Heart rhythm disorders, especially atrial fibrillation (AF), are an increasing global health challenge. Conventional diagnostic tools for assessment of rhythm disorders suffer from limited availability, limited test duration time, and usability challenges. Therefore, the Norwegian ECG247 Smart Heart Sensor has been developed to simplify the assessment of heart rhythm disorders. The COVID-19 pandemic has enhanced the need for out-of-hospital investigation of arrhythmias.

The general aim of The Norwegian Atrial Fibrillation Screening study is to investigate the yield of AF screening with a continuous patch ECG monitor (ECG247) and to estimate the prevalence of silent AF in a cohort of 65-year-old individuals with additional risk factors for stroke.

The Norwegian Atrial Fibrillation Screening study is an open non-randomized study of males and females >65 years from the general population with minimum one additional risk factor for AF and stroke. A total of 1500 participants will be included after informed consent for participation. Recruitment will be done by advertising in newspapers and social medias. The AF screening device will be sent to the participants by a letter and a user guide will be prepared. The ECG247 systems have incorporated algorithms for arrhythmia detections, and after the participant’s termination of the test-period, MDs will evaluate the actual arrhythmia episodes for correctness in the arrhythmia classifications. Participants with AF or other clinically significant findings at the ECGs will be offered follow-up and treatment according to clinical guidelines.

Read more at www.afstudien.no (Norwegian)