Data Processing Study Objectics Study Design
© Christian Sticherling, Michael Kühne 2023
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia in the general population. Due to the demographic change with increasing life expectancy, the occurrence of AF is expected to further increase in the near future. Patients suffering from AF are at risk for serious complications, such as a 4-5 fold higher risk of stroke, and a more than 10-fold higher risk of heart failure compared to individuals without AF. In addition, recent studies found a reduced quality of life and increased risk of cognitive impairments and dementia among AF patients. Hence, AF has become a major public health problem in Switzerland. Improving treatment strategies that minimize the risk of disabling events such as stroke, heart failure or dementia in this growing patient population will therefore have a substantial positive impact on public health. Further, improving medical care and clinical outcomes holds a great potential of being cost-effective or even cost-saving, as these factors are significantly associated with costs of care.

Introduction

Swiss-AF is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).