AF Consensus Conferences

a joint initiative of the German AFNET and the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA), a registered branch of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)

3rd Joint AFNET/EHRA Consensus Conference on

Stroke Prevention, Thromboembolic Risk Assessment, Modification of Risk Factors, and Rhythm Control to Reduce Cardiovascular Complications in Atrial Fibrillation

November 8/9, 2010, European Heart House, Sophia Antipolis, France

click here to enlarge

Group picture taken during the conference (click here to enlarge)

60 specialists in atrial fibrillation – invited scientists and participants from industry – participated in the 3rd AFNET/EHRA consensus conference on November 8/9, 2010 in the European Heart House in Sophia Antipolis, France. The expert meeting was funded by AFNET and EHRA and organized by Günter Breithardt (Münster, Germany), John Camm (London, UK), Paulus Kirchhof (Münster, Germany) and Gregory Lip (Birmingham, UK).

The two-day conference started with a plenary session. Afterwards, the participants split into seven working groups discussing different thematic complexes. The results of these break-out sessions were presented in another plenary session. By this way, the experts succeeded in pooling the current knowledge on AF and identifying perspectives for further action.

Presentations of the first plenary session:

  • Outcomes in AF – what have we achieved, what can we do better? (J Camm, London, UK)
  • Who is really at risk for stroke: A critical look at the 2010 ESC guidelines (E Hylek, Boston, USA)
  • Bleeding risk with thromboprophylaxis? Who is at risk? (G Lip, Birmingham, UK)
  • Mechanisms of intracerebral bleeding – what is known, what should be considered? (HC Diener, Essen, Germany)
  • What can new antithrombotic compounds deliver in clinical practice (Dabigatran, Rivaroxaban, Apixaban)? (M Ezekowitz, Wynnewood, USA)
  • AF is a risk factor for cardiovascular outcomes – insights from registries and trials. (P Dorian, Toronto, Canada)
  • Can image-based assessment of the “AF substrate” help to guide therapy: MRI (scar imaging), echo (volumes), ECG parameters (L Mont, Barcelona, Spain)
  • Different types of AF: Should they impact management? (P Kirchhof, Münster, Germany)
  • Do we need novel rate control agents? How should therapy be titrated (resting heart rate, exercise-induced HR changes)? (I van Gelder, Groningen, The Netherlands)
  • New devices for the diagnosis and therapy of AF. (P Vardas, Heraklion, Greece)
  • Future targets for AF ablation – safety first? (S Willems, Hamburg, Germany)
  • Novel antiarrhythmic drugs: What can we expect? (G Breithardt, Münster, Germany
  • Patient values and preferences – insights from anticoagulation therapy and antiarrhythmic drug studies.  (D Lane, Birmingham, UK)

Special issues discussed in the break-out sessions:

  • Impact of patient education, patient values, and preferences on AF management
  • Stroke and bleeding risk in AF revisited
  • Novel risk factors for AF and AF-related complications (thyroid function, proteinuria, renal dysfunction) 
  • Comprehensive stroke risk reduction – a road to improving outcomes in AF (rhythm, blood pressure, post-stroke therapy) 
  • Devices to diagnose and treat AF and interactions of AF with device therapy 
  • AF is a risk marker – implications for general cardiovascular medicine 
  • Proposal for AF types that may require specific management

In addition to participants from 14 European Countries, several selected “high-profile” scientists from America were also present. Industry participants came from AGA, Astra Zeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Daiichi Sankyo, Medtronic, MSD, Pfizer, Sanofi Aventis, and St. Jude Medical.

During the 3rd AFNET/EHRA consensus conference, Prof. Sergio Dubner, Buenos Aires, Argentina, performed interviews with P Kirchhof, J Bax, G Lip, G Breithardt, U Schotten, S Kääb, and M Ezekowitz for the 4. World Wide Internet Symposium "Management of Atrial Fibrillation 2010" of ISHNE (International Society for Holter and Noninvasive Electrocardiology). 

Publications

The results of the 3rd joint AFNET/EHRA consensus conference were scientifically published in the following paper:

  • Kirchhof P et al.: Comprehensive risk reduction in patients with atrial fibrillation: Emerging diagnostic and therapeutic options. Europace, July 26, 2011
  • Kirchhof P et al.: Comprehensive risk reduction in patients with atrial fibrillation: Emerging diagnostic and therapeutic options. Executive summary of the report from the 3rd AFNET/EHRA consensus conference. Thromb Haemost, November 2, 2011; 106

Press release in English

Press release in German

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Second Joint AFNET/EHRA Consensus Conference on Research Perspectives for Diagnosis and Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation

October 27/28, 2008, European Heart House, Sophia Antipolis, France 

The 2nd AFNET-EHRA consensus conference on “Research Perspectives in Atrial Fibrillation” gathered over 70 participants – invited scientists and participants from industry – in the European Heart House in Sophia Antipolis, France, on October 27th and 28th. The conference was funded by AFNET and EHRA and organized by Günter Breithardt, John Camm, Harry Crijns, and Paulus Kirchhof. Experts discussed recent developments concerning anticoagulation, antiarrhythmic drug treatment, surgical and catheter ablation, ECG monitoring, management of risk factors for AF and AF-related complications, pathophysiological factors that cause the arrhythmias, and novel therapeutic goals. 

group picture

Group picture taken during the conference (to enlarge click here)

The results of the 2nd joint AFNET/EHRA consensus conference were scientifically published in the following papers:

  • Kirchhof P, Bax J, Blomstrom-Lundquist C, Calkins H, Camm AJ, Cappato R, Cosio F, Crijns H, Diener HC, Goette A, Israel CW, Kuck KH, Lip G, Nattel S, Page R, Ravens U, Schotten U, Steinbeck G, Vardas P, Waldo A, Wegscheider K, Willems S, Breithardt G. Early and comprehensive management of AF: Proceedings from the 2nd AFNET-EHRA consensus conference on atrial fibrillation entitled “research perspectives in AF”. Europace 2009 Jun 16
  • Kirchhof P, Bax J, Blomstrom-Lundquist C, Calkins H, Camm AJ, Cappato R, Cosio F, Crijns H, Diener HC, Goette A, Israel CW, Kuck KH, Lip G, Nattel S, Page R, Ravens U, Schotten U, Steinbeck G, Vardas P, Waldo A, Wegscheider K, Willems S, Breithardt G. Early and comprehensive management of AF: Exectuvie summary of the proceedings from the 2nd AFNET-EHRA consensus conference “research perspectives in AF”. Eur Heart J 2009 Jun 17

press release in English
press release in German

The results were presented at the ESC congress 2009 in Barcelona in the symposium "The future of atrial fibrillation therapy: the 2nd AFNET/EHRA consensus conference"

The ESC Newsletter reported on the consensus conference

AFNET and EHRA announced the consensus conference in a joint press release on June 23rd, 2008
press release in English
press release in German

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First Joint AFNET/EHRA Consensus Conference on Endpoints for Trials in Atrial Fibrillation

January 22/23, 2007, European Heart House, Sophia Antipolis France

The results of the consensus conference were scientifically published in the following papers:

  • Outcome Parameters for trials in atrial fibrillation – Recommendations from a consensus conference organized by the German Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network (AFNET) and the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA);
    P. Kirchhof, A. Auricchio, J. Bax, H. Crijns, J. Camm, H. C. Diener, A. Goette, G. Hindricks, S. Hohnloser, L. Kappenberger, K. H. Kuck, G. Y. Lip, B. Olsson, T. Meinertz, S. Priori, U. Ravens, G. Steinbeck, E. Svernhage, J. Tijssen, A. Vincent and G. Breithardt, Europace 2007; 9: 1006-1023
  • Outcome parameters for trials in atrial fibrillation: executive summary:
    Recommendations from a consensus conference organized by the German Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network (AFNET) and the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA);
    P. Kirchhof, A. Auricchio, J. Bax, H. Crijns, J. Camm, H. C. Diener, A. Goette, G. Hindricks, S. Hohnloser, L. Kappenberger, K. H. Kuck, G. Y. Lip, B. Olsson, T. Meinertz, S. Priori, U. Ravens, G. Steinbeck, E. Svernhage, J. Tijssen, A. Vincent and G. Breithardt, Eur Heart J 2007; 28: 2803-2817

Abstract:

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common atrial arrhythmia, has a complex aetiology and causes relevant morbidity and mortality due to different mechanisms, including but not limited to stroke, heart failure, and tachy- or bradyarrhythmia. Current therapeutic options (rate control, rhythm control, antithrombotic therapy, 'upstream therapy') only prevent a part of this burden of disease. Several new treatment modalities are therefore under evaluation in controlled trials. Given the multifold clinical consequences of AF, trials in AF patients should assess the effect of therapy in each of the main outcome domains. This paper describes an expert consensus of required outcome parameters in seven relevant outcome domains, namely death, stroke, symptoms and quality of life, rhythm, left ventricular function, cost, and emerging outcome parameters. In addition to these 'requirements' for outcome assessment in AF trials, further, more detailed outcome parameters are described. In addition to a careful selection of a relevant primary outcome parameter, coverage of outcomes in all major domains of AF-related morbidity and mortality is desirable for any clinical trial in AF.