Screening people with diabetes for atrial fibrillation

Hall, Angela and Holland, Carol and Ashmore, Lisa (2023) Screening people with diabetes for atrial fibrillation. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.

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Abstract

Thesis by alternative route comprising four independent yet related studies exploring the relationship between diabetes and atrial fibrillation and whether screening people with diabetes for this common heart rhythm disorder, would be valuable. A systematic review critiques the utility, effectiveness and feasibility of the AliveCor screening application, demonstrating this as a valid and effective tool for this purpose. A screening study then demonstrates a higher prevalence of atrial fibrillation in people with diabetes, also showing statistical significance that increasing age, is a predictor for developing atrial fibrillation in this population. Another study then considers the quality of life study in people with atrial fibrillation and then people with atrial fibrillation and diabetes, showing the quality of life to be poorer in the majority of assessed domains, when both conditions coexist. Lastly, a qualitative interview study considers the views and experiences of people screened in the earlier study, demonstrating variable understanding around atrial fibrillation and views around how, when and who to screen.