Scientific editorial – A clinician viewpoint on the 2024 European guidelines on the management of patients with atrial fibrillation

Laurent Fauchier, Jean-Claude Deharo, Frédéric Sacher, Ariel Cohen

Unlike other cardiovascular conditions, atrial fibrillation (AF) may be detected and managed by a large number of specialties (possibly non-cardiologists) or in primary care. The 2024 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines for the management of AF [1] were recently published and were intended to be easy to read and implemented by cardiologists and a wide range of other healthcare givers, with the aim of improving the prognosis and well-being of patients with AF. Among almost 60 new recommendations, 17 (29%) are only supported with level of evidence (LoE) C and some of them are unlikely to markedly change the management of patients with AF in daily practice (e.g. the Class I LoE C recommendation that a transthoracic echocardiography is needed in patients with AF). Some others are, in contrast, significant changes in comparison to the 2020 guidelines [2] and may deserve some comments for clinicians.

• Atrial fibrillation

• Integrated care
• Stroke prevention
• Ablation

1. Abbreviations
2. Background
3. Integrated care for patients with AF
4. Prevention of stroke and systemic embolism
5. Rhythm and rate control
6. Other considerations
7. Conclusions

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