Atrial Fibrillation in Mainland China: Epidemiology and Current Management

With the economic development of China, research in atrial fibrillation (AF) has improved progressively. However, due to a lack of international communication, many significant achievements have not been widely recognized. [1, 2, 3]. Following is a brief overview of epidemiology, current therapy and research of AF in mainland China. Epidemiology China is the most populated country in the world and covers a vast area. Although it is difficult to carry out a well-designed survey of AF in such a large population spread across such a wide expanse, we have recently completed a cross-sectional survey of AF conducted in 10 various populations, located in different areas of China, including 4 groups of urban residents, 5 groups of rural farmland residents and 1 fishing community.[4] These populations were selected to be representative of the geographic and economic diversity in China. A total of 19,368 participants (8,636 men, 10,732 women) aged ≥35 years were included. The age-adjusted prevalence of AF in Chinese adults aged ≥35 years was 0.74 % in men and 0.72 % in women. The prevalence was higher among older adults of both sexes. The prevalence in subjects <60 years old was 0.43 % in men and 0.44 % in women, however the prevalence in subjects aged ≥60 years was 1.83 % in me