Background: Patients with heart failure (HF) represent a large population of patients who are at high risk for complications related to undiagnosed atrial fibrillation (AF). However, currently there are limited modalities available for early AF detection in this high-risk population. An implantable cardiac monitor (ICM) is inserted subcutaneously and can provide long-term arrhythmia information via remote monitoring.
Methods and results: Confirm-AF is a prospective randomized, nonblinded, two arm, multicenter clinical trial to be performed in the United States, enrolling 477 patients with a history of HF hospitalization and left ventricular ejection fraction >35% from 30 medical sites. Patients will be randomized in a 2:1 fashion to undergo ICM implant with remote monitoring and symptom-triggered mobile app transmissions versus (vs.) Non-ICM management and follow-up. The primary objective of this trial is to compare the time to first detection of AF lasting > 5 min using an Abbott ICM compared to non-ICM monitoring in symptomatic HF patients. This article describes the design and analytic plan for the Confirm-AF trial.
Conclusions: The Confirm-AF trial seeks to accurately define the burden of AF in high-risk HF patients with LVEF > 35% using an Abbott ICM. A finding showing significantly higher incidence of AF along with improved clinical outcomes with ICM monitoring is expected to have substantial clinical implications and may change the method of monitoring high-risk HF patients.
Keywords: atrial fibrillation; heart failure; implantable cardiac monitor; remote monitoring; stroke.
© 2022 The Authors. Annals of Noninvasive Electrocardiology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.