[Registry and studies of the German Competence Network on Atrial Fibrillation (AFNET)].
The German Competence Network on Atrial Fibrillation (AFNET) is a national interdisciplinary research network funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). AFNET was initiated in 2003 and aims at improving treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF), the most frequent sustained cardiac arrhythmia. AFNET has established a nationwide patient registry on diagnostics, therapy, course and complications of AF in Germany. The data analyzed to date demonstrate that patients with AF are likely to have multiple co-morbidities, such as hypertension, valvular heart disease, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus and advanced age. Oral anticoagulation is provided to the majority of patients in accordance with the recommendations given by guidelines. Further areas of research deal with the optimal duration of antiarrhythmic therapy following electrical cardioversion of atrial fibrillation and the value of strategies to prevent arrhythmogenic changes, such as fibrosis in the atria, for prevention of further episodes of atrial fibrillation. Additional registry projects were established for patients with catheter-based interventional therapy of atrial fibrillation and surgical ablation to define success, complications and long term results of these recently developed procedures more clearly. Data and insights gathered from these projects were used to further develop standards of care in two international conferences.
Nabauer
M
M
Medizinischen Klinik und Poliklinik I, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität - Campus Grosshadern, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377, München, Deutschland. michael.nabauer@med.uni-muenchen.de
Gerth
A
A
Kirchhof
P
P
Goette
A
A
Limbourg
T
T
Sprenger
C
C
Hoffmann
B
B
Willems
S
S
Doll
N
N
Schuchert
A
A
Oeff
M
M
Ravens
U
U
Meinertz
T
T
Steinbeck
G
G
Breithardt
G
G
D000368:Aged; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D035843:Biomedical Research; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D015897:Comorbidity; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004554:Electric Countershock; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008297:Male; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012042:Registries
D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D000925:Anticoagulants