This study looked at how likely different groups of hospital patients were to take part in a research study that screened for atrial fibrillation (AF)—a common heart rhythm disorder that can increase the risk of stroke. 

The researchers evaluated over 11,000 patients aged 65 to 84 years in a hospital in Switzerland. They wanted to understand whether sex (women vs men) and age influenced who could participate and who actually chose to take part.

They found two main issues:

1. Differences in eligibility (who could take part):
Men were more often excluded from the study due to medical reasons, such as already having AF, recent heart problems, or implanted cardiac devices. These exclusion criteria became more common with increasing age in both men and women. As a result, fewer men than women were eligible to participate.

2. Differences in participation (who agreed to take part):
Among patients who were eligible, women were less likely to participate than men, and participation decreased with age in both groups. Younger men had the highest participation rates, while older women were the least likely to take part.

The study suggests that barriers such as the burden of study procedures (for example, repeated heart monitoring and follow-up visits), health limitations, or personal circumstances may discourage participation, particularly in older individuals and women. However, the exact reasons were not directly measured.

Why this matters:
Clinical studies need to include a balanced mix of participants to ensure that results apply to everyone. This study highlights that both medical eligibility and willingness to participate differ by sex and age, and these differences should be considered when designing future research to make studies more inclusive and representative.

Click here to access the publication: Sex-based and age-based differences in participation in an in-hospital atrial fibrillation screening study: a prospective cohort study in Switzerland

Acknowledgement
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all co-authors for their contributions, collaboration, and scientific insight throughout this study. We are especially thankful to the study personnel and research staff, whose dedication, careful work, and commitment to patient care made this research possible.