Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, constituting an important public health problem and leading to excessive spending on health care worldwide.^, It has important repercussions in clinical practice, associated with an increased risk of stroke, development of heart failure, cognitive alterations, decreased quality of life and increased risk of death.

It is estimated that in the American adult population the incidence of AF will increase from 1.2 million cases per year in 2010 to 2.6 million in 2030 and, in the same period, its prevalence will increase from 5.2 million to 12 million people. In Brazil, AF estimates are less accurate. However, a recent epidemiological study with the Brazilian population reported a prevalence of AF of about 1.8% in the general population. However, considering the aging of the population in middle-income countries such as Brazil, the prevalence of AF in our country is likely to increase in the near future.

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