Atrial Fibrillation 2024

This Grand Round focuses on the current state of atrial fibrillation in 2024 and the future challenges we might face to meet the needs and expectations of patients affected by atrial fibrillation.

• Relevance of atrial fibrillation – a global picture
• Digital applications for AF detection and treatment
• Stroke prevention – oral anti-coagulation and beyond
• AHRE – new trial data
• Rational for rhythm control in AF
• Catheter ablation – new technologies and new trial results
• Future of AF therapies

Prof. Gerhard Hindricks headed the Heart Center in Leipzig until February 2023 when he was appointed Head of Electrophysiology-Rhythmology at the German Heart Center of Charité, and Chief Integration Officer of the German Heart Center Berlin in March 2023. His main responsibilities in Berlin are the development of excellence in electrophysiology at Charité hospitals, the integration of the Charité hospitals to the German Heart Centre (as Chief Integration Officer) and to support the German Heart Centre of the Charité in fields of strategic development.

Prof. Hindricks completed his medical training at the Wilhelm University of Westphalia in Münster, Germany. Prof. Hindricks’ main areas of scientific interest include arrhythmias and electrophysiology, particularly interventional treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, new innovative technologies, and device therapies. He heads one of the largest electrophysiology departments in Europe, providing services for up to 5,000 patients and performing almost 2,500 interventions for arrhythmias each year.

Currently, he is also principal investigator of the European Commission sponsored PROFID project, one of the largest global activities on the prevention of sudden cardiac death, and chair of the Digital Health Committee of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

He has published almost 800 peer-reviewed articles in the leading journals of the world and was the Editor-in-Chief of the Europace Journal, one of the top international journals in the field of cardiac
arrhythmias until recently. Prof Hindricks is past president of the European Heart Rhythm Association (2014-2016).