A comparison of rate control and rhythm control in tachycardia induced cardiomyopathy patients with persistent atrial flutter

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Oka ◽  
T Kai ◽  
K Hoshino ◽  
K Watanabe ◽  
J Nakamura ◽  
...  

Abstract Background/Introduction Tachycardia induced cardiomyopathy (TIC) is a potentially reversible dysfunction of the left ventricle (LV) caused by tachyarrhythmias. Early recognition of TIC and treatment of the culprit arrhythmia using pharmacological therapy or catheter ablation results in the recovery of LV function. For atrial flutter (AFL)-induced TIC, rhythm control strategy, such as catheter ablation has been recommended. On the other hand, the efficacy of rate control strategy has remained unclear due to the difficulty of control with arrhythmic medications. However, not all patients can take rhythm control treatments due to their backgrounds. Purpose The aim of this cohort study was to establish whether rate control strategy using β-blocker is as effective as invasive rhythm control strategy for the recovery of LV function in patients with TIC due to AFL. Methods We prospectively assessed 47 symptomatic non-ischaemic heart failure (HF) patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) below 50% and suspected TIC induced by persistent AFL. Patients were divided into rhythm control strategy group (n=22, treatment: catheter ablation, electrical cardioversion) and rate control strategy group (n=25, treatment: bisoprolol). As a sub-group study, the rate control strategy group was divided into the strict rate control group (n=12, average heart rate below 80 bpm) and lenient rate control group (n=13, average heart rate below 110 bpm). The primary outcome was the recovery of LV function, defined as an increase of LVEF over 20% or to a value of 55% or greater after 6 months. Results There were no significant differences in baseline AFL heart rate, New York Heart Association class, LVEF, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and brain natriuretic peptide between the two groups. A greater proportion of patients who showed the recovery of LVEF after 6 months belonged to the rhythm control strategy group (90.9% vs. 52.0%, p=0.004). The cumulative incidence of HF re-hospitalization was significantly higher in the rate control strategy group than in the rhythm control strategy group (hazard ratio: 4.90, 95% CI: 1.06–22.69). As a result of sub-group study, LVEF recovery was greater in the strict rate control group compared to the lenient rate control group (75.0% vs. 30.8%, p=0.027) Conclusion Rate control strategy was significantly inferior to rhythm control strategy for the recovery of LVEF in TIC patients with persistent AFL. Rhythm control should be the first choice in the management of TIC with AFL, and strict rate control should be an alternative if rhythm control is not available. Primary outcomes Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

Author(s):  
Albert L. Waldo

Based on data from several clinical trials, either rate control or rhythm control is an acceptable primary therapeutic strategy for patients with atrial fibrillation. However, since atrial fibrillation tends to recur no matter the therapy, rate control should almost always be a part of the treatment. If a rhythm control strategy is selected, it is important to recognize that recurrence of atrial fibrillation is common, but not clinical failure per se. Rather, the frequency and duration of episodes, as well as severity of symptoms during atrial fibrillation episodes should guide treatment decisions. Thus, occasional recurrence of atrial fibrillation despite therapy may well be clinically acceptable. However, for some patients, rhythm control may be the only strategy that is acceptable. In short, for most patients, either a rate or rhythm control strategy should be considered. However, for all patients, there are two main goals of therapy. One is to avoid stroke and/or systemic embolism, and the other is to avoid a tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy. Also, because of the frequency of atrial fibrillation recurrence despite the treatment strategy selected, patients with stroke risks should receive anticoagulation therapy despite seemingly having achieved stable sinus rhythm. For patients in whom a rate control strategy is selected, a lenient approach to the acceptable ventricular response rate is a resting heart rate of 110 bpm, and probably 90 bpm. The importance of achieving and maintaining sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure remains to be clearly established.


ESC CardioMed ◽  
2018 ◽  
pp. 2177-2180
Author(s):  
Albert L. Waldo

Based on data from several clinical trials, either rate control or rhythm control is an acceptable primary therapeutic strategy for patients with atrial fibrillation. However, since atrial fibrillation tends to recur no matter the therapy, rate control should almost always be a part of the treatment. If a rhythm control strategy is selected, it is important to recognize that recurrence of atrial fibrillation is common, but not clinical failure per se. Rather, the frequency and duration of episodes, as well as severity of symptoms during atrial fibrillation episodes should guide treatment decisions. Thus, occasional recurrence of atrial fibrillation despite therapy may well be clinically acceptable. However, for some patients, rhythm control may be the only strategy that is acceptable. In short, for most patients, either a rate or rhythm control strategy should be considered. However, for all patients, there are two main goals of therapy. One is to avoid stroke and/or systemic embolism, and the other is to avoid a tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy. Also, because of the frequency of atrial fibrillation recurrence despite the treatment strategy selected, patients with stroke risks should receive anticoagulation therapy despite seemingly having achieved stable sinus rhythm. For patients in whom a rate control strategy is selected, a lenient approach to the acceptable ventricular response rate is a resting heart rate of 110 bpm or less, and probably 90 bpm or less. The importance of achieving and maintaining sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure remains to be clearly established.


2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (30) ◽  
pp. 2863-2873 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaojie Chen ◽  
Helmut Pürerfellner ◽  
Christian Meyer ◽  
Willem-Jan Acou ◽  
Alexandra Schratter ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims The optimal treatment for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) has been a subject of debate for years. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of rhythm control strategy in patients with AF complicated with HF regarding hard clinical endpoints. Methods and results Up-to-date randomized data comparing rhythm control using antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) vs. rate control (Subset A) or rhythm control using catheter ablation vs. medical therapy (Subset B) in AF and HF patients were pooled. The primary outcomes were all-cause mortality, re-hospitalization, stroke, and thromboembolic events. A total of 11 studies involving 3598 patients were enrolled (Subset A: 2486; Subset B: 1112). As compared with medical rate control, the AADs rhythm control was associated with similar all-cause mortality [odds ratio (OR): 0.96, P = 0.65], significantly higher rate of re-hospitalization (OR: 1.25, P = 0.01), and similar rate of stroke and thromboembolic events (OR: 0.91, P = 0.76,); however, as compared with medical therapy, catheter ablation rhythm control was associated with significantly lower all-cause mortality (OR: 0.51, P = 0.0003), reduced re-hospitalization rate (OR: 0.44, P = 0.003), similar rate of stroke events (OR: 0.59, P = 0.27), greater improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction [weighted mean difference (WMD): 6.8%, P = 0.0004], lower arrhythmia recurrence (29.6% vs. 80.1%, OR: 0.04, P < 0.00001), and greater improvement in quality of life (Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire score) (WMD: −9.1, P = 0.007). Conclusion Catheter ablation as rhythm control strategy substantially improves survival rate, reduces re-hospitalization, increases the maintenance rate of sinus rhythm, contributes to preserve cardiac function, and improves quality of life for AF patients complicated with HF.


Circulation ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 130 (suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Umashankar Lakshmanadoss ◽  
Amrish Deshmukh ◽  
Gunjan Choudhary ◽  
Pramod Deshmukh

Introduction: Role of rhythm control in addition to rate control, in patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure reduced EF (HFrEF) is unknown. Objective: We sought to compare catheter ablation with rate control in patients with AF and HFrEF. Methods: Ninety patients with AF and LVEF < 40 % underwent pulmonary vein isolation with or without substrate modification. Follow-up included Holter monitoring and echocardiography at baseline, 3 months and at 6 months. A propensity-matched group of 80 patients with AF and LVEF <40% treated with rate control was used for comparison. Post-matching weighted linear regression analysis was used to compare outcomes. Results: At 6 months, 64% of patients who underwent ablation remained in sinus rhythm. Average heart rate (HR) was similar between groups at baseline and follow up. (79 ± 14.5 to 76 ± 7.7 in ablation group and 82.4 ±8.9 to 78.3 ± 8.8 in rate control group). LVEF significantly improved in patients who underwent ablation (30.9 ± 8.6 to 43.4 ±10.9) compared with no change in patients who were rate controlled (to 25.8 ±19.3 to 25.2 ±6.64) (p=2E-16). NHYA class improved from 2.26 ±0.44 to 1.62 ±0.64 with ablation compared to 2.4 ±0.5 to 2.24 ±0.44 with rate control but did not reach statistical significance. Patients who remained in AF after ablation had minimal change in LVEF and NHYA class. No procedural complications noted. Conclusions: In patients with AF, HFrEF, and adequate HR control, rhythm control by catheter ablation improved LVEF compared with a propensity matched group of patients treated with rate control. Rhythm control with catheter ablation may be considered in patients with AF and HF who are adequately rate controlled


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
R Piatkowski ◽  
D A Kosior ◽  
J Kochanowski ◽  
M Szulc

Abstract BACKGROUND Patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) can be managed with either rhythm or rate control strategy. The restoration and maintenance of the sinus rhythm (SR) is not superior to the rate control regarding the total mortality and the rate of thromboembolic complications. Data concerning the effect of these strategies on left ventricular morphology and function is missing. PURPOSE The objective of our prospective randomised multicenter study in patients with persistent AF was to evaluate the effect of these two approaches on left ventricular morphology and function. METHODS The study group consisted of 205 patients (F/M 71/134; mean age 60.8 ± 11.2 years), including 101 patients randomized to the rate control approach (Group I) and 104 patients randomized to SR restoration with cardioversion and subsequent antiarrhythmic drug treatment (Group II). Mean duration of AF was 231.8 ± 112.4 days. At the end of follow-up (12 months), SR was present in 64% of patients in Group II. Echocardiographic examination was performed at a baseline and at 2 and 12 months. In the rate-control group, both right (22.1 ± 4.1 vs. 23.2 ± 3.8 cm2; p &lt; 0.05) and left atrial (25.9 ± 5.2 vs. 26.8 ± 4.6 cm2 p &lt; 0.05) enlargement was observed during the 12 months follow-up. A significant decrease in right (21.8 ± 3.0 vs. 21.2 ± 3.5 cm2; p &lt; 0.05) and left atrial (26.2 ± 4.6 vs. 25.5 ± 5.0 cm2; p &lt; 0.05) size in the rhythm control arm was observed. Both strategies led to a significant increase in left ventricular fractional shortening (32.1 ± 7.3 vs. 34.2 ± 6.5% and 31.3 ± 6.7 vs. 35.5 ± 8.9%, respectively; p &lt; 0.05). The comparison of the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter revealed no difference within and between groups (50.8 ± 5.6 mm vs. 52.2 mm ± 6.8 mm at a baseline and 50.0 ± 6.0 vs. 52.0 ± ± 7.4 mm at 12 months, respectively). In rhythm-control group such trend was observed only in pts. with successfully maintained SR. According to LV function improvement, rhythm-control strategy was preferred in pts. with hypertension (RR 2.63; 95% C.I.: 0.93-5.45; p &lt; 0.05) or congestive heart failure in NYHA II or III class (RR 2.13; 95% C.I.: 0.98-4.42; p &lt; 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Both strategies led to a significant increase in LV FS. Rate-control strategy led to right and left atrium enlargement, but rhythm control resulted in their decrease.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 94-107
Author(s):  
Kumar Narayanan

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common arrhythmia encountered worldwide, is associated with significant morbidity. The three important considerations with regard to AF management are stroke prevention, rate control, and rhythm control, with the latter two overlapping to some extent. While antiarrhythmic drugs have had limited success as a rhythm control strategy, being limited by side effects and proarrhythmia, catheter ablation has emerged as a potentially better alternative. Current ablation techniques afford good success for paroxysmal AF, especially when done in experienced centers; however, further improvements and innovations are required to improve results for more persistent forms of AF. The current review critically summarizes the present strategies employed for rhythm control in AF and briefly outlines some of the newer developments in this field.


Circulation ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 118 (suppl_18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie Henrard ◽  
Alessandro Gisbert ◽  
Denis Roy ◽  
Jean-Claude Tardif ◽  
Mario Talajic ◽  
...  

Background: In heart failure patients, the recently published AF-CHF (Atrial Fibrillation in Congestive Heart Failure) trial did not demonstrate the superiority of a rhythm control (RhyC) over a rate control (RaC) strategy in terms of cardiovascular mortality. Nevertheless, the deleterious hemodynamic effects of AF can lead to further decrease in LV function and symptoms progression. This AF-CHF echocardiographic sub-study was designed to compare the effects of the two treatment strategies (RhyC and RaC) on LV ejection fraction (LVEF), chamber dimensions and volumes, valvular regurgitation, functional status and exercise tolerance. Methods: 59 patients (29 RhyC:30 RaC) enrolled in AF-CHF were prospectively followed in this echocardiography study, with a standardized exam at baseline and 12 months. The primary endpoint was the change in LVEF. Results: (Table 1 ) Mean LVEF at baseline was severely depressed (RhyC:27.0±4.9% and RaC:27.6±7.4%, p=0.73), with significant improvement at follow-up for both groups. Other echocardiographic parameters were unchanged at follow-up, including changes in LV and LA volumes and valvular regurgitation. Clinically, mean six-minute walked distance increased significantly in both groups as did NYHA class without any additional benefit for the rhythm control strategy (both p=NS). Conclusion: In patients with HF and AF, improvements in LVEF and functional status are observed at 12 months without any additional benefit of rhythm control over a rate control strategy.


EP Europace ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (Supplement_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
JB Ciszewski ◽  
M Tajstra ◽  
E Gadula-Gacek ◽  
I Kowalik ◽  
A Maciag ◽  
...  

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): National Institute of Cardiology in Warsaw Statutory Grant Background The presence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) recipients is common and AF is a marker of poorer CRT response. The negative influence of AF on CRT efficacy is mediated mainly by the drop of the effectively captured biventricular paced beats percentage (BiVp%) which should exceed 95-98% to warrant good CRT response.  Sinus rhythm (SR) restoration may improve CRT efficacy which in turn may protect AF recurrence. However, there is lack of randomized studies comparing rhythm and rate control strategies in these patients. Purpose The purpose of the Pilot-CRAfT study (NCT01850277) was to compare the efficacy of rhythm vs rate control strategy in CRT patients with long-standing persistent or permanent atrial fibrillation. Methods The study included patients with CRT and permanent or persistent AF lasting for ≥6 months, resulting in BiVp% &lt;95%, who were randomly assigned to rhythm or rate control strategy. The rhythm control strategy comprised of external electrical cardioversion (EEC). The rate control strategy included pharmacotherapy and atrioventricular node ablation (AVNA) as needed. Both of the study arms received amiodarone. The follow-up lasted 12 months. The primary endpoint was the 12-month BiVp%. The patients underwent ECHO, cardiopulmonary test, quality of live (QoL) and clinical outcomes assessment.   Results The study included 43 CRT patients (97,7% males) aged 68,4 (SD: ±8,3) years with mean BiVp% 82,4% ±9,7% at baseline. The mean duration of AF paroxysm was 25 ±19 months. The mean baseline left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left atrium area and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) were: 30 ±8%, 33 ±7 cm2, 14 ±5 mL/(kg*min), respectively. The EEC was performed in 19 out of 22 patients assigned to the rhythm control arm. The immediate success rate of EEC was 58%. 42% of  the rhythm control arm patients remained in SR after 12 months. In the rate control group 1 person underwent AVNA and in 1 patient spontaneous SR resumption was observed. After 12 months there was significant BiVp% increase in both the rhythm and the rate control arms (98,1 ±2,3 vs 96,3 ±3,9%, respectively. The BiVp% differences between the groups were not significant (P = 0,093). However, in the per protocol analysis, the rhythm control group had greater LVEF after 12 months as opposed to the rate control arm (36,8% vs 29,9% respectively, P = 0,039). The LVEF raised significantly in the rhythm control group (ΔLVEF 5,0 (95%CI: 1,54; 8,46)). No significant differences between the groups in the VO2max, QoL, clinical and safety end-points were noticed. Conclusions Structured follow-up of CRT patients with long-standing persistent or permanent AF leads to significant BiVp% increase exceeding 95%. The rate control strategy did not improve CRT effectivness, irrespective of high BiVp%. However limited in the efficacy, the rhythm control strategy may improve CRT outcome in these patients, resulting in LVEF increase.


2018 ◽  
Vol 88 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Fumagalli ◽  
Serena Boni ◽  
Simone Pupo ◽  
Marta Migliorini ◽  
Irene Marozzi ◽  
...  

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent arrhythmia in elderly people. Findings derived from clinical trials seem to demonstrate that a rate-control strategy of AF in aged patients improves prognosis if compared to a rhythm-control one. However, epidemiological studies concordantly show that the arrhythmia is associated to increased hospitalization and mortality rates. In last years, the proportion of patients admitted to hospital for AF has progressively increased; this trend is observed in subjects >75 and >85 years, while no change was found in younger cohorts. Importantly, in aged individuals, probably because of the loss of atrial activity, the increase of heart rate and the irregularity of RR intervals, AF begins a vicious cycle, leading from heart failure, through the compromise of functional and neurocognitive status, to overt disability, dementia and increased mortality. Evidence specifically aimed at clarifying the effects of arrhythmia management on outcomes characteristic of aged people is completely lacking. In the elderly, the question regarding the effects of a rate- or a rhythm-control strategy of AF should be considered as an aspect of a more complex strategy, addressed to reduce disability and hospitalizations, and to improve quality of life and survival.


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