of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

Indexed as

Community Pharmacy ServicesHeart RateAgedAged, 80 and overAtrial FibrillationBlood PressureBlood Pressure DeterminationCross-Sectional StudiesElectrocardiographyEquipment DesignFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansItalyMaleMass ScreeningAtrial fibrillationBlood pressureOpportunistic screeningPharmacyRisk factor

Identifiers

PMID31385256
OpenAlexW2965919338

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Registered trials

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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.