Happy Christmas from us all at AF Association!

For December we would like to celebrate the achievements of the year - t hroughout 2017, our focus was ‘Identifying the Undiagnosed Person’ as around a third of individuals with atrial fibrillation are not aware that they have it. Our sister charity, Arrhythmia Alliance has published 2 new booklets to go along with this message – “Which ECG is right for you” and “Identifying the undiagnosed person” which can be viewed online by clicking here . Or if you prefer, please call us on 01789 867502 or email [email protected] to request a copy by post.

Make a Donation this Christmas

AF Association needs your help to continue supporting and helping patients affected by atrial fibrillation.  In 2018, AF Association aims to provide even more information, help and support to you and others, Please consider donating by clicking here or by calling us today so that we can continue with our hard work next year and help to improve the quality of life for those affected by atrial fibrillation.

Our Fundraisers

Our fantastic fundraisers continue to raise much needed funds for the charity, doing everything from cake sales to skydives and marathons. We would like to say a huge thank you to all those who have fundraised for AF Association during 2017. If you would like to fundraise for us during 2018, please click below to find out how!  Fundraise in 2018

Devices

Be a member of your own heart care team this Christmas!   Do you know when you’re in AF? Have you been told to watch your blood pressure?   We have the ideal solutions to help you be in control of your own heart health this Christmas! Monitor at regular intervals to find possible triggers, track your symptoms alongside the physical recordings and manage your health with facts.

AliveCor Kardia   The Alivecor Kardia gives a single lead ECG reading in just 30 seconds, and shows if you are in AF . Record your symptoms as they happen along with an ECG and track the frequency and potential triggers of your episode – which is unique to you. Next, work with your doctor to manage your AF, prevent symptoms and restore normality. ​SPECIAL PRICE FOR CHRISTMAS 5% OFF RRP - JUST £94.05 Buy now

Watch BP Monitor   The Watch BP is a device recommended by NICE to be used to routinely monitor your blood pressure at home. This way, you can know for certain when you are in AF and how it is affecting your blood pressure, and vice versa. Find potential triggers for your high or low blood pressure (BP), and share the results with your doctor to ensure your condition is being managed effectively.  Huge Savings on RRP by purchasing through Arrhythmia Alliance Watch BP Home S - £45 Watch BP Home A - £75 Buy now

Highlights from 2017

AF Association Global AF Aware Week AF Association Global AF Aware Week continues to raise awareness of the most common arrhythmia – atrial fibrillation focusing on ‘Detect, Protect, Correct, Perfect’. Over one million people have been diagnosed with AF in the UK alone, although experts estimate that at least a third more remain undiagnosed. With an ageing population, this number is expected to double by 2050. We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who took part t his year, We had over 1000 awareness events take place in the UK alone!

Click here for more information

Arrhythmia Alliance World Heart Rhythm Week AF Association partnered with Arrhythmia Alliance for World heart Rhythm Week which continued the focus on ‘identifying the undiagnosed person’. More than 15 countries participated in World Heart Rhythm Week, where we made more than one million people pulse rhythm aware. Over 2,000 'Know Your Pulse' events took place around the world, with 750 in the UK alone and over 10,000 pulses were checked. Keep a look out for next year here

AF Association Patients Day 2017 AF Association Patients Day 2017 was held during the UK's largest heart rhythm conference, Arrhythmia Alliance Heart Rhythm Congress. The day was a huge success, with 88% of attendees reporting that the meeting had exceeded their expectations, and 87% had learnt more than expected about treatment options and medications for AF.    Thank you to everyone who attended Patients Day 2017, we hope you enjoyed your day and we look forward to welcoming you next year! (Save the Date – 7 October 2018) If you were unable to attend click here to view the presentations Get the updates and information for next year here

All-Party Parliamentary Group on AF APPG-AF continues to champion awareness of AF from within the heart of Westminster and is chaired by Barry Sheerman MP, who himself has been affected by AF. The Group looks at a variety of ways in which we can improve the treatment and diagnosis of AF and help prevent AF-related stroke. Working with a broad range of parliamentarians from across the political spectrum to highlight the issue of AF from within parliament.

Register your interest today

Outreach

Our media reach this year has been in excess of 8.5million with articles including: “AF patients say ‘yes’ to the freedom that self-monitoring gives them” *  “Experts warn that 500,000 people undiagnosed with irregular heartbeat” * “MSP Brian Whittle supports campaign to combat Atrial Fibrillation (AF) disease” *  “Charity urges NHS to reconsider how it evaluates treatments” And a feature in the Daily Mail – “Patients denied stroke op”

Patient Surveys and Resources

Throughout 2017 we have been working very hard to update our resources. We have also published some brand new resources. All of our resources are approved by our Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) and endorsed by the Department of Health. This ensures that you are provided with the most up to date and accurate information. All of our resources can be found by clicking below. AF Association resources

Our patient surveys continue to provide evidence that improvement in patient care is continuously needed.  One showing that 3 out of 4 doctors used the results from a mobile ECG device to make a diagnosis. * Another showing that 15% of respondents had an infection following a device implant. *   7% of AF patients had no symptoms. We will be doing many more surveys going into 2018 so please keep your eyes peeled!

Healthcare Pioneer 2018

Our Healthcare Pioneers continue to be an example for medical professionals around the world, as shown in The AF Association Healthcare Pioneers Report. The Report identifies best practice in the identification, diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and is used as a benchmark to improve services and care for the patients with AF. Find out more here.

Brand New Website

AF Association joined with sister charities Arrhythmia Alliance and STARS to launch our brand new international website www.heartrhythmalliance.org , with 59 international sites.

We Wish You a Very Merry Christmas

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