Individualised treatment for people with atrial fibrillation is a step closer, thanks to the discovery of subtypes of the heart disorder, a conference has heard.
New data from the CATCH ME project was presented at the joint European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) and the Atrial Fibrillation NETwork (AFNET) conference in Lisbon, Portugal.
The project will help to define clinical types of atrial fibrillation, partly based on the main identified cause of the disease, shedding light on mechanisms through gene expression analysis of human tissue.
New information was also presented on blood biomarkers for different types of atrial fibrillation, and on outcomes of atrial fibrillation patients who also have heart failure and in those who have a bleeding event.
Professor Paulus Kirchhof, chair of the 2016 ESC atrial fibrillation guidelines, said: "Atrial fibrillation remains one of the most common and most challenging conditions in cardiology. Patients have different profiles and medical problems related to atrial fibrillation.”
He said researchers reviewed emerging data to discover patient profiles for precision medicine, which will help clinicians and researchers to better estimate who will benefit from current and emerging therapies.
The conference was attended by about 80 leading scientists and clinicians in atrial fibrillation management and research, and industry partners, and covered the spectrum of atrial fibrillation, from patterns of gene expression in atrial tissue to clinical types, patient management, healthcare systems, and patient education.
EHRA President Professor Hein Heidbuchel said: "There is a need for more personalised medicine for the diverse group of patients with atrial fibrillation. Luckily, science is moving quickly … our goal is to better control symptoms and further reduce the risks of stroke and premature death for affected patients."
Abstract: Development of a prognostic model for recurrent atrial fibrillation using individual patient data from 2429 patients with AF: preliminary results of the CATCH ME study
Abstract: Side-specific differences in atrial tissue expression are associated with atrial fibrillation and heart failure: the CATCH ME Consortium
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