Investigations needed to assess risk for AF in patients with heart failure	Class	References
A careful evaluation of clinical characteristics known to be associated with increased risk for AF should be performed.		160
Frequent interrogation or remote monitoring of stored arrhythmia episodes in device implanted HF patients should be performed in order to diagnose AF and allow its early management.		161
Echocardiography is useful in identifying cardiac characteristics associated with a higher risk for AF.		162
Cardiac MRI may be considered in identifying degree of atrial fibrosis and scar.		163
Use of biomarkers may be considered for identifying individuals with increased risk of future AF and for identifying individuals with high degree of atrial fibrosis.		107 , 164 , 165
Searching for common genetic variants associated with AF risk by genetic molecular analysis has not been found to be useful in a routine clinical setting.		166