scholarly journals Women and Atrial Fibrillation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANNABELLE VOLGMAN ◽  
Emelia Benjamin ◽  
Anne Curtis ◽  
Margaret Fang ◽  
Kathryn Lindley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
The United States ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Rhythm Control ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Control Management

Atrial fibrillation (AF) remains a growing problem in the United States and worldwide, imposing a high individual and health system burden, including increased resource consumption due to repeated hospitalizations, stroke, dementia, heart failure, and death. This comprehensive review summarizes the most recent data on sex-related differences in risks associated with AF. Women with AF have increased risk of stroke and death compared to men, and possible reasons for this disparity are explored. Women also continue to have worse symptoms and quality of life, and poorer outcomes with stroke prevention, as well as with rate and rhythm control management strategies. Many current rhythm control treatment strategies for AF, including cardioversion and ablation, are used less frequently in women as compared to men, whereas women are more likely to be treated with rate control strategies or anti-arrhythmic drugs. Sex differences should be considered in treating women with AF to improve outcomes and women and men should be offered the same interventions for AF. We need to improve the evidence base to understand if variation in utilization of rate and rhythm control management between men and women represents health inequities or appropriate clinical judgement.

scholarly journals Same rhythm, different song—approaches to atrial fibrillation management by cardiologists and nephrologists

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick B Mark ◽  
Lucia Del Vecchio ◽  
Jose M Valdivielso ◽  
Jolanta Malyszko
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Heart Rhythm ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Thromboembolic Complication ◽  
Healthcare Burden ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Improved Outcomes ◽  
Increased Risk

Abstract Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), affecting 10–25% of patients requiring dialysis. Compared with the general population, patients requiring dialysis are also at increased risk of stroke, the major thromboembolic complication of AF. The evidence base for management strategies of AF specific to patients with advanced CKD is limited and not informed by randomized controlled trials. These gaps in evidence encompass rate and rhythm control strategies as well as a paucity of data informing which patients should receive anticoagulation. The European Renal Association–European Dialysis and Transplant Association and European Heart Rhythm Association undertook a survey of nephrologists and cardiologists exploring management strategies in patients with AF and CKD. We review the results of this survey, highlighting the differences in clinical approaches from cardiologists and nephrologists to these conditions. Closer collaboration between these specialties should lead to improved outcomes for patients with advanced CKD and AF. Specific issues that will need to be addressed may include healthcare burden to patients, location of clinics compared with dialysis sites and awareness of complications of treatments specific to CKD, such as calciphylaxis associated with vitamin K antagonism.

scholarly journals Management strategies for atrial fibrillation and flutter in patients with transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Z Dale ◽  
P Chandrashekar ◽  
L Al-Rashdan ◽  
M Kim ◽  
A Masri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Rate Control ◽  
Cardiac Amyloidosis ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Nyha Class ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Symptomatic Improvement ◽  
Rhythm Control ◽  
Ventricular Rate ◽  
Ventricular Response

Abstract Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) and flutter (AFL) are common in transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CM). Ventricular rate control drugs in ATTR-CM are poorly tolerated but data addressing tolerability and efficacy of rhythm control strategies is limited. Purpose We report characteristics and outcomes of AF/AFL in a cohort with ATTR-CM. Methods A single center observational study of patients seen at our Amyloidosis Center with wild-type or hereditary ATTR-CM diagnosed between 2005–2019. Treatment was prescribed as per treating cardiologists. Results Eighty-four patients with ATTR-CM (average age 74±10 years, 94% male) had mean follow-up of 27.6±22.8 months. AF/AFL occurred in 61 patients (73%). Clinically significant rapid ventricular response (RVR) was common as well attempted rate control with AV node blockers (Table 1). However, discontinuation was frequent (80%), often for adverse effects of hypotension (33%), bradycardia (15%), or presyncope/syncope (10%). Rhythm control was initiated in 64%, most often with cardioversion (DCCV) or ablation (Table 2). Post-DCCV recurrence was common (91%) and time to recurrence did not differ with use of anti-arrhythmic drugs (AAD; 5.8 months (IQR 1.9–12.5) vs without AAD 6.2 months (IQR 1.9–12.5) p=0.83). TEE was performed for 33% of DCCV with thrombus seen in 11% of cases – all patients who were not anticoagulated at the time. TEE was otherwise deferred due to known AF/AFL duration <48 hours (13%) or adequate anticoagulation (54%). Ablation was performed in 23% of patients with AFL (all for typical AFL) with 2 patients (14%) having recurrence after mean of 60.9 months. Pulmonary vein isolation for AF was performed in 12% (86% for persistent AF) with 86% recurrence after median of 6.2 months (IQR 5.6–12.3). Most patients (62%) with rhythm control had subjective improvement (≥1 NYHA class or resolved palpitations). Among AAD, amiodarone was most well tolerated with only 8% of patient discontinuing due to side effects. DCCV and ablation resulted in no direct complications although one patient had a perforation of a previously unknown Zenker diverticulum during TEE pre-DCCV. Conclusions In our ATTR-CM cohort, AF/AFL was common. Rate control was poorly tolerated and often abandoned. While rhythm control of AF/AFL had a favorable safety profile and successful conversion to sinus rhythm led to symptomatic improvement in a majority of cases, durable success with rhythm control was limited, often requiring multiple therapies. DCCV is only modestly successful and not significant improved with AAD. Ablation was successful in cases of cavo-tricuspid isthmus dependent AFL but had limited success in AF. FUNDunding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

scholarly journals Rhythm Versus Rate Control for Atrial Fibrillation: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 609-620 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdelrahman Ibrahim Abushouk ◽  
Aya Ashraf Ali ◽  
Ahmed Abdou Mohamed ◽  
Loalo'a El-Sherif ◽  
Mennat-Allah Abdelsamed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Major Bleeding ◽  
Rate Control ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Rhythm Control ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Effect Estimate ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
All Cause Mortality

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common, sustained tachyarrhythmia, associated with an increased risk of mortality and thromboembolic events. We performed this meta-analysis to compare the clinical efficacy of rate and rhythm control strategies in patients with AF in a meta-analysis framework. A comprehensive search of PubMed, OVID, Cochrane-CENTRAL, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted, using relevant keywords. Dichotomous data on mortality and other clinical events were extracted and pooled as risk ratios (RRs), with their 95% confidence-interval (CI), using RevMan software (version 5.3). Twelve studies (8451 patients) were pooled in the final analysis. The overall effect-estimate did not favor rate or rhythm control strategies in terms of all-cause mortality (RR= 1.13, 95% CI [0.88, 1.45]), stroke (RR= 0.97, 95% CI [0.79, 1.20]), thromboembolism (RR= 1.06, 95% CI [0.64, 1.76]), and major bleeding (RR= 1.10, 95% CI [0.90, 1.35]) rates. These findings were consistent in AF patients with concomitant heart failure (HF). The rate of rehospitalization was significantly higher (RR= 0.72, 95% CI [0.57, 0.92]) in the rhythm control group, compared to the rate control group. In younger patients (<65 years), rhythm control was superior to rate control in terms of lowering the risk of all-cause mortality (p=0.0003), HF (p=0.003) and major bleeding (p=0.02). In older AF patients and those with concomitant HF, both rate and rhythm control strategies have similar rates of mortality and major clinical outcomes; therefore, choosing an appropriate strategy should consider individual variations, such as patient preferences, comorbidities, and treatment cost.

Key Issues in the Management of Atrial Fibrillation - Protecting the Patient and Controlling the Arrhythmia

2007 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 27-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
S M M Jenkins ◽  
F G Dunn
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Stroke Risk ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Heart Association ◽  
Clinical Excellence ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Surgical Interventions ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
European Society Of Cardiology

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained tachyarrhythmia and its prevalence is increasing. It is an independent risk factor for stroke and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. AF currently accounts for 1% of NHS expenditure. The management of AF has a broad evidence base and both the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/European Society of Cardiology (ACC/AHA/ESC) and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) have recently published guidelines. Some controversy persists regarding stroke risk stratification and appropriate anticoagulation regimes although a general consensus is now emerging. Rate and rhythm control strategies have been shown to be comparable in terms of clinical outcomes. Current anti-arrhythmic drugs have limited efficacy and significant side-effect profiles. Electrophysiological and surgical interventions have a role in both strategies. This article broadly reviews the evidence for different management strategies in AF and presents a practical approach to treatment in light of the recently published national and international guidelines.

scholarly journals Treatment timing and the effects of rhythm control strategy in patients with atrial fibrillation: nationwide cohort study

BMJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. n991
Author(s):  
Daehoon Kim ◽  
Pil-Sung Yang ◽  
Seng Chan You ◽  
Jung-Hoon Sung ◽  
Eunsun Jang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Control Strategy ◽  
Rate Control ◽  
Lower Risk ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Rhythm Control ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
Composite Outcome ◽  
One Year ◽  
Primary Composite Outcome

Abstract Objective To investigate whether the results of a rhythm control strategy differ according to the duration between diagnosis of atrial fibrillation and treatment initiation. Design Longitudinal observational cohort study. Setting Population based cohort from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database. Participants 22 635 adults with atrial fibrillation and cardiovascular conditions, newly treated with rhythm control (antiarrhythmic drugs or ablation) or rate control strategies between 28 July 2011 and 31 December 2015. Main outcome measure A composite outcome of death from cardiovascular causes, ischaemic stroke, admission to hospital for heart failure, or acute myocardial infarction. Results Of the study population, 12 200 (53.9%) were male, the median age was 70, and the median follow-up duration was 2.1 years. Among patients with early treatment for atrial fibrillation (initiated within one year since diagnosis), compared with rate control, rhythm control was associated with a lower risk of the primary composite outcome (weighted incidence rate per 100 person years 7.42 in rhythm control v 9.25 in rate control; hazard ratio 0.81, 95% confidence interval 0.71 to 0.93; P=0.002). No difference in the risk of the primary composite outcome was found between rhythm and rate control (weighted incidence rate per 100 person years 8.67 in rhythm control v 8.99 in rate control; 0.97, 0.78 to 1.20; P=0.76) in patients with late treatment for atrial fibrillation (initiated after one year since diagnosis). No significant differences in safety outcomes were found between the rhythm and rate control strategies across different treatment timings. Earlier initiation of treatment was linearly associated with more favourable cardiovascular outcomes for rhythm control compared with rate control. Conclusions Early initiation of rhythm control treatment was associated with a lower risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes than rate control treatment in patients with recently diagnosed atrial fibrillation. This association was not found in patients who had had atrial fibrillation for more than one year.

Increasing use of ablation in the management of atrial fibrillation in heart failure: insights from a national database on 10 year trends in the United States

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
B Narasimhan ◽  
L Wu ◽  
A Shah ◽  
B Kantharia
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
The United States ◽  
Rhythm Control ◽  
National Database ◽  
Complication Rates ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Af Ablation

Abstract Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most commonly encountered arrhythmia in clinical practice, even more so among patients with heart failure (HF). Results of the recent CABANA and CASTLE-AF trials indicate significant improvements in ejection fraction, HF readmissions as well as overall mortality with the incorporation of rhythm control strategies in HF patients. These findings challenge existing notions of equivalency of rate vs rhythm control strategies. In this study, we analyzed the impact of this evidence on treatment practices and the short term outcomes of ablation in this patient cohort. Methods We conducted a retrospective study using the AHRQ-HCUP National Readmission Database for the years 2005–2014. ICD 9 diagnosis codes were used to identify all adult patients (≥18 years) undergoing AF ablation procedures as well as a sub-cohort of patients with existing HF. Trends in the use of ablation procedures, patient characteristics as well as details of short term procedural outcomes were studied. Multivariate regression analysis was utilized to adjust for confounders. Complications were defined as per the Agency for healthcare research and quality guidelines. Independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality were identified using proportional hazards model. Results Our results indicate a trend of rising rates of AF ablation procedures overall with a peak in 2011 at 20,046 and gradual downtrend thereafter (10,195 in 2005 to 11735 in 2014). Our data revealed a consistent rise in ablation procedures among heart failure patients during the same period (832 to 2245). A definite reduction in peri-procedural mortality is noted (0.24% in 2005 to 0.17% in 2014, p=0.2) – an improvement that is maximally apparent in the heart failure group (2.49% to 0.4%, p=0.07). Overall complication rates however are significantly increased overall with a proportional rise noted among HF patients. Conclusions Our data from a nationally representative registry indicates an increasing utilization of ablation as a therapeutic modality in the management of atrial fibrillation in HF. Future prospective studies are required to assess the positive impact of these changes in clinical practice as offset by their associated complications. 10 year AF ablation trends in HF Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

Utilisation of Robotic Navigation Systems in the Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 60
Author(s):  
Richard Schilling ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Catheter Ablation ◽  
Navigation System ◽  
Antiarrhythmic Drugs ◽  
Rhythm Control ◽  
Navigation Systems ◽  
Robotic Navigation ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Common Strategy ◽  
Catheter Navigation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is linked to an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events. While rhythm control with antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) is a common strategy for managing patients with AF, catheter ablation may be a more efficacious and safer alternative to AADs for sinus rhythm control. Conventional catheter ablation has been associated with challenges during the arrhythmia mapping and ablation stages; however, the introduction of two remote catheter navigation systems (a robotic and a magnetic navigation system) may potentially overcome these challenges. Initial clinical experience with the robotic navigation system suggests that it offers similar procedural times, efficacy and safety to conventional manual ablation. Furthermore, it has been associated with reduced fluoroscopy exposure to the patient and the operator as well as a shorter fluoroscopy time compared with conventional catheter ablation. In the future, the remote navigation systems may become routinely used for complex catheter ablation procedures.

Abstract P12: Alteplase Reduces Mortality in Patients With Ischemic Stroke and Atrial Fibrillation: Analysis of the IAC Study

Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shadi Yaghi ◽  
Eva Mistry ◽  
Adam H De Havenon ◽  
Christopher Leon Guerrero ◽  
Amre Nouh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Infarct Volume ◽  
Intravenous Thrombolysis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Hemorrhagic Transformation ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Significant Difference

Background and Purpose: Multiple studies have established that intravenous thrombolysis with alteplase improves outcome after acute ischemic stroke. However, assessment of thrombolysis’ efficacy in stroke patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) has yielded mixed results. We sought to determine the association of alteplase with mortality, hemorrhagic transformation (HT), infarct volume, and mortality in patients with AF and acute ischemic stroke. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients with AF included in the Initiation of Anticoagulation after Cardioembolic stroke (IAC) study, which pooled data from 8 comprehensive stroke centers in the United States. 1889 (90.6%) had available 90-day follow up data and were included. For our primary analysis we used a cohort of 1367/1889 (72.4%) patients who did not undergo mechanical thrombectomy (MT). Secondary analyses were repeated in the patients that underwent MT (n=522). Binary logistic regression was used to determine whether alteplase use was independently associated with risk of HT, final infarct volume, and 90-day mortality, respectively, adjusting for potential confounders. Results: In our primary analyses we found that alteplase use was independently associated with an increased risk for HT (adjusted OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.49 - 3.07, p <0.001) but overall reduced risk of 90-day mortality (adjusted OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.39 - 0.87, p = 0.009). Among patients undergoing MT, alteplase use was associated with a trend towards a reduction in 90-day mortality (adjusted OR 0.68 95% CI 0.45 - 1.04, p = 0.077). In the subgroup of patients prescribed DOAC treatment (n = 327; 24 received alteplase), alteplase treatment was associated with a trend towards smaller infarct size (< 10 mL), (adjusted OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.15 - 1.12, p = 0.082) without a significant difference in the odds of 90-day mortality (adjusted OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.12 - 2.13, p = 0.357) or hemorrhagic transformation (adjusted OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.03 - 2.07, p = 0.206). Conclusion: Thrombolysis with intravenous alteplase was associated with reduced 90-day mortality in AF patients with acute ischemic stroke not undergoing MT. Further study is required to assess the safety and efficacy of alteplase in AF patients undergoing MT and those on DOACs.

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