Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42669050›Full record

Trial reportEuropace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology2026

Population reach and participation rate in opportunistic vs. systematic atrial fibrillation screening: STROKESTOP III.

Mashroor Khan, Sofia Skröder, Michael Ingre, Fredrik Carlstedt, Anders Eriksson, Johanna Star Tenn, Mårten Rosenqvist, Emma Svennberg

Abstract readRandomized Controlled TrialMulticenter StudyComparative Study
In one paragraph

Trial report in Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

8 authors.

Mashroor KhanDepartment of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm SE 141 86, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0003-1615-5173
Sofia SkröderCentre for Clinical Research and Education, Region Värmland, Karlstad, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-6360-1167
Michael IngreDepartment of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm SE 141 86, Sweden.
Fredrik CarlstedtCentre for Clinical Research and Education, Region Värmland, Karlstad, Sweden.
Anders ErikssonDepartment of Clinical Physiology, Region Värmland, Karlstad, Sweden.
Johanna Star TennDepartment of Clinical Physiology, Region Värmland, Karlstad, Sweden.
Mårten RosenqvistDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Danderyd University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Danderyd, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0003-3337-9259
Emma SvennbergDepartment of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm SE 141 86, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-6413-0870

Funding

Region StockholmSwedish Heart and Lung foundation, CIMED, Vinnova 2022-03484Swedish Research Council 2022-01466
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsPopulation-based screening for atrial fibrillation (AF) should be considered in elderly individuals to enable AF detection. However, participation in systematic screening programmes is often suboptimal. STROKESTOP III evaluated whether opportunistic screening could improve participation compared with systematic screening. METHODS AND

resultsSTROKESTOP III is a cluster-randomized trial including individuals aged 75-76 years from 16 primary care centres in Region Värmland, Sweden. Centres were randomized to systematic screening, using mailed invitations, or opportunistic screening, using invitations during visits.In the systematic arm, 1312 individuals were eligible and invited, of whom 607 participated (46.3%). In the opportunistic arm, 1390 individuals attended participating primary care centres and were potentially eligible for invitation. However, 641 individuals (46.1%) were not assessed for eligibility. Among the 749 assessed individuals, 609 were eligible and 374 participated.Participation among invited eligible individuals was significantly higher with opportunistic than systematic screening (374/609, 61.4% vs. 607/1,312, 46.3%; P < 0.005). However, overall reach was lower in the opportunistic arm because of incomplete assessment for invitation (374/1,479, 25.3% vs. 607/1,437, 42.2%; P < 0.005). Participants in the opportunistic arm had a higher cardiovascular risk burden, including more hypertension, diabetes, and a higher CHA2DS2-VASc-score (3.99 vs. 3.60; P < 0.005). Exclusion rates were higher (18.7% vs. 8.7%; P < 0.005), mainly due to previously diagnosed AF and cognitive impairment.

conclusionOpportunistic screening increased participation among invited individuals and identified a higher-risk population, but its overall population reach was limited by incomplete eligibility assessment. Combining opportunistic and systematic strategies may optimize reach and participation in AF screening programmes.

Indexed as

Atrial FibrillationMass ScreeningPatient ParticipationAgedFemaleHumansMalePredictive Value of TestsPrimary Health CareRisk FactorsSwedenAtrial fibrillationOpportunistic screeningOral anticoagulantsScreeningStroke

Identifiers

PMID42669050
PMCPMC13526252

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.