Thousands of Aussies at risk of 'devastating strokes' due to common condition
Moderated by Tomas Kauer 
A growing number of Australians could be living with a dangerous heart condition that can cause "the worst, most devastating strokes" – and they have no clue.
Now scientists are fighting to prove the condition can be detected before it's too late.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a heart rhythm disorder that increases the risk of heart failure and stroke, and has been linked to dementia.
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Every day, six Australians die due to AF but symptoms can be vague, like breathlessness and a racing heart.
It's one of the most common heart conditions in Australia and its prevalence in Aussies aged 55-plus is projected to double over the next 20 years.
"If you've reached the age of 40, you already have a one in three lifetime chance of developing AF," Professor Ben Freedman OAM told nine.com.au.
More than half a million Aussies currently live with it, but many more people may have undiagnosed cases that won't be detected until a stroke occurs.
"These strokes tend to be at the worst end of the spectrum, devastating strokes that incapacitate and cause people to need chronic care," Freedman said.
"These are really the worst sort of strokes that you want to do without [and] I think we will prevent them."
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Despite the concerning statistics, there's currently no national screening program for AF.
Freedman, alongside researchers from the Heart Research Institute (HRI) and the University of Sydney, is trying to change that.
They're running the world's largest clinical trial investigating whether systematic screening for AF can prevent stroke and so far things look promising.
More than 600 Australians aged over 70 across NSW, WA and Tasmania have already taken part in the trial.
Participants used a handheld ECG device at home to check their heart rhythm four times a day for three weeks.
A number of previously undiagnosed cases of AF have been identified; cases that likely would have remained undetected until a stroke hit, if not for trial screening.
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But the government isn't ready take the trial screening program national yet.
"The government says 'if you can show us you've got fewer strokes, and that it's cost effective, we'll fund it,'" Freedman explained.
"It's not enough to be a good idea that looks as though it'll work, you have to prove it."
Researchers at HRI and the University of Sydney intend to do just that.
Freedman hopes to save older Aussies from debilitating strokes and save their families the emotional and financial cost of supporting that individual after a debilitating stroke.
Reducing the number of strokes caused by AF could also ease pressure on nursing homes and aged care facilities, where many stroke patients end up.
The trial will run for another three years, after which Freedman hopes the government will back a national screening program like the existing breast cancer and bowel cancer screenings.
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