A new trial has been launched in East Anglia which aims to detect a heart condition which is known to increase the chances of having a stroke 5-fold.
The test will initially be carried out on patients over 65 who suffer from atrial fibrillation. A symptom of AF is an irregular heartbeat and often goes undiagnosed. If you suffer from AF then you stand a much higher chance of having a stroke. As well as this, AF is linked to heart attacks and premature deaths from other causes.
AF affects 10% of people over 65 but does not necessarily show symptoms. 10% of stroke victims were unaware they had AF.
Initially there is a small trial being carried out in East Anglia to determine the feasibility of carrying out the trial on a much larger scale due to the potential number of sufferers. The trial is starting in 12 practices and the aim will be to eventually scale it up to 120,00 patients in 300 practices.
Over the next 5 years the plan is to measure the screenings and treatments to try and positively effect people’s health which then leads to a reduction in the number of strokes.
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