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Introduction Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cardiac arrhythmia affecting approximately six million patients in Europe and 2.3 million in the USA.1 Estimates in the general population suggest a prevalence rate of 0.4–1.0%, with marked increase in prevalence with age, increasing to approximately 10% by the age of 80 years.2 AF can precipitate heart failure, ventricular arrhythmias, and it is associated with a four- to five-fold increase in chance of stroke.3,4 In addition, although AF is frequently asymptomatic, it can reduce quality of life causing fatigue, palpitations, anxiety and dizziness.3 AF is classified in three ways:5 Paroxy