Diagnosis of Atrial Fibrillation: A Guideline Topline
This AF guideline topline offers an at-a-glance look at the most recent ACC/AHA guidance on diagnosis of the arrhythmia.
The most recent clinical practice guideline for diagnosing and managing atrial fibrillation (AF) from the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) was developed in collaboration with the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) and the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS). The new recommendations were published in early 2024, revising the 2014 full text guideline and the 2019 focused update.
A key shift in the approach to AF in the 2024 guidance reflects the recognition of AF as a progressive disease that requires different management strategies at different stages. “Our panel advocates viewing atrial fibrillation on a continuum, besides classifying and treating it based on arrhythmia duration or AF state, as was previously the case,” Cleveland Clinic electrophysiologist Mina Chung, MD, who served as vice chair of the guideline writing committee, said upon original release of the guidelines.
Another change recognizes the limitations of the traditional CHA2DS2-VASc stroke risk estimating tool and the 2024 evidence-based counsel encourages use of other scores in making a final decision on anticoagulation as well as considering other risk factors for stroke not included in CHA2DS2-VASc.
The guideline topline above offers an at-at-glance update for busy office-based primary care clinicians. Please click here for the full AHA/ACC guideline.
