Screening guidelines specific to the needs of Australia's Indigenous population are needed
One‐third of all ischaemic strokes are associated with atrial fibrillation (AF).1 Over the next 15 years, the number of AF‐related strokes in Australia is likely to rise substantially because of the predicted rise in AF prevalence.2 It is conservatively estimated that by 2034 more than 600 000 people in Australia will have AF, but these numbers do not take into account the higher prevalence of AF among Indigenous Australians.2 The prevalence of AF among hospitalised Indigenous patients under 60 years of age was reported by one study to be 2.57%, compared with 1.73% for non‐Indigenous patients.3 These hospital‐specific figures possibly underestimate prevalence, however, as they do not include cases of AF detected in Indigenous medical centres or general practices, or people with undiagnosed AF.
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Nicole Lowres is funded by a NSW Health Early Career Fellowship (H16/52168).
Ben Freedman has previously received fees and advisory board honoraria from Bayer, Daiichi‐Sankyo, and Pfizer/Bristol‐Myers Squibb, and an honorarium from Omron. Ben Freedman and Nicole Lowres have received investigator‐initiated grants from Pfizer and Bristol‐Myers Squibb.