220 strokes avoided and 73 lives saved across East Midlands
An additional 6,247 people across the East Midlands have been diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation – a leading cause of serious stroke – and 5,510 more are receiving therapy, thanks to a major drive to improve detection and protection as part of the AHSN Network’s national Atrial Fibrillation programme. This has resulted in 220 avoided strokes and 73 lives saved in the last year across the East Midlands.
AF is one of the most common forms of abnormal heart rhythm and a major cause of stroke and is the third biggest cause of premature death in the UK. Every 15 seconds someone suffers an AF-related stroke, yet most can be prevented using appropriate anticoagulation therapy.
The initiative aims to improve the diagnosis of patients with AF by making detection devices available, operating training and learning initiatives for health and care professionals and raising awareness of diagnosis and anticoagulation opportunities.
The latest NHS figures cover a one year period up to and including March 2019, and focus on the detection and protection of Atrial Fibrillation (AF).
