Cardiovascular Journal of Africa: Vol 29 No 5 (September/October 2018)

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CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA • Volume 29, No 5, September/October 2018 272 AFRICA
an under-representation of asymptomatic individuals in this
cohort. The medical records were also lacking in information
in certain areas, such as family history of lone AF. Despite
careful attention to exclusion criteria, it is possible that occult
cardiovascular disease may have been present in some patients,
therefore overestimating the events.
Conclusions
This is the first study to describe the clinical characteristics and
outcomes of patients with lone AF in a racially diverse population
in Africa. The clinical characteristics of the patients with lone AF
who attended GSH were similar to those described in other studies.
Lone AF occurs in all racial groups. Further phenotypic
subsets of lone AF were characterised in the study and included
lone AF with concomitant atrial flutter, and lone AF with
concomitant SSS, which seems to be a strong risk factor for stroke.
Additionally, a few patients who were initially characterised
as having lone AF, developed risk factors for stroke with time,
therefore emphasising the importance of constantly reviewing
the indications for anticoagulation during the follow-up period.
We thank Dr Lethukuthula Khanyi who contributed to this article as a medi-
cal student rotating in internal medicine.
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