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Atrial fibrillation is a common abnormal heart rhythm that affects more than 2 million people in the UK. People who have atrial fibrillation are more likely to have a stroke and these strokes are more likely to be severely disabling than strokes of other causes. 

Internationally leading research at Edinburgh Napier University on the early detection and appropriate management of the most common abnormal heart rhythm, atrial fibrillation, has had significant impact on the field of cardiovascular health at a national, European and global level. Our work has demonstrated the effect of new devices, which record heart rhythm and technology to detect atrial fibrillation, and increases uptake of medication to prevent strokes. The work has changed policy and clinical practice, been evidenced by parliamentary groups, led to new training and national initiatives and has been adopted within international guidelines, including the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Key research areas

• Detection of atrial fibrillation Professor Lis Neubeck, Dr Coral Hanson
• Integrated care for atrial fibrillation Professor Lis Neubeck, Ms Alice Pearsons
• Encouraging medication adherence for atrial fibrillation Professor Lis Neubeck, Dr Coral Hanson, Ms Alice Pearsons

Publications

Hermans, A. N. L., Gawalko, M., Dohmen, L., van der Velden, R. M. J., Betz, K., Duncker, D., …Linz, D. (in press). Mobile health solutions for atrial fibrillation detection and management: a systematic review. Clinical Research in Cardiology, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00392-021-01941-9

Freedman, B., Hindricks, G., Banerjee, A., Baranchuk, A., Ching, C. K., Du, X., …Stepinska, J. (2021). World Heart Federation Roadmap on Atrial Fibrillation – A 2020 Update. Global Heart, 16(1), https://doi.org/10.5334/gh.1023

Gawałko, M., Duncker, D., Manninger, M., Van der Velden, R. M., Hermans, A. N., Verhaert, D. V., …Linz, D. (2021). The European TeleCheck-AF project on remote app-based management of atrial fibrillation during the COVID-19 pandemic: Centre and patient experiences. EP-Europace, 23(7), 1003-1015. https://doi.org/10.1093/europace/euab050

Gwynn, J., Gwynne, K., Rodrigues, R., Thompson, S., Bolton, G., Dimitropoulos, Y., …Freedman, B. (2021). Atrial Fibrillation in Indigenous Australians: A Multisite Screening Study Using a Single-Lead ECG Device in Aboriginal Primary Health Settings. Heart, Lung and Circulation, 30(2), 267-274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hlc.2020.06.009 

da Costa, F. A., Mala-Ladova, K., Lee, V., Tous, S., Papastergiou, J., Griffiths, D., …Antoniou, S. (2020). Awareness campaigns of atrial fibrillation as an opportunity for early detection by pharmacists: an international cross-sectional study. Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis, 49, 606-617. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11239-019-02000-x2020

Lennon, M., McCann, L., Horan, S., Kyfonidis, B., Munford, R., Bruce, A., …Brennan, K. (2020). Process Evaluation for Technology Enabled Atrial Fibrillation Screening after a Stroke in Scotland. Scottish Government

Orchard, J., Freedman, B., Lowres, N., & Neubeck, L. (2020). AF-SMART eHealth system for atrial fibrillation screening: how can it fit into clinical practice?. Expert Review of Medical Devices, 17(5), 375-378. https://doi.org/10.1080/17434440.2020.1754794

Orchard, J., Li, J., Freedman, B., Webster, R., Salkeld, G., Hespe, C., …Lowres, N. (2020). Atrial Fibrillation Screen, Management And Guideline Recommended Therapy (AF SMART II) in the rural primary care setting: a cross-sectional study and cost-effectiveness analysis of eHealth tools to support all stages of screening. Journal of the American Heart Association JAHA, 9(18), https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.120.017080 

Pacleb, A., Lowres, N., Randall, S., Neubeck, L., & Gallagher, R. (2020). Adherence to Cardiac Medications in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: A Pilot Study. Heart, Lung and Circulation, 29(7), e131-e139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hlc.2019.11.012

Pearsons A,  et al., (2021) Atrial fibrillation self-management: a mobile telephone app scoping review and content analysis, European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 20(4) 305–314, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjcn/zvaa014

Pearsons, A., Hanson, C. L., & Neubeck, L. (2020). Global atrial fibrillation awareness week and the new European Society of Cardiology guidelines. British Journal of Cardiac Nursing, 15(11), https://doi.org/10.12968/bjca.2020.0140

Zaidel, E. J., Leng, X., Moshood Adeoye, A., Hakim, F., Karmacharya, B., Katbeh, A., …Di Cesare, M. (2020). Inclusion in the World Health Organization Model List of Essential Medicines of non-vitamin K anticoagulants for treatment of non-valvular atrial fibrillation: A step towards reducing the burden of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Global Heart, 15(1), https://doi.org/10.5334/gh.608    

Boriani, G., Brachmann, J., Brandes, A., Bustamante, A., Casadei, B., Crijns, H., …Yan, B. (2019). Searching for Atrial Fibrillation Poststroke: A White Paper of the AF-SCREEN International Collaboration. Circulation, 140(22), 1834-1850. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.119.040267

Lowres, N., Olivier, J., Chao, T., Chen, S., Chen, Y., Diederichsen, A., …Freedman, B. (2019). Estimated stroke risk, yield, and number needed to screen for atrial fibrillation detected through single time screening: a multicountry patient-level meta-analysis of 141,220 screened individuals. PLoS Medicine, 16(9), https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002903 

Orchard, J., Li, J., Gallagher, R., Freedman, B., Lowres, N., & Neubeck, L. (2019). Uptake of a primary care atrial fibrillation screening program (AF-SMART): a realist evaluation of implementation in metropolitan and rural general practice. BMC family practice, 20, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-019-1058-9

Orchard, J., Neubeck, L., Freedman, B., Li, J., Webster, R., Zwar, N., …Lowres, N. (2019). eHealth tools to provide structured assistance for Atrial Fibrillation Screening, Management And guideline Recommended Therapy in metropolitan general practice: the AF-SMART study. Journal of the American Heart Association JAHA, 8(1), https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.118.010959