7. AFNET / EHRA Consensus Conference

Management of patients with AF: New therapies and special populations

14. - 16. March 2019, Lissabon, Portugal

Scientific Committee

Hein Heidbüchel (Antwerp, Belgium)
Gerhard Hindricks (Leipzig, Germany)
Paulus Kirchhof (Birmingham, UK / Hamburg,  Germany)
Ulrich Schotten (Maastricht, The Netherlands)
 

Press release
Program
Publication

Significance of the Consensus Conference (Paulus Kirchhof):

Atrial fibrillation continues to be a major health problem. Despite the progress over the past decades, atrial fibrillation continues to be associated with significant morbidity and mortality and can also cause cognitive impairment and dementia. Interesting new insights into the management of atrial fibrillation led to new treatment approaches. These novel concepts require discussion.

More than 65 selected atrial fibrillation specialists  – invited scientists from 11 European countries, Canada and the USA and industry representatives – took part in the conference in Lissabon, Portugal, to discuss the future of research and care in the field of atrial fibrillation. The aim was to improve the treatment of atrial fibrillation .

The two-day meeting started with plenary lectures. Afterwards, the participants worked on specific questions in workshops. The results of these workshops were summarised and then discussed in plenary to reach a consensus. This will be published in a consensus paper.

Group foto of the participants (Bild: ESC)

Plenary lectures

To watch the videos of the individual presentations, please click on the respective link.

CATCH ME Session: Stratification of patients with AF

CHAIRS: Hein Heidbüchel und Paulus Kirchhof (Begrüßung und Einleitung)

• Evidence gaps in atrial fibrillation – the view of an EHRA expert panel | Andreas Goette, Paderborn, DE
• Determinants of gene expression patterns in human atria – insights for stratification | Ulrich Schotten, Maastricht, NL
• Biomarkers for AF – what is new? | Renate Schnabel, Hamburg, DE
• Genomic markers for AF related outcomes: recurrent AF and stroke | Michiel Rienstra, Groningen, NL
• Health data: heart failure, and AF outcomes | Dipak Kotecha, Birmingham, UK
• What drives recurrent AF in patients | Winnie Chua, Birmingham, UK

Rhythm control therapy - an update

CHAIRS: Ulrich Schotten und Christophe Leclercq

• What is the role of rhythm control therapy in 2019
  • • The optimist’ s view | Stephan Willems, Hamburg, DE
    • The pessimist’ s view | John Camm, London, UK
• Cognitive function in patients with AF – the new frontier? | Karl Georg Häusler, Würzburg, DE
• Integrated care and educational interventions | Isabelle van Gelder, Groningen, NL
• mHealth and AF apps – an update | Eduard Guasch, Barcelona, ES
• Antiarrhythmic drugs – what have we learned in the last 15 years? | Stefan Hohnloser, Frankfurt, DE

Stroke prevention I

CHAIRS: José Merino und Andreas Götte

• AHRE vs. AF – implications for stroke prevention | Lluís Mont, Barcelona, ES
• AF screening for stroke prevention | Emma Svennberg, Stockholm, SE
• Anticoagulation in patients without AF – an update | Jeff Healey, Hamilton, CA
• Interventional stroke prevention (LAA occluders) – when will we have the evidence that is needed? | Thorsten Lewalter, Munich, DE

Stroke prevention II

CHAIRS: Helmut Pürerfellner und Thorsten Lewalter

• Refining stroke risk | Jonas Oldgren, Uppsala, SE
• Periinterventional anticoagulation and antidotes | Jan Steffel, Zurich, CH
• Anticoagulation in patients after a bleeding event | Gregory Lip, Liverpool, UK
• Future opportunities in EU Funding – Horizon Europe | Grzegorz Owsianik, Brussels, BE

Summary (Hein Heidbüchel):

Workshops

1. Biomarkers for AF – diagnosis, prognostication, stratified therapy
2. How can changes in atrial tissue characteristics advance the concept of atrial cardiomyopathy and ultimately inform patient management?
3. Treatment of underlying conditions and life style changes – value for prevention of AF and for management of patients with AF
4. When to initiate anticoagulation: Do we need dynamic risk factors (age, blood pressure, AF burden / AHRE)?
5. What to do when anticoagulation fails / difficult decisions in anticoagulation
6. Developing better rhythm control therapy – patient pathways, combination therapy, therapy selection, monitoring of success
7. AF and heart failure – what to do?
8. Access to therapy and quality of care

Funding

The event was jointly organised by AFNET and EHRA and received additional financial support from CATCH ME (Funding no. 633196), which is funded under the European Union's (EU) Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

Publication

Fabritz L, Crijns H, Guasch E, Goette A, Haeusler KG, Kotecha D, Lewalter T, Meyer C, Potpara T, Rienstra M, Schnabel R, Willems S, Breithardt G, Camm AJ, Chua W, De Melis M, Dimopoulou C, Dobrev D, Easter E , Eckardt L, Haase D, Hatem S, Healey JS, Heijman J, Hohnloser SH, Huebner T, Saeed Ilyas B, Isaacs A , Kutschka I, Leclercq C, Lip GYH, Andreassi Marinelli E, Merino JL, Mont L, Nabauer M, Oldgren J, Puererfellner H, Ravens U, Savelieva I, Sinner MF, Sitch A, Smolnik R, Steffel J, Stein K, Stoll M, Svennberg E, Thomas D, Isabelle C. Van Gelder IS, Vardar B, Wakili R, Wieloch M, Zeemering S, Ziegler PD, Heidbuchel H, Hindricks G, Schotten U, Kirchhof P. Dynamic risk assessment to improve quality of care in patients with atrial fibrillation: the 7th AFNET/EHRA Consensus Conference. Europace (2020) 00, 1-6. (Link ist extern)doi:10.1093/europace/euaa279. Epub 2021 Jan 21.