Active Monitoring for AtriaL FIbrillation (AMALFI): Rationale, protocol, and pilot for a pragmatic, randomized, controlled trial of remote screening for asymptomatic atrial fibrillation.

IF 3.5 2区 医学 Q1 CARDIAC & CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS
American heart journal Pub Date : 2025-12-01 Epub Date: 2025-07-16 DOI:10.1016/j.ahj.2025.07.004
Rohan Wijesurendra, Guilherme Pessoa-Amorim, Georgina Buck, Charlie Harper, Richard Bulbulia, Nicholas R Jones, Christine A'Court, Rijo Kurien, Karen Taylor, Barbara Casadei, Louise Bowman
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objectives: Screening for asymptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) might reduce cardioembolic strokes and screening for asymptomatic AF is recommended by some international guidelines. However, any impact of AF screening on clinical outcomes depends on a sustained increase in AF detection and anticoagulation use over time than would have occurred with routine care alone, highlighting the importance of long-term studies to generate the evidence needed to justify establishing formal screening programs. AMALFI aims to establish the long-term efficacy and cost-effectiveness of remote screening for asymptomatic AF in older individuals at increased risk of stroke using a noninvasive 14-day continuous ECG monitoring patch in UK primary care. This paper describes the study protocol and baseline characteristics of included participants.

Methods: AMALFI (ISCRTN 15544176) recruited individuals aged ≥65 years with CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥3 (men) or ≥4 (women) with no previous diagnosis of AF/atrial flutter from 27 UK primary care practices. Participants were randomized to ECG monitoring (Zio XT, iRhythm Technologies; intervention) or usual care (control). Those allocated to ECG monitoring were sent and returned the patch by mail. After wear, participants returned the patch to the device manufacturer where ECG data were analyzed via a deep-learned AI algorithm and confirmed by qualified cardiographic technicians. A final report was sent to study investigators, and those indicating AF or other arrhythmias considered by the study team to be clinically actionable were communicated to general practitioners (GPs) immediately by secure email. Additionally, GPs were notified by mail of the presence or absence of AF episodes ≥30 seconds, and of the burden of AF for each of their participants who wore a patch. The letter included signposting to relevant guidelines and findings were managed at the GP's discretion. Participants allocated to the control group were not required to undertake any action. The primary study outcome is the rate of new AF detection at 2.5 years, with secondary outcomes including time spent with a known AF diagnosis at 5 years of follow-up, and analyses of these outcomes by predefined age and sex subgroups. Exploratory outcomes will assess randomized assessments of time to AF detection within 2.5 and 5 years after randomization, time spent with a known AF diagnosis up to 2.5 years from randomization, and anticoagulation exposure within 2.5 and 5 years after randomization. Other exploratory long-term assessments include randomized comparisons of numbers and proportions of hospitalizations (total and cardiovascular), ischemic stroke, major bleed, and death (all-cause and cardiovascular) in both groups.

Results: Between 2019 and 2022, AMALFI randomized 5,040 people in England to screening versus usual care using mail-based invitations. Participant mean age was 77 ± 6 years, with 2360 (46.8%) female; median CHA2DS2-VASc score was 4 (IQR 3-5). Follow-up data on AF diagnosis, other clinical diagnoses, prescription of oral anticoagulation and other medications, primary care encounters, referrals for secondary care, and clinical events are currently being collected from primary care practices, complemented via linkage to national-level databases including dispensing data, hospital admissions, and death records. AF detection rates will be assessed at 2.5 and 5 years after randomization, and long-term cost-effectiveness will be analyzed.

Conclusion: AMALFI will provide randomized evidence on the actionable time window of opportunity for intervention generated by remote screening for asymptomatic AF in the UK using a noninvasive long-term continuous monitoring ECG patch, and the cost-effectiveness of this approach. Such data may further elucidate existing patterns of routine AF diagnosis and management, and provide important insights to guide future discussions into nationwide AF screening in the UK. AMALFI results will be reported in 2025 and 2027.

房颤主动监测(AMALFI):一项实用的、随机的、对照的无症状房颤远程筛查试验的基本原理、方案和试点。
目的:筛查无症状房颤(AF)可能会减少心脏栓塞性卒中,一些国际指南推荐筛查无症状房颤。然而,房颤筛查对临床结果的任何影响都取决于房颤检测和抗凝使用的持续增加,而不是单纯的常规护理,这强调了长期研究的重要性,以产生必要的证据来证明建立正式筛查计划的合理性。AMALFI旨在确定在英国初级保健中使用无创14天连续ECG监测贴片对卒中风险增加的老年人进行无症状房颤远程筛查的长期疗效和成本效益。本文描述了研究方案和纳入参与者的基线特征。方法:AMALFI (ISCRTN 15544176)从27个英国初级保健诊所招募年龄≥65岁、CHA2DS2-VASc评分≥3(男性)或≥4(女性)、既往无房颤/心房扑动诊断的个体。参与者被随机分配到心电图监测组(Zio XT, irhyth Technologies;干预)或常规护理(控制)。分配到心电监护组的患者通过邮件发送和返回贴片。佩戴后,参与者将贴片交还给设备制造商,在那里,心电图数据通过深度学习的人工智能算法进行分析,并由合格的心脏病技术人员进行确认。最终报告被发送给研究人员,研究小组认为临床可采取行动的房颤或其他心律失常的报告立即通过安全电子邮件传达给全科医生(gp)。此外,通过邮件通知全科医生是否存在≥30秒的房颤发作,以及每位佩戴贴片的参与者的房颤负担。这封信包括了相关指导方针的路标,调查结果由全科医生自行决定。被分配到对照组的参与者不需要采取任何行动。主要研究结果是2.5年时新发现房颤的比率,次要结果包括5年随访时已知房颤诊断的时间,并按预先定义的年龄和性别亚组对这些结果进行分析。探索性结果将评估随机化后2.5年和5年内检测到房颤的时间,随机化后2.5年内已知房颤诊断的时间,以及随机化后2.5年和5年内抗凝暴露的时间。其他探索性长期评估包括随机比较两组住院人数和比例(总体和心血管)、缺血性中风、大出血和死亡(全因和心血管)。结果:在2019年至2022年期间,AMALFI在英国随机分配了5040人,使用邮件邀请进行筛查和常规护理。参与者平均年龄77±6岁,女性2360人(46.8%);CHA2DS2-VASc评分中位数为4分(IQR 3-5)。目前正在从初级保健实践中收集有关房颤诊断、其他临床诊断、口服抗凝剂和其他药物处方、初级保健就诊、二级保健转诊和临床事件的随访数据,并通过与国家级数据库的联系进行补充,包括配药数据、住院情况和死亡记录。将在随机分组后2.5年和5年评估房颤检出率,并分析长期成本效益。结论:AMALFI将提供随机证据,证明在英国使用无创长期连续监测ECG贴片远程筛查无症状房颤所产生的干预的可行时间窗口,以及该方法的成本效益。这些数据可能进一步阐明现有的房颤常规诊断和管理模式,并为指导英国全国房颤筛查的未来讨论提供重要见解。AMALFI结果将于2025年和2027年报告。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
American heart journal
American heart journal 医学-心血管系统
CiteScore
8.20
自引率
2.10%
发文量
214
审稿时长
38 days
期刊介绍: The American Heart Journal will consider for publication suitable articles on topics pertaining to the broad discipline of cardiovascular disease. Our goal is to provide the reader primary investigation, scholarly review, and opinion concerning the practice of cardiovascular medicine. We especially encourage submission of 3 types of reports that are not frequently seen in cardiovascular journals: negative clinical studies, reports on study designs, and studies involving the organization of medical care. The Journal does not accept individual case reports or original articles involving bench laboratory or animal research.
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