Skip to content
Menu
MedicalMVP
  • Home
  • News
  • Jobs
  • Network
    • BiotechnologyMVP
    • BusinessMVP
    • HospitalMVP
    • NursingMVP
    • PharmaceuticalMVP
    • PharmacyMVP
Close Menu

Nearly A Third of Newly Diagnosed AFib Patients Don’t Understand Stroke Risk

Medical, Press Releases DukeHealth

Survey shows patients also know little about blood thinners and other treatments

DURHAM, N.C. December 9, 2016 – Although most patients newly diagnosed with atrial fibrillation say they understand their heart condition, nearly a third of them misidentified a major risk factor for the condition, according to data being presented Nov. 14 at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.

In a survey of 1,000 people diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AFib) within the previous six months, 62.6 percent strongly agreed that stroke is a major risk of the condition. An irregular heartbeat in AFib can lead to blood clots, which can cause stroke.

Still, 32.1 percent of survey respondents also strongly agreed that heart attack was a major risk factor of AFib, which is incorrect.

“This helps us see gaps in knowledge and understanding,” said lead author Emily O’Brien, Ph.D., of the Duke Clinical Research Institute. “We really want to make sure we avoid any misconceptions about the condition and how it’s treated. This provides a good starting point for future interventions and education for patients in this group.”

In questions about treatment, 60 percent of patients strongly agreed that they understood the role of blood thinners to manage their disease. But small proportions strongly agreed that they understood their options for blood thinners (30 percent), drugs that control heart rhythm (16 percent) and ablation, a procedure to destroy tissue in the heart causing abnormal rhythm (11.6 percent).

Survey participants had a median age of 69 years, were 91 percent white and 58 percent male. The patients were from 56 medical facilities around the U.S. that are part of a large outpatient registry called ORBIT-AF.

Researchers were surprised to learn that just 13 percent of respondents said their main source of information about AFib was the Internet, said O’Brien, also an assistant professor of medicine at the Duke University School of Medicine. A large majority (72.6 percent) said their top information source about AFib was their doctor.

“We thought in this day and age, we would see a higher proportion relying on the Internet or family and friends for information,” she said. “But an encouragingly high proportion are relying on their provider.”

In addition to O’Brien, study authors include Larry A. Allen; Sunghee Kim; Peter Shrader; Bernard Gersh; Gerald Nacarelli; Gregg C. Fonarow; Jonathan P. Piccini; and Eric D. Peterson.

The ORBIT-AF Registry is funded by a research grant from Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC. The authors made the following disclosures: O’Brien received research support from Janssen Scientific Affairs, Pfizer, and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Piccini received research support from Boston Scientific and Janssen and is a consultant to Forest Laboratories, Janssen, and Medtronic. Peterson received research support from Eli Lilly & Company and Janssen.

SOURCE: Duke Health

Related Posts

Hospital, Press Releases

Cerner and Duke Clinical Research Institute Collaborate on Cardiac Risk App

Medical, Press Releases

Duke Otolaryngologist Among 21 People Selected as a TED Fellow

Medical, Press Releases

Study Analysis Shows Cutting Calories Might Slow Biological Aging

Medical News

  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield Companies Join Forces with Civica Rx to Lower Costs of Select High-Cost Generic Medications
  • Teladoc Health to Acquire InTouch Health
  • Vivante Health Snags DebraAnn Braun as Chief Technology Officer
  • Dr. Jason Hallock Joins SOC Telemed as Chief Medical Officer
  • Change Healthcare Unveils API & Services Connection, a Marketplace to Accelerate Innovation in Healthcare

Featured Jobs

  • MGR- OBSERVATION CENTER 8SOUTH

    • Lansing, MI
    • Sparrow Health System
    • Full Time
  • SURG TECHNOLOGIST-CERT

    • Lansing, MI
    • Sparrow Health System
    • Full Time
  • ADM – ORTHOPEDICS 6W

    • Lansing, MI
    • Sparrow Health System
    • Full Time
  • ADM – MEDICAL ICU 10W

    • Lansing, MI
    • Sparrow Health System
    • Full Time
  • SHS-MGR CLINICAL INTEGRATION

    • Lansing, MI
    • Sparrow Health System
    • Full Time
Back To Top
MedicalMVP
Copyright © BusinessMVP.com
All Rights Reserved!