A group of healthcare researchers is developing a new software tool that aims to improve how doctors manage elderly patients with a common heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation (AF).
This disorder affects the heart’s ability to maintain a steady beat and is found in more than 40 million people worldwide.
Atrial fibrillation is often linked to other health issues. Many patients also suffer from conditions such as high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, obesity, or chronic kidney disease.
These additional problems, known as comorbidities, can make managing AF more complicated and may affect a patient’s chances of survival. Doctors need to treat not just the heart condition but also these other diseases, which can be quite challenging.
To tackle this, researchers are working on creating a more standardized approach for healthcare workers to use. Their goal is to help patients by offering better, more targeted treatments for both AF and the related health conditions that make it worse.
The project, called EHRA-PATHS, is part of a larger international effort. It’s coordinated by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA).
These organizations have already identified 22 comorbidities that are common in patients with AF, and they’ve developed care pathways for each one. A care pathway is essentially a detailed plan that helps doctors assess, treat, and manage specific health conditions.
For example, a patient might be checked for high blood pressure, and if they have it, the care pathway provides clear guidelines for treatment.
The goal is to make sure that patients with AF are thoroughly evaluated for all relevant conditions and that these conditions are treated in a way that improves overall health.
All of this information is being built into a software tool that doctors can use to guide patient care. By using this software, healthcare workers will be able to more effectively evaluate and treat AF patients, ensuring that all related conditions are properly managed.
The hope is that this tool will lead to better outcomes for people with AF. For instance, it could help catch and treat underlying health problems that might otherwise go unnoticed. When necessary, the software will also help refer patients to specialists for further care.
This new tool is currently being tested in a large clinical study. The study involves 65 hospitals in 14 European countries. In the first phase, researchers are looking at how risk factors and comorbidities are managed in around 1,300 elderly patients who have been recently diagnosed with AF.
The second phase is a larger randomized controlled trial involving 1,080 patients. Half of these patients will receive care through the new software tool, while the other half will receive standard care.
The study will focus on 12 common health issues seen in AF patients, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart failure, obesity, kidney problems, smoking, diabetes, and more.
While this research focuses on helping doctors manage AF and related health conditions, it’s also important to know that AF and other heart rhythm problems can sometimes be prevented with healthier lifestyle choices.
Some tips for keeping your heart healthy include maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, managing conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, and avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.
Stress management is also key, as stress can have a negative effect on your heart. Regular check-ups with your doctor can help catch any issues early, especially if you’re at risk for heart disease.
By making small changes to your daily habits, you can reduce the risk of heart problems like atrial fibrillation and improve your overall health.
If you care about heart health, please read studies that vitamin K helps cut heart disease risk by a third, and a year of exercise reversed worrisome heart failure.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies about supplements that could help prevent heart disease, stroke, and results showing this food ingredient may strongly increase heart disease death risk.
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