Treatment for Atrial Fibrillation

AF remains a rare condition and persists a significant burden to hospitals. Atrial fibrillation prevalence increases with age, but is also observed with increasing rates of obesity, HTN, and DM 2 in the U.S. population. Atrial fibrillation incidence is also increasing, but at a much lower rate than the incidence of all strokes.

Sinus rhythm is common in heart transplantation and in some patients with valvular disease and may be treated with ACE inhibitors or beta blockers. Antiplatelet agents like aspirin with or without a thienopyridine such as clopidogrel are effective in reducing the risk of thromboembolization before cardiac surgery and myocardial infarction.

These new methods have identified a new cause of the common disorder of sinus rhythm known as atrial fibrillation and have demonstrated how to treat this condition with new electrical devices.

Atrial fibrillation in the presence of clinically relevant mitral or tricuspid valve regurgitation can be reliably diagnosed from the ECG (98-99% sensitivity) alone. However, the presence of these anomalies alone raises only moderate concerns of embolic sources.

A fibrillation lasting more than 3 months seems to be associated with a low likelihood of cardioembolic stroke. In addition, a lower likelihood of TIA is found in AF subjects whose fibrillation is less than 2 weeks' duration or in those older than the fifth decade (age >55 yr) of age. Data from a recent study might help to guide preventive therapy for AF in the future.

Yes, atrial fibrillation can sometimes be cured, but the chances that it will be cured are very slim. Most people with atrial fibrillation will require some treatment on an ongoing basis. If you are already receiving atrial function treatment, you can continue to receive it if this is the way you wish. Atrial function treatment can, however, only relieve some symptoms. In short, the cure of atrial fibrillation would be a miracle. Treating AF would eliminate all the problems associated with it. But this is not to discourage any people in good heart, even people who have already started receiving atrial function treatment and they still need to continue it.

All classes of antiarrhythmic drugs possess side effects. A number of side effects are frequently associated with the use of β-blockers, statins, and digoxin. Side effects vary widely depending on the route of administration and the drug dose applied. The most common side effects are gastrointestinal (nausea, vomiting), skeletal (osteonecrosis), and nervous (nervousness, tinnitus).

Recent findings of this meta-analysis show that the use of concomitant medications and comorbid illnesses could be the most frequent risk factors for new-onset atrial fibrillation. However, more specifically, the type of atrial fibrillation has evolved to respond more to treatment.

There are no clinical trials specifically designed for people with AFA. Given the high morbidity and mortality rates among people with AFA and the potential benefits from treatment, it is extremely important that randomized controlled trials be carried out in a timely manner.

Treatment with warfarin is associated with a lower risk of periprocedural complications than with other anticoagulants. Atrial fibrillation is associated with a significantly increased risk of periprocedural bleeding.