Epidemiology of atrial fibrillation: European perspective

In the last 20 years, atrial fibrillation (AF) has become one of the most important public health problems and a significant cause of increasing health care costs in western countries. The prevalence of AF is increasing due to our greater ability to treat chronic cardiac and noncardiac diseases, and the improved ability to suspect and diagnose AF. At the present time, the prevalence of AF (2%) is double that reported in the last decade. The prevalence of AF varies with age and sex. AF is present in 0.12%-0.16% of those younger than 49 years, in 3.7%-4.2% of those aged 60-70 years, and in 10%-17% of those aged 80 years or older. In addition, it occurs more frequently in males, with a male to female ratio of…