AF carries an overall population prevalence of 0.5% to 1.0% and an incidence of 0.54 cases per 1000 person-years.[2]January CT, Wann LS, Alpert JS, et al. 2014 AHA/ACC/HRS guideline for the management of patients with atrial fibrillation: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines and the Heart Rhythm Society. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2014 Dec 2;64(21):e1-76.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735109714017409?via%3Dihub
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24685669?tool=bestpractice.com
[5]Stewart S, Hart CL, Hole DJ, et al. Population prevalence, incidence, and predictors of atrial fibrillation in the Renfrew/Paisley study. Heart. 2001 Nov;86(5):516-21.
http://heart.bmj.com/content/86/5/516.long
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11602543?tool=bestpractice.com
[6]Murdoch DL, O'Neill K, Jackson J, et al. Are atrial fibrillation guidelines altering management? A community based study. Scott Med J. 2005 Nov;50(4):166-9.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16374981?tool=bestpractice.com
The prevalence of AF is highly age-dependent. The prevalence increases with age, from 0.5% at 40 to 50 years, to 5% to 15% at 80 years. Men are more often affected than women.[7]Kannel WB, Wolf PA, Benjamin EJ, et al. Prevalence, incidence, prognosis, and predisposing conditions for atrial fibrillation: population-based estimates. Am J Cardiol. 1998 Oct 16;82(8A):2N-9N.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9809895?tool=bestpractice.com
The Rotterdam study found that the lifetime risk of developing AF at 55 years old was 24% in men and 22% in women.[8]Heeringa J, van der Kuip DA, Hofman A, et al. Prevalence, incidence and lifetime risk of atrial fibrillation: the Rotterdam study. Eur Heart J. 2006 Apr;27(8):949-53.
https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/27/8/949/2887153
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16527828?tool=bestpractice.com
The prevalence of AF has a male predisposition, affecting men 1.5 times more commonly than women.[9]Singh SN, Tang XC, Singh BN, et al. Quality of life and exercise performance in patients in sinus rhythm versus persistent atrial fibrillation: a Veterans Affairs Cooperative Studies Program Substudy. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2006 Aug 15;48(4):721-30.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735109706013222?via%3Dihub
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16904540?tool=bestpractice.com
In the Framingham and Rotterdam studies, after adjustment for age and other risk factors, AF occurrence was greater in men than in women but occurrence was similar in other analyses.[8]Heeringa J, van der Kuip DA, Hofman A, et al. Prevalence, incidence and lifetime risk of atrial fibrillation: the Rotterdam study. Eur Heart J. 2006 Apr;27(8):949-53.
https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/27/8/949/2887153
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16527828?tool=bestpractice.com
[10]Lloyd-Jones DM, Wang TJ, Leip EP, et al. Lifetime risk for the development of atrial fibrillation: the Framingham Heart Study. Circulation. 2004 Aug 31;110(9):1042-6.
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/01.CIR.0000140263.20897.42
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15313941?tool=bestpractice.com
[11]Feinberg WM, Blackshear JL, Laupacis A, et al. Prevalence, age distribution and gender of patients with atrial fibrillation: analysis and implications. Arch Intern Med. 1995 Mar 13;155(5):469-73.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7864703?tool=bestpractice.com
The Screening for Atrial Fibrillation in the Elderly (SAFE) project reported that the baseline prevalence of AF in participants aged over 65 years was 7.2%, with a higher prevalence in men (7.8%) and people aged 75 years or older, with an incidence of 0.69% to 1.64% per year, depending on screening method.[12]Hobbs FD, Fitzmaurice DA, Jowett S, et al. A randomised controlled trial and cost-effectiveness study of systematic screening (targeted and total population screening) versus routine practice for the detection of atrial fibrillation in people aged 65 and over: the SAFE study. Health Technol Assess. 2005 Oct;9(40):iii-iv, ix-x, 1-74.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16202350?tool=bestpractice.com
These incidence data refer to cross-sectional study data whereby most people would have AF lasting >7 days (persistent, paroxysmal, or permanent AF) rather than acute AF. In the UK, the prevalence of AF is 0.5% to 1.0% and incidence is 0.54 cases per 1000 person-years.[5]Stewart S, Hart CL, Hole DJ, et al. Population prevalence, incidence, and predictors of atrial fibrillation in the Renfrew/Paisley study. Heart. 2001 Nov;86(5):516-21.
http://heart.bmj.com/content/86/5/516.long
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11602543?tool=bestpractice.com
[6]Murdoch DL, O'Neill K, Jackson J, et al. Are atrial fibrillation guidelines altering management? A community based study. Scott Med J. 2005 Nov;50(4):166-9.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16374981?tool=bestpractice.com
The prevalence and incidence of AF in non-white populations is less well studied.
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