%0 Journal Article %A Zakeri, Rosita %A Morgan, John M %A Phillips, Patrick %A Kitt, Sue %A Ng, G Andre %A McComb, Janet M %A Williams, Simon %A Wright, David J %A Gill, Jaswinder S %A Seed, Alison %A Witte, Klaus K %A Cowie, Martin R %A Investigators, REM-HF %D 2020 %T Prevalence and prognostic significance of device-detected subclinical atrial fibrillation in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction %U https://figshare.le.ac.uk/articles/journal_contribution/Prevalence_and_prognostic_significance_of_device-detected_subclinical_atrial_fibrillation_in_patients_with_heart_failure_and_reduced_ejection_fraction/12009087 %2 https://figshare.le.ac.uk/ndownloader/files/22061331 %K Atrial fibrillation %K Cardiac implanted electronic device %K Heart failure %K Stroke %X BACKGROUND: Cardiac implanted electronic devices (CIEDs) can detect short durations of previously unrecognised atrial fibrillation (AF). The prognostic significance of device-detected subclinical AF, in the context of contemporary heart failure (HF) therapy, is unclear. METHODS: Amongst patients enrolled in the Remote Monitoring in HF with implanted devices (REM-HF) trial, three categories were defined based on total AF duration in the first year of follow-up: no AF, subclinical AF (≥6 min to ≤24 h), and AF >24 h. All-cause mortality, stroke, and cardiovascular hospitalisation were assessed. RESULTS: 1561 patients (94.6%) had rhythm data: 71 (4.6%) had subclinical AF (median of 4 episodes, total duration 3.1 h) and 279 (17.9%) had AF >24 h. During 2.8 ± 0.8 years' follow-up, 39 (2.5%) patients had a stroke. Stroke rate was highest amongst patients with subclinical AF (2.0 per 100-person years) versus no AF or AF >24 h (0.8 and 1.0 per 100-person years, respectively). In the overall cohort, AF >24 h was not an independent predictor of stroke. However, amongst patients with no history of AF (n = 932), new-onset subclinical AF conferred a three-fold higher stroke risk (adjusted HR 3.35, 95%CI 1.15-9.77, p = 0.027). AF >24 h was associated with more frequent emergency cardiovascular hospitalisation (adjusted HR 1.46, 95%CI 1.19-1.79, p < 0.0005). Neither AF classification was associated with mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with HF and a CIED, subclinical AF was infrequent but, as a new finding, was associated with an increased risk of stroke. Anticoagulation remains an important consideration in this population, particularly when the clinical profile indicates a high stroke risk. %I University of Leicester