Podiatric detection of atrial fibrillation
Categories
Atrial fibrillation
Podiatrists are ideally placed to carry out opportunistic checks for undiagnosed atrial fibrillation (AF) as part of a routine podiatry assessment and when encountering visual symptoms that suggest an underlying circulatory disorder.
Opportunistic podiatric detection of AF does, and will continue to, prevent avoidable strokes.
- AF is a common heart condition that causes an irregular heart rate which is often abnormally fast
- The risk of having a stroke increases five-fold in people with AF, and 25% of patients who suffer an AF-related stroke are unaware they have the condition
- Average health and social care costs due to stroke per patient are nearly £22,500 at one year and over £46,000 at five years
- An irregular pulse, detected by a simple foot pulse check, can indicate AF
- Having AF doubles the risk of death, regardless of age.
Download RCPod's policy position on: Podiatric detection of atrial fibrillation