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Two-thirds receive AF diagnosis only after a health scare

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Two-thirds receive AF diagnosis only after a health scare

Two-thirds of people receive their Atrial Fibrillation diagnosis after experiencing symptoms or attending A&E, instead of during routine checks, a survey conducted by the AF association has revealed.

“It’s clear from our survey results that patients are not receiving the relevant checks when attending their GP. The majority of people we heard from only received diagnosis when they experienced symptoms and went to the GP or to A&E,” said Trudie Lobban MBE, founder and ceo of the AF Association.

The results, released to coincide with AF Aware Week, also showed that 52 per cent of people diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation are under 60.

“One in four people will develop AF in their lifetime, with up to a third of people with AF displaying no symptoms. Having AF increases your risk of suffering an AF-related stroke five-fold; so this is just one of the reasons that early AF detection is vital. It is clear that patients are not routinely receiving manual pulse checks and as a result are going undiagnosed. This is why we are aiming to raise awareness of the condition and promote correct treatment and diagnosis.”

Every 15 seconds someone suffers an AF-related stroke and the condition affects an estimated 1.5 million people across the UK, and over 16 million worldwide.

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