Swiss-AF - Swiss Atrial Fibrillation Cohort
With its multitude of derived research projects, the Swiss-AF Cohort is a showcase for interdisciplinary research.
Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia in Switzerland and worldwide. It is associated with an increased risk of disease and death. The disease is also associated with a decrease in the quality of life as well as the performance of the brain (e.g. memory).
The aim of the Swiss-AF Cohort is to gain new insights into the relationship between atrial fibrillation and the structure and performance of the brain. For this purpose, information about the course of the disease is collected over a longer period of time without actively intervening in it. Thus, no medication is administered in the study and medical care remains entirely with the general practitioner.
In the long term, the study should improve prevention and therapy in atrial fibrillation and contribute to reducing costs in the Swiss healthcare system - in favor of optimal treatment for patients with atrial fibrillation.
Characteristics
As of 25 June 2020 (recruitment finished)
Centres
14 (Baden, Basel (main centre), Bellinzona, Bern, Fribourg, Geneve, Lausanne, Lugano, Luzern, Solothurn, St. Gallen, Zürich)
Key data
2415 patients
DKF support
Statistics, Regulatory Affairs, Data Management, Data Science
More informationen
Swiss-AF webseite
Integrated research projects
The research projects derived from Swiss-AF Cohort are dedicated to a variety of different topics. A selection of these is:
- Neurofilaments (NfL) and Atrial Fibrillation
- Hypertention and Atrial Fibrillation
- Progression of Atrial Fibrillation
- Atrial Fibrillation and cognition
- Biomarkers as predictors of Atrial Fibrillation progression/clinical events in Atrial Fibrillation patients
- Fatty acids as predictors of Atrial Fibrillation progression/clinical events in Atrial Fibrillation patients
- News scores to predict stroke in patients with Atrial Fibrillation
Third-party funds
- SNF Projektförderung 2021-2024 (Mechanisms of cognitive decline in patients with atrial fibrillation: the Swiss AF-Brain Study)
- SNF Projektförderung 2021-2024 (Brain lesions and cognitive function in patients with versus without atrial fibrilation)
- SNF Longitudinalstudien 2019-2023
- SNF Projektförderung 2018 - 2022 (Health Consequences of the Burden of Atrial Fibrillation - The Swiss-AF-Burden study)
- Schweizerische Herzstiftung
- Stiftung für kardiovaskuläre Forschung Basel
- Stiftung zur Förderung der gastroenterologischen und allgemeinen klinischen Forschung sowie der medizinischen Bildauswertung
Selected publications
- Silent brain infarcts impact on cognitive function in atrial fibrillation, European Heart Journal 2022
- Mechanisms of cognitive decline in patients with atrial fibrillation: the Swiss AF-Brain Study, Brain Communications 2020
- Relationships of Overt and Silent Brain Lesions With Cognitive Function in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation, Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2019
Contact
Study Coordination Swiss-AF
Rebecca Paladini
Study Coordinator, Cardiology, University Hospital Basel
Support DKF
Michael Coslovsky, PhD
Teamleader Data Analysis/Statistics, Departement of Clinical Research, University of Basel