Antihypertensive therapy reduces the risk of atrial fibrillation modestly but benefits appear to be larger in patients with heart failure , with no clear evidence of benefit in patients without heart failure .
Previous suggestions of class-specific effects could not be confirmed in this more comprehensive analysis
AIMS High blood pressure is known to be associated with future risk of atrial fibrillation .
Whether such risks can be reduced with antihypertensive therapy is less clear .
We conducted a systematic review and meta- analysis of large-scale r and omized trials that have reported the effect of antihypertensive agents on atrial fibrillation .
Prevention of atrial fibrillation in patients with symptomatic chronic heart failure by candesartan in the Candesartan in Heart failure: Assessment of Reduction in Mortality and morbidity (CHARM) program.
BACKGROUND Atrial fibrillation ( AF ) is frequent in patients with chronic heart failure ( CHF ) . Experimental and small patient studies have demonstrated that blocking the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system may prevent AF . In the CHARM program , the effects of the angiotensin receptor blocker c and esartan on cardiovascular mortality and morbidity were evaluated in a broad spectrum of patients with symptomatic CHF . CHARM provided the opportunity to prospect ively determine the effect of c and esartan on the incidence of new AF in this CHF population . METHODS 7601 patients with symptomatic CHF and reduced or preserved left ventricular systolic function were r and omized to c and esartan ( target dose 32 mg once daily , mean dose 24 mg ) or placebo in the 3 component trials of CHARM . The major outcomes were cardiovascular death or CHF hospitalization and all-cause mortality . The incidence of new AF was a prespecified secondary outcome . Median follow-up was 37.7 months . A conditional logistic regression model for stratified data was used . RESULTS 6379 patients ( 83.9 % ) did not have AF on their baseline electrocardiogram . Of these , 392 ( 6.15 % ) developed AF during follow-up , 177 ( 5.55 % ) in the c and esartan group and 215 ( 6.74 % ) in the placebo group ( odds ratio 0.812 , 95 % CI 0.662 - 0.998 , P = .048 ) . After adjustment for baseline covariates , the odds ratio was 0.802 ( 95 % CI 0.650 - 0.990 , P = .039 ) . There was no heterogeneity of the effects of c and esartan in preventing AF between the 3 component trials ( P = .57 ) . CONCLUSIONS Treatment with the angiotensin receptor blocker c and esartan reduced the incidence of AF in a large , broadly-based , population of patients with symptomatic CHF
Antihypertensive therapy reduces the risk of atrial fibrillation modestly but benefits appear to be larger in patients with heart failure , with no clear evidence of benefit in patients without heart failure .
Previous suggestions of class-specific effects could not be confirmed in this more comprehensive analysis
AIMS High blood pressure is known to be associated with future risk of atrial fibrillation .
Whether such risks can be reduced with antihypertensive therapy is less clear .
We conducted a systematic review and meta- analysis of large-scale r and omized trials that have reported the effect of antihypertensive agents on atrial fibrillation .