In patients with AF and HF , rate control compared with rhythm control showed inferior risk of hospitalisation
BACKGROUND Atrial fibrillation ( AF ) is a common arrhythmia that can promote or worsen heart failure ( HF ) .
Our purpose was to compare the effects of rate and rhythm control in patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure .
Rate control and quality of life in patients with permanent atrial fibrillation: the Quality of Life and Atrial Fibrillation (QOLAF) Study.
BACKGROUND The present study aim ed to determine whether quality of life ( QOL ) in permanent atrial fibrillation ( AF ) patients would be improved by monotherapy with beta-blocker ( BB ) or calcium antagonist ( CAA ) as compared with digitalis . METHODS AND RESULTS Twenty-nine patients with permanent AF under digitalis were r and omized into BB ( bisoprolol , atenolol or metoprolol ) or CAA ( verapamil ) monotherapy treatment group . Twenty-five were men and the mean age was 67+/-8 years . After the assigned monotherapy , 12 patients received the other monotherapy in a cross-over fashion . Under each treatment , efficacy of rate control was determined by Holter electrocardiogram ( ECG ) , treadmill testing and QOL question naire ( Short Form-36 ( SF-36 ) and Quality of Life of Atrial Fibrillation ( AFQLQ ) ) , and compared with the baseline digitalis treatment . CAA significantly increased mean and minimum heart rate ( HR ) in Holter ECG as compared with digitalis , whereas BB increased only minimum HR . Exercise duration in treadmill testing was significantly prolonged by CAA treatment , although it only tended to be prolonged by BB treatment . CAA but not BB improved role function-physical score of SF-36 , and frequency and severity of symptoms of AFQLQ . CONCLUSION These results indicate that CAA is preferable to digitalis when monotherapy is selected for short-term improvement of QOL and exercise tolerance in patients with permanent AF
In patients with AF and HF , rate control compared with rhythm control showed inferior risk of hospitalisation
BACKGROUND Atrial fibrillation ( AF ) is a common arrhythmia that can promote or worsen heart failure ( HF ) .
Our purpose was to compare the effects of rate and rhythm control in patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure .