Emma Svennberg
About me
Digital Strategies for AF Detection and Outcome Prevention
My research focuses on early detection and management of atrial fibrillation, using digital tools and risk-based strategies to prevent complications such as stroke and heart failure. By integrating clinical care, screening studies, and novel technologies, we aim to personalize AF detection and treatment to improve outcomes.
The early detection and treatment of arrhythmias, particularly atrial fibrillation (AF), with the aim of preventing complications such as stroke and heart failure forms the core of the research of my group. I combine my work as an electrophysiologist at the Department of Cardiology, Karolinska University Hospital, with clinical research rooted in real-world patient needs.
AF is the most common cardiac arrhythmia worldwide, affecting more than 3% of the adult population. It can be asymptomatic in up to 30% of cases, making early diagnosis challenging. Undetected AF significantly increases the risk of stroke—often leading to more severe outcomes than strokes unrelated to AF. Fortunately, oral anticoagulants, among the most effective preventive therapies in medicine, can dramatically reduce this risk when AF is detected in time.
My research has primarily focused on AF screening strategies, particularly systematic and digital approaches. I played a central role in the STROKESTOP I and II studies, which evaluated population-based screening for AF. I currently lead a research group dedicated to improving risk-based detection, diagnosis, and early management of AF, often in collaboration with digital health tools and artificial intelligence.
Ultimately, my work bridges clinical electrophysiology, public health, and innovation—driven by the belief that earlier detection and personalized intervention can reduce complications and improve quality of life for patients at risk.
More about me:
I am an MD, PhD, and Associate Professor (Docent) in Cardiology. I specialize in electrophysiology and have a strong interest in clinical innovation and digital health.I currently serve as:
- Executive Board member and Treasurer of the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA)
- Deputy Editor of EP Europace
- Steering Committee member of the AF-SCREEN International Collaboration
- Editor for ESC TV Today
My prior roles include:
- ESC Taskforce AF guidelines
- ESC Liaison Officer for the Digital Health Committee (2019–2022)
- Board member and m-Health Coordinator, EHRA (2018–2020)
- Chair, EHRA Digital Committee (2020–2022)
- Member, EHRA Scientific Programme Committee (2020–2024)
My PhD thesis, "Screening for atrial fibrillation in high-risk individuals – a stroke preventive effort", was completed at Karolinska Institutet in 2016. I am also a graduate of KI’s Research School in Epidemiology and have pursued training in teaching, leadership, and project management.
Research
My research is centered on improving early detection and personalized management of atrial fibrillation (AF), with a strong focus on preventing AF-related complications such as stroke, heart failure, and hospitalizations. I explore both population-based and opportunistic screening strategies, with particular interest in the use of wearable and implantable technologies, digital health solutions, and artificial intelligence.
Key areas of interest include:
- Systematic and risk-based screening for AF in the general population
- Device-based detection of subclinical AF using ILRs, wearables, and ECG patches
- Digital innovation and AI for AF risk prediction and burden estimation
- Personalized prevention strategies to reduce stroke and adverse AF outcomes
- Implementation research on AF care pathways and clinical decision support
My work bridges clinical electrophysiology, digital health, and public health, with a translational perspective that seeks to integrate new technologies into real-world care
Teaching
I am actively engaged in teaching, mentorship, and clinical training at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. My teaching spans cardiology, electrophysiology, arrhythmias, and digital health, with a strong emphasis on integrating current research and clinical guidelines into medical education.
As Head of Specialty Training (ST-chef) in Cardiology at Karolinska University Hospital, I oversee structured training for residents and support the development of individualized learning plans. I also supervise PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, particularly within the fields of atrial fibrillation, screening, and digital cardiology.
In addition, I contribute to educational initiatives within the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA), including congress sessions, training courses, and digital education platforms. I have completed formal training in pedagogy and academic leadership through Karolinska Institutet, including:
- Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (2018)
- Leading Research Projects (2018)
- Research School in Epidemiology for Clinicians (2014–2016)
I strive to foster curiosity, critical thinking, and translational insight in my students—preparing the next generation of cardiologists and clinician-scientists.
Articles
- Journal article: REVISTA ESPANOLA DE CARDIOLOGIA. 2025;78(5):401-403
- Article: BRAIN COMMUNICATIONS. 2025;7(3):fcaf177
- Article: LAKARTIDNINGEN. 2025;122:24154[New guidelines for atrial fibrillation].
- Article: JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE. 2025;14(7):2407
- Article: NATURE MEDICINE. 2025;31(3):925-931
- Article: INTERNAL AND EMERGENCY MEDICINE. 2025;20(3):739-749
- Article: CIRCULATION. 2024;150(3):1837-1846
- Article: IJC HEART AND VASCULATURE. 2024;55:101549
- Article: JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY. 2024;35(11):2182-2201
- Journal article: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. 2024;45:ehae666.349
- Article: HEART RHYTHM. 2024;21(10):e277-e278
- Article: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. 2024;45(36):3707-3717
- Article: EUROPACE. 2024;26(9):euae234
- Article: HEART RHYTHM O2. 2024;5(8):538-542
- Journal article: HEART RHYTHM. 2024;21(9):1763
- Journal article: JOURNAL OF ELECTROCARDIOLOGY. 2024;85:18
- Journal article: EUROPACE. 2024;26(Supplement_1):euae102.657
- Journal article: HEART RHYTHM. 2024;21(5S):s467-s468
- Article: HEART. 2024;110(9):626-634
- Article: BMC NEUROLOGY. 2024;24(1):120
- Article: EUROPACE. 2024;26(4):euae079
- Article: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR NURSING. 2024;23(2):169-175
- Article: EUROPACE. 2024;26(2):euae037
- Article: EUROPACE. 2024;26(2):euae036
- Article: HEART. 2024;110(3):163-169
- Article: IEEE JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL ENGINEERING IN HEALTH AND MEDICINE. 2024;12:480-487
- Article: BMJ OPEN. 2023;13(11):e073470
- Journal article: CIRCULATION. 2023;148:a15518
- Article: PLOS MEDICINE. 2023;20(10):e1004305
- Article: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR NURSING. 2023;22(4):412-424
- Journal article: EUROPACE. 2023;25(Supplement_1):euad122.552
- Journal article: EUROPACE. 2023;25(Supplement_1):euad122.560
- Journal article: EUROPACE. 2023;25(Supplement_1):euad122.666
- Journal article: EUROPACE. 2023;25(Suppl 1)Management of modifiable risk factors and comorbidities in atrial fibrillation: suggestions for improvement from a patient perspective
- Journal article: EUROPACE. 2023;25(Suppl 1)The association between adherence to a systematic atrial fibrillation screening program and clinical outcomes: a subanalysis from the STROKESTOP study
- Journal article: EUROPACE. 2023;25(Suppl 1)Adherence to a mobile health-based atrial fibrillation screening program: a subanalysis from STROKESTOP I and II
- Article: EUROPACE. 2023;25(4):1332-1338
- Journal article: EUROPACE. 2023;25(2):486
- Article: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. 2023;44(3):196-204
- Article: PREVENTIVE MEDICINE. 2022;164:107284
- Journal article: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. 2022;43(Supplement_2):ehac544.609
- Article: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL OPEN. 2022;2(4):oeac044
- Journal article: EUROPACE. 2022;24(Supplement_1):euac053.578
- Journal article: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL: DIGITAL HEALTH. 2021;2(4):727
- Article: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL OPEN. 2021;1(3):oeab038
- Article: LANCET. 2021;398(10310):1498-1506
- Article: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL: DIGITAL HEALTH. 2021;2(3):363-373
- Article: CARDIOVASCULAR DIGITAL HEALTH JOURNAL. 2021;2(4):196-211
- Journal article: HEART RHYTHM. 2021;18(8):s431-s432
- Journal article: HEART RHYTHM. 2021;18(8):s466
- Article: EUROPACE. 2021;23(7):1106-1113
- Article: EUROPACE. 2021;23(7):1003-1015
- Article: AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY. 2021;151:57-63
- Article: JOURNAL OF ELECTROCARDIOLOGY. 2021;67:33-38
- Journal article: EUROPACE. 2021;23(Supplement_3):euab116.522
- Journal article: EUROPACE. 2021;23(Supplement_3):euab116.521
- Article: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL: DIGITAL HEALTH. 2021;2(1):49-59
- Article: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL: DIGITAL HEALTH. 2021;2(1):7-48
- Journal article: EUROPACE. 2021;23(Suppl 3)Remote app-based management of atrial fibrillation during the COVID-19: The centre characteristics and experiences of the European TeleCheck-AF project
- Journal article: EUROPACE. 2021;23(Suppl 3)The TeleCheck-AF project on remote app-based management of atrial fibrillation during the COVID-19 pandemic: Patient experiences
- Article: PACE-PACING AND CLINICAL ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY. 2021;44(5):936-942
- Article: CLINICAL CARDIOLOGY. 2021;44(5):692-698
- Article: JOURNAL OF ARRHYTHMIA. 2021;37(2):271-319
- Article: EUROPACE. 2021;23(3):329-344
- Article: AMERICAN HEART JOURNAL. 2021;233:92-101
- Article: ANNALS OF NONINVASIVE ELECTROCARDIOLOGY. 2021;26(2):e12795
- Article: JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCREENING. 2021;28(1):3-9
- Article: CARDIOVASCULAR DIGITAL HEALTH JOURNAL. 2021;2(1):4-54
- Article: FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY. 2021;12:672875
- Journal article: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEART RHYTHM. 2021;6(1):2-46
- Article: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY. 2020;320:101-105
- Journal article: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. 2020;41(Supplement_2):ehaa946.2227
- Article: THROMBOSIS RESEARCH. 2020;195:238-242
- Article: CLINICAL CARDIOLOGY. 2020;43(9):1032-1039
- Article: ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL. 2020;141:105765
- Article: CARDIOVASCULAR DIGITAL HEALTH JOURNAL. 2020;1(1):21-29
- Journal article: EUROPACE. 2020;22(Supplement_1)
- Journal article: EUROPACE. 2020;22(Supplement_1)
- Article: BMC CARDIOVASCULAR DISORDERS. 2020;20(1):167
- Article: CLINICAL CARDIOLOGY. 2020;43(4):355-362
- Article: LAKARTIDNINGEN. 2020;117:FYY6
- Article: OPEN HEART. 2020;7(1):e001200
- Article: EUROPACE. 2020;22(1):24-32
- Article: JACC-CLINICAL ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY. 2019;5(12):1439-1446
- Article: AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY. 2018;122(7):1179-1184
- Journal article: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. 2018;39(suppl_1):ehy566.p6625
- Journal article: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. 2018;39(suppl_1):ehy566.p5803
- Journal article: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. 2018;39(suppl_1):ehy565.p2797
- Journal article: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. 2018;39(suppl_1):ehy565.p1932
- Journal article: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. 2018;39(suppl_1):ehy565.1359
- Article: EUROPACE. 2017;19(10):1650-1656
- Article: EUROPACE. 2017;19(9):1449-1453
- Article: HEART. 2017;103(16):1271-1277
- Article: CIRCULATION. 2017;135(19):1851-1867
- Article: EUROPACE. 2017;19(2):297-302
- Article: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY. 2016;223:74-81
- Article: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY. 2016;222:430-435
- Article: EUROPACE. 2015;17(7):1023-1029
- Article: CIRCULATION. 2015;131(25):2176-2184
- Article: EUROPACE. 2013;15(1):135-140
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All other publications
- Review: LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH-EUROPE. 2025;53:101298
- Review: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR NURSING. 2025;:zvaf083
- Letter: EUROPACE. 2025;27(2):euaf030
- Book chapter: ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHY OF CHANNELOPATHIES. 2025;p. 23-37
- Review: EUROPACE. 2024;26(12):euae298
- Editorial comment: REVISTA ESPANOLA DE CARDIOLOGIA. 2024;78(5):401-403
- Review: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. 2024;45(36):3314-3414
- Review: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. 2024;45(29):2594-2603
- Review: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. 2024;45(19):1701-1715
- Editorial comment: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. 2024;45(10):850-852
- Editorial comment: NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE. 2024;390(2):175-177
- Conference publication: COMPUTING IN CARDIOLOGY. 2023;50:1-4
- Review: EUROPACE. 2023;25(8):euad176
- Editorial comment: HEART. 2023;109(14):1050-1051
- Conference publication: GASTROENTEROLOGY. 2023;164(6):s-445-s-446
- Conference publication: GASTROENTEROLOGY. 2023;164(6):S445-S446
- Review: EUROPACE. 2022;24(12):1875-1880
- Editorial comment: EUROPACE. 2022;24(11):1713-1715
- Review: EUROPACE. 2022;24(11):1834-1843
- Review: EUROPACE. 2022;24(10):1541-1547
- Editorial comment: JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY. 2022;80(4):296-298
- Review: EUROPACE. 2022;24(6):979-1005
- Review: CLINICAL RESEARCH IN CARDIOLOGY. 2022;111(5):479-491
- Conference publication: COMPUTING IN CARDIOLOGY. 2022;498:1-4
- Editorial comment: FRONTIERS IN CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE. 2022;9:951769
- Editorial comment: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY. 2022;346:27-28
- Conference publication: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. 2022;43:609
- Editorial comment: EUROPACE. 2021;23(11):1693-1697
- Other: LANCET HEALTHY LONGEVITY. 2021;2(8):e447-e448
- Editorial comment: CIRCULATION-ARRHYTHMIA AND ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY. 2021;14(2):e009204
- Conference publication: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. 2020;41:687
- Review: CLINICAL CARDIOLOGY. 2020;43(11):1232-1239
- Conference publication: ISEE CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS. 2020;2020(1)
- Conference publication: COMPUTING IN CARDIOLOGY. 2020;00:1-4
- Conference publication: WIENER KLINISCHE WOCHENSCHRIFT. 2020;132:S191-S192
- Book chapter: SEX AND CARDIAC ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY. 2020;p. 835-842
- Conference publication: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. 2020;41:2227
- Letter: AMERICAN FAMILY PHYSICIAN. 2020;101(1):6-7
- Conference publication: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HEART FAILURE. 2020;22:343-344
- Letter: JAMA-JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 2018;320(24):2598
- Conference publication: ISEE CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS. 2018;2018(1)
- Conference publication: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. 2018;39:1422
- Conference publication: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. 2018;39:1234
- Conference publication: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. 2018;39:578-579
- Conference publication: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. 2018;39:417
- Conference publication: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. 2018;39:264
- Conference publication: CIRCULATION. 2018;138
- Editorial comment: HEART. 2017;103(1):6-7
- Doctoral thesis: 2016
- Conference publication: ISEE CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS. 2016;2016(1)
- Conference publication: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. 2016;37:689
- Conference publication: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. 2016;37:337
- Conference publication: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. 2016;37:604
- Review: LAKARTIDNINGEN. 2015;112:DHSI
- Conference publication: EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. 2014;35:443
- Conference publication: CARDIOLOGY. 2013;125:10
- Conference publication: CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASES. 2013;35:126
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Grants
- Swedish Research Council1 January 2023 - 31 December 2026
- Swedish Research Council1 January 2022 - 31 December 2023
- Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation1 January 2021 - 31 December 2023
- Swedish Research Council1 January 2021 - 31 December 2022
Employments
- Affiliated to Research, Department of Medicine, Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, 2024-2027
Degrees and Education
- Docent, Karolinska Institutet, 2023
- Degree Of Doctor Of Philosophy, Department of Clinical Sciences, Danderyd Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, 2016
- University Medical Degree, Karolinska Institutet, 2004
Supervision
- Tove Hygrell, Implications of Brief Episodes of Atrial Fibrillation (Micro-AF)
- Katrin Kemp Gudmundsdottir, SCREENING FOR SILENT CARDIAC DISEASE IN AN ELDERLY POPULATION AIMING AT STROKE REDUCTION