Adherence to a handheld device-based atrial fibrillation screening protocol is associated with clinical outcomes

To evaluate adherence and adherence consistency to the handheld ECG device-based screening protocol and their association with adverse cerebral and cardiovascular outcomes in two systematic atrial fibrillation (AF) screening programmes.

In 2012 (Systematic ECG Screening for Atrial Fibrillation Among 75-Year Old Subjects in the Region of Stockholm and Halland, Sweden (STROKESTOP) study) and 2016 (Stepwise mass screening for atrial fibrillation using N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide (STROKESTOP II) study), half of all 75- and 76-year-old inhabitants of up to two Swedish regions were invited to participate in a systematic AF screening programme. Participants were instructed to perform 30-second measurements twice daily in STROKESTOP and four times daily in STROKESTOP II for 2 weeks. Adherence was defined as the number of measurements performed divided by the number of measurements asked, whereas adherence consistency was defined as the number of days with complete registrations.

In total, 6436 participants (55.7% female) from STROKESTOP and 3712 (59.8% female) from STROKESTOP II were included. Median adherence and adherence consistency were 100 (92-100)% and 12 (11-13) days in STROKESTOP and 90 (75-98)% and 8 (3-11) days in STROKESTOP II. Female sex and lower education were factors associated with both optimal adherence and adherence consistency in both studies. In STROKESTOP, low adherence and adherence consistency were associated with higher risk of adverse cerebral and cardiovascular outcomes (HR for composite primary endpoint 1.30 (1.11 to 1.51), p=0.001), including stroke (HR 1.68 (1.22 to 2.32), p=0.001) and dementia (1.67 (1.27 to 2.19), p<0.001).

Adherence to twice daily handheld ECG measurements in STROKESTOP was higher than to four times daily measurements in STROKESTOP II. Female sex and lower educational attainment were associated with ≥100% adherence and adherence consistency. Low adherence and adherence consistency were associated with a higher risk of adverse outcomes.