title: Atrial Fibrillation in Turkey: Epidemiologic Registry (AFTER) study design.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an important health problem in Turkey. However, no prospective, multicenter, large trial reflecting national data has been published so far. Therefore, the aim of this study was to follow, analyze and evaluate patients with AF in a large multicenter nation-wide trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two thousand three hundred consecutive patients with AF in their electrocardiogram, reflecting all the population of seven geographical regions of Turkey will be included in the study. The patients will be followed up for two years and death, transient ischemic attack, stroke, systemic thromboembolism, major bleeding, hospitalization will be recorded as the primary end-point.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Will be available at the end of the study; preliminary results will be due December 2012.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  General risk profile of patients with AF, frequency of anticoagulation, frequency of effective treatment and risks of bleeding will be evaluated according to the current guidelines. Major adverse events and their independent predictors will be determined.
authors: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dicle University, Diyarbakır-Turkey. farukertas@hotmail.com
authors: Faruk
authors: F
authors: Ertaş
authors: Hasan
authors: H
authors: Kaya
authors: Murat
authors: M
authors: Yüksel
authors: Mehmet Serdar
authors: MS
authors: Soydinç
authors: Sait
authors: S
authors: Alan
authors: Mehmet Sıddık
authors: MS
authors: Ülgen
mesh_terms: D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D012042:Registries; D012107:Research Design; D012307:Risk Factors; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology