There isn't enough evidence to recommend for or against atrial fibrillation screening in adults 50 and older, a panel of national experts on disease prevention said Jan. 25.
The volunteer U.S. Preventive Services Task Force looked at whether screening for atrial fibrillation helps prevent strokes in adults 50 and older who don’t have signs, symptoms or a history of strokes. The task force presents its findings to Congress in an annual report.
"The task force expanded the scope of this review to look for evidence on emerging technologies that could help us reach a conclusion about the balance of benefits and harms of screening for AFib," task force vice chair Carol Mangione, MD, said in a news release. "But even with these new technologies, there is not enough evidence on whether screening for AFib helps prevent strokes, so we are calling for more research on this important health issue."
Read the full recommendation here.