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Background and Purpose Prolonged electrocardiography (ECG)-monitoring in stroke patients improves the detection of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (pAF). However, most randomized studies only had short follow-up. We aimed to provide 3-year follow-up data for AF detection and stroke recurrence risk. Methods We randomized 402 patients aged ≥60 years with acute ischemic strokes without AF to either enhanced and prolonged monitoring (EPM; 3×10-day Holter-ECG-monitoring) or standard-of-care (≥24 hours ECG-monitoring). The endpoint of the current analysis was AF within 36 months analyzed by intention to treat. Long-term follow-up was performed for 36 months. Results Two hundred and seventy-four patients (80%) participated in the extended follow-up (median duration of follow-up was 36 months [interquartile range, 12 to 36]). During the first 6 months, more AF was documented in the EPM arm compared to the control arm (13.5% vs. 5.1%; 95% confidence interval, 2.9% to 14.4%; P=0.004). During months 6 to 36, AF was less detected in the EPM intervention arm than in the control arm (2.0% vs. 7.3%; 95% confidence interval, 0.7% to 9.9%; P=0.028). Overall, the detection rate of AF within 36 months was numerically higher within the EPM group (15.0% vs. 11.1%, P=0.30). Numerically less patients in the EPM arm had recurrent ischemic strokes (5.5% vs. 9.1%, P=0.18), transient ischemic attacks (3.0% vs. 4.5%, P=0.44) or died (4.5% vs. 6.6%, P=0.37). Conclusions Enhanced and prolonged ECG monitoring increased AF detection during the first six months, but there was significantly more clinical AF during months 6 to 36 observed in the usual-care arm. This suggests that EPM leads to an earlier detection of clinically relevant AF.

BackgroundThe cardiac diagnostic workup of stroke patients, especially the value of echocardiography and enhanced and prolonged Holter-ECG monitoring, is still a matter of debate. We aimed to analyse the impact of pathologies detected by echocardiography and ECG monitoring on therapeutic decisions and prognosis.MethodsFind-AFRANDOMISED was a prospective multicenter study which randomised 398 acute ischemic stroke patients ≥ 60 years to enhanced and prolonged Holter-ECG monitoring or usual stroke unit care. This substudy compared therapeutic consequences of echocardiography and routine Holter-ECG or enhanced and prolonged Holter-ECG monitoring, respectively, and prognosis of patients with or without pathologic findings in echocardiography or Holter-ECG monitoring.Results50.3% received enhanced and prolonged Holter-ECG monitoring and 49.7% routine ECG monitoring. 82.9% underwent transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), 38.9% transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and 25.6% both procedures. 14/89 TEE pathologies and 1/90 TTE pathology led to a change in therapy, resulting in a number needed to change decision (NNCD) of 12 and 330 (p < 0.001), respectively. In comparison, enhanced and prolonged Holter-ECG monitoring found atrial fibrillation (AF) in 27 of 200 patients, and routine ECG monitoring in twelve of 198 patients, leading to therapeutic changes in all patients (NNCD 8 and 17, respectively, p < 0.001).ConclusionsMost changes in therapeutic decisions were triggered by enhanced and prolonged Holter-ECG monitoring, which should therefore play a more prominent role in future guidelines. Echocardiography identifies a patient group at high cardiovascular risk, but rarely result in therapeutic changes. Whether this patient group requires further cardiovascular workup remains unknown. This should be further investigated by interdisciplinary neurocardiologic teams and in appropriate future trials.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT01855035.

BackgroundDetecting paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) in patients with cerebral ischemia is challenging. Frequent premature atrial complexes (PAC/h) and the longest supraventricular run on 24-h-Holter (SV-run(24 h)), summarised as excessive supraventricular ectopic activity (ESVEA), may help selecting patients for extended ECG-monitoring, especially in combination with echocardiographic marker LAVI/a' (left atrial volume index/late diastolic tissue Doppler velocity).MethodsRetrospective analysis from the prospective monocentric observational trial Find-AF (ISRCTN-46104198). Patients with acute stroke or TIA were enrolled at the University Hospital Göttingen, Germany. Those with sinus rhythm at presentation received 7-day Holter-monitoring. ESVEA was quantified in one 24-hour interval free from PAF. Echocardiographic parameters were assessed prospectively.ResultsPAF was detected in 23/208 patients (11.1%). The median was 4 [IQR 1; 22] for PAC/h and 5 [IQR 0; 9] for SV-run(24 h). PAF was more prevalent in patients with ESVEA: 19.6% vs. 2.8% for PAC/h >4 vs. ≤ 4 (p5) vs. ≤ 5 beats (p = 0.003). Patients with PAF showed more supraventricular ectopic activity: 29 PAC/h [IQR 9; 143] vs. 4 PAC/h [1]; [14] and longest SV-run(24 h = 10) [5]; [21] vs. 0 [0; 8] beats (both p4 and abnormal LAVI/a' showed high PAF-rates.ConclusionsESVEA discriminated PAF from non-PAF beyond clinical factors including LAVI/a' in patients with cerebral ischemia. Normal LAVI/a'+PAC/h ≤ 4 ruled out PAF, while prevalence was high in those with abnormal LAVI/a'+PAC/h >4.

Background and purposeDiagnosis of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) can be challenging, but it is highly relevant in patients presenting with sinus rhythm and acute cerebral ischemia. We aimed to evaluate prospectively whether natriuretic peptide levels and kinetics identify patients with paroxysmal AF.MethodsPatients with acute cerebral ischemia were included into the prospective observational Find-AF study. N-terminal pro brain-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), brain-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal pro atrial-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proANP) plasma levels were measured on admission, after 6 and 24 hours. Patients free from AF at presentation received 7 day Holter monitoring. We prospectively hypothesized that patients presenting in sinus rhythm with NT-proBNP>median were more likely to have paroxysmal AF than patients with NT-proBNPResults281 patients were included, of whom 237 (84.3%) presented in sinus rhythm. 220 patients naïve to AF with an evaluable prolonged Holter ECG were analysed. In patients with NT-proBNP>median (239 pg/ml), 17.9% had paroxysmal AF in contrast to 7.4% with NT-proBNPConclusionsBNP is independently predictive of paroxysmal AF detected by prolonged ECG monitoring in patients with cerebral ischemia and may be used to effectively select patients for prolonged Holter monitoring.