Contact: Katie Glenn, kglenn@acc.org, 202-375-6472

WASHINGTON (Aug 13, 2015) -

The American College of Cardiology will launch two new clinical registry programs to track real world outcomes for the treatment and stroke prevention of patients with atrial fibrillation.

"With a growing prevalence of atrial fibrillation and growing options for treatment and stroke prevention in afib patients, the ACC saw a need for real-world data to track and evaluate the use of these new technologies," said American College of Cardiology President Kim A. Williams Sr., M.D. FACC. "Data derived from these registries are expected to inform practices and improve patient outcomes."

In coming months, the ACC will launch the LAAO Registry, which will capture data on left atrial appendage occlusion procedures to assess real-world procedural indications and outcomes, as well as short- and long-term safety. Left atrial appendage occlusion procedures provide a treatment option to manage stroke risk for non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients who are unable to maintain adequate anticoagulation through medication therapy.

The college is also planning the AFib Ablation Registry to assess the prevalence, demographics, acute management, and outcomes of patients undergoing atrial fibrillation ablation procedures. Its data will support the development of evidence-based guidelines and quality metrics for atrial fibrillation treatments that will improve outcomes for afib patients.

These two new clinical registry programs join eight other programs that comprise the National Cardiovascular Data Registry, the ACC's suite of cardiovascular data registries that help hospitals and clinical practices measure and improve the quality of care they provide.

The American College of Cardiology is a 49,000-member medical society that is the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team. The mission of the College is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College operates national registries to measure and improve care, provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research and bestows credentials upon cardiovascular specialists who meet stringent qualifications. For more information, visit acc.org.

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