# USPSTF 2022: screening for atrial fibrillation Guideline · id `cardio:guideline-uspstf-2022-af-screening` · Cardiovascular Atlas · release `73130c34862e2d06` (public) > General information from published sources, not medical advice, and not reviewed by clinicians. Check the cited source before relying on anything here. The atlas's own text and curation may be reused under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/): credit the atlas, and do not use it commercially. See the atlas About page. Text quoted from a source stays under that source's own terms, given as the source's reuse\_basis. The atlas's reuse terms do not cover it. The downloads list each quotation with its source in third\_party\_quotations. Also called: Screening for Atrial Fibrillation: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement Browse, organ or system: Heart Browse, condition area: Risk and prevention; Heart rhythm problems ## In plain language The 2022 statement issued by the US Preventive Services Task Force on screening adults aged 50 or older, who have no symptoms, for atrial fibrillation. The Task Force found the evidence insufficient to weigh benefits against harms, which it labels an I statement. That is a statement about the evidence, not advice against screening. This statement updates its 2018 recommendation. ## Technical summary JAMA 2022;327(4):360-367, doi 10.1001/jama.2021.23732, PMID 35076659. The USPSTF page dates the final statement January 25, 2022. Only the PubMed abstract and that date line were read. The USPSTF permits reuse of its work only under its copyright notice, so this atlas states the statement in its own words, with a citation and a link. ## Claims, with the population each applies to ## Context: Adults 50 or older without an AF diagnosis or symptoms (USPSTF 2022 AF screening statement) Recipient: Adult; Population: Adults aged 50 or older with no diagnosis or symptoms of atrial fibrillation and no earlier transient ischemic attack or stroke, as the abstract defines the population. The abstract describes the recommendation as concerning asymptomatic adults.; Care setting: Not stated in the abstract.; Geography: United States (a USPSTF recommendation); Life stage: Adults aged 50 or older; Follow-up: Not applicable (guideline context) ### For asymptomatic adults aged 50 or older, the USPSTF finds the evidence now available too limited to judge whether screening for atrial fibrillation does more good than harm (an I statement). The abstract says evidence is lacking, so the balance cannot be determined. - Category: Recommendation - Evidence stage: Guidance - Certainty: Certainty not assessed - Applies to: Recipient: Adult; Population: Adults aged 50 or older with no diagnosis or symptoms of atrial fibrillation and no earlier transient ischemic attack or stroke, as the abstract defines the population. The abstract describes the recommendation as concerning asymptomatic adults.; Care setting: Not stated in the abstract.; Geography: United States (a USPSTF recommendation); Life stage: Adults aged 50 or older; Follow-up: Not applicable (guideline context) - Limitations: An I statement means the evidence is too thin to support a recommendation either way. It is not advice against screening, and it does not say that screening finds nothing or that anticoagulation does not help. The statement updates a 2018 recommendation. Only the PubMed abstract and the date line of the USPSTF page were read. No recommendation record is written, because this atlas has no record for atrial fibrillation screening itself. - Last checked: 2026-10-15 - Sources: 1. Supports: Screening for Atrial Fibrillation: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement (Guideline, edition Recommendation statement published in JAMA 2022;327(4):360-367. PubMed abstract and bibliographic data, plus the date line of the USPSTF recommendation page (both fetched 2026-10-15). The full statement and the evidence review were not read. PubMed lists no correction to the statement.) Locator: Abstract, RECOMMENDATION, sentence 1. Retrieved 2026-10-15T13:48:56Z. Source state: Current. Snapshot hash: b6eca7cc7d6b7dbcbcad87b38e8110eda733e7a3b44642b6f83a720a3fab9b51. How it applies: Evidence insufficient to assess benefits and harms of screening. 2. Supports: Screening for Atrial Fibrillation: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement (Guideline, edition Recommendation statement published in JAMA 2022;327(4):360-367. PubMed abstract and bibliographic data, plus the date line of the USPSTF recommendation page (both fetched 2026-10-15). The full statement and the evidence review were not read. PubMed lists no correction to the statement.) Locator: Abstract, RECOMMENDATION, sentence 2. Retrieved 2026-10-15T13:48:56Z. Source state: Current. Snapshot hash: b6eca7cc7d6b7dbcbcad87b38e8110eda733e7a3b44642b6f83a720a3fab9b51. How it applies: The I statement label. 3. Supports: Screening for Atrial Fibrillation: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement (Guideline, edition Recommendation statement published in JAMA 2022;327(4):360-367. PubMed abstract and bibliographic data, plus the date line of the USPSTF recommendation page (both fetched 2026-10-15). The full statement and the evidence review were not read. PubMed lists no correction to the statement.) Locator: Abstract, EVIDENCE ASSESSMENT, sentence 1. Retrieved 2026-10-15T13:48:56Z. Source state: Current. Snapshot hash: b6eca7cc7d6b7dbcbcad87b38e8110eda733e7a3b44642b6f83a720a3fab9b51. How it applies: Evidence is lacking; the balance cannot be determined. 4. Background: Screening for Atrial Fibrillation: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement (Guideline, edition Recommendation statement published in JAMA 2022;327(4):360-367. PubMed abstract and bibliographic data, plus the date line of the USPSTF recommendation page (both fetched 2026-10-15). The full statement and the evidence review were not read. PubMed lists no correction to the statement.) Locator: Abstract, POPULATION, sentence 1. Retrieved 2026-10-15T13:48:56Z. Source state: Current. Snapshot hash: b6eca7cc7d6b7dbcbcad87b38e8110eda733e7a3b44642b6f83a720a3fab9b51. How it applies: Adults 50 or older without AF diagnosis or symptoms and without a past TIA or stroke. 5. Background: Screening for Atrial Fibrillation: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement (Guideline, edition Recommendation statement published in JAMA 2022;327(4):360-367. PubMed abstract and bibliographic data, plus the date line of the USPSTF recommendation page (both fetched 2026-10-15). The full statement and the evidence review were not read. PubMed lists no correction to the statement.) Locator: Page header, date line of the final recommendation statement. Retrieved 2026-10-15T13:55:02Z. Source state: Current. Snapshot hash: 6ffd2cc2c0ec40a3ad29ec16eb7fc53d39466663bb1d3e28d75559568a4a7ba2. How it applies: Date of the final statement. ## Connected pages - Issuer: the Task Force is named as the author in the PubMed record: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (`core:uspstf`) ## Provenance Content hash: 48895aae107a09986a0241877ce6cca37a0ca986fd705e406be6d3f739f38127 Last substantive edit: 2026-10-15 Evidence last checked: 2026-10-15