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on March 8, 2004

Circulation. 2004
Published online before print March 8, 2004, doi: 10.1161/01.CIR.0000121736.16643.11
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Submitted on July 15, 2003
Revised on December 17, 2003
Accepted on December 23, 2003

Relationships Between Sinus Rhythm, Treatment, and Survival in the Atrial Fibrillation Follow-Up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) Study

The AFFIRM Investigators

From the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Background--The AFFIRM Study showed that treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation and a high risk for stroke or death with a rhythm-control strategy offered no survival advantage over a rate-control strategy in an intention-to-treat analysis. This article reports an "on-treatment" analysis of the relationship of survival to cardiac rhythm and treatment as they changed over time.

Methods and Results--Modeling techniques were used to determine the relationships among survival, baseline clinical variables, and time-dependent variables. The following baseline variables were significantly associated with an increased risk of death: increasing age, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, diabetes, stroke or transient ischemic attack, smoking, left ventricular dysfunction, and mitral regurgitation. Among the time-dependent variables, the presence of sinus rhythm (SR) was associated with a lower risk of death, as was warfarin use. Antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) were associated with increased mortality only after adjustment for the presence of SR. Consistent with the original intention-to-treat analysis, AADs were no longer associated with mortality when SR was removed from the model.

Conclusions--Warfarin use improves survival. SR is either an important determinant of survival or a marker for other factors associated with survival that were not recorded, determined, or included in the survival model. Currently available AADs are not associated with improved survival, which suggests that any beneficial antiarrhythmic effects of AADs are offset by their adverse effects. If an effective method for maintaining SR with fewer adverse effects were available, it might be beneficial.


Key words: antiarrhythmia agents • anticoagulants • arrhythmia • fibrillation




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Atrial fibrillation ablation in the real world
Heart, December 1, 2005; 91(12): 1507 - 1508.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


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J Am Coll CardiolHome page
E. P. Gerstenfeld
Does Rhythm Control Improve Functional Status in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation?
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., November 15, 2005; 46(10): 1900 - 1901.
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Clin Med ResHome page
R. A. Wilke, R. L. Berg, H. J. Vidaillet, M. D. Caldwell, J. K. Burmester, and M. A. Hillman
Impact of Age, CYP2C9 Genotype and Concomitant Medication on the Rate of Rise for Prothrombin Time During the First 30 Days of Warfarin Therapy
Clin. Med. Res., November 1, 2005; 3(4): 207 - 213.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


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CirculationHome page
A. Verma, A. Natale, B. J. Padanilam, E. N. Prystowsky, A. Verma, A. Natale, B. J. Padanilam, and E. N. Prystowsky
Why Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Should Be Considered First-Line Therapy for Some Patients
Circulation, August 23, 2005; 112(8): 1214 - 1222.
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CirculationHome page
B. J. Padanilam and E. N. Prystowsky
Should Ablation Be First-Line Therapy and for Whom: The Antagonist Position
Circulation, August 23, 2005; 112(8): 1223 - 1231.
[Full Text] [PDF]


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J Am Coll CardiolHome page
M. E. Goldman and L. B. Croft
Atrial Fibrillation: The Ancient Conundrum Defies Simple Solution
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., June 7, 2005; 45(11): 1813 - 1814.
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JAMAHome page
O. M. Wazni, N. F. Marrouche, D. O. Martin, A. Verma, M. Bhargava, W. Saliba, D. Bash, R. Schweikert, J. Brachmann, J. Gunther, et al.
Radiofrequency Ablation vs Antiarrhythmic Drugs as First-line Treatment of Symptomatic Atrial Fibrillation: A Randomized Trial
JAMA, June 1, 2005; 293(21): 2634 - 2640.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


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Evid. Based Med.Home page
D. Newman
Rate control was more cost effective than rhythm control in persistent atrial fibrillation
Evid. Based Med., April 1, 2005; 10(2): 59 - 59.
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CirculationHome page
S. J. Hazel, H. S. Paterson, J. R.M. Edwards, and G. J. Maddern
Surgical Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation via Energy Ablation
Circulation, March 1, 2005; 111(8): e103 - e106.
[Full Text] [PDF]


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CirculationHome page
K. Kikuchi, A. D. McDonald, T. Sasano, and J. K. Donahue
Targeted Modification of Atrial Electrophysiology by Homogeneous Transmural Atrial Gene Transfer
Circulation, January 25, 2005; 111(3): 264 - 270.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


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EuropaceHome page
X. Liu, F. Ouyang, H. Mavrakis, C. Ma, J. Dong, S. Ernst, D. Bänsch, M. Antz, and K.-H. Kuck
Complete pulmonary vein isolation guided by three-dimensional electroanatomical mapping for the treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy
Europace, January 1, 2005; 7(5): 421 - 427.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


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NEJMHome page
L.-F. Hsu, P. Jais, P. Sanders, S. Garrigue, M. Hocini, F. Sacher, Y. Takahashi, M. Rotter, J.-L. Pasquie, C. Scavee, et al.
Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation in Congestive Heart Failure
N. Engl. J. Med., December 2, 2004; 351(23): 2373 - 2383.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


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NEJMHome page
W. G. Stevenson and L. W. Stevenson
Atrial Fibrillation and Heart Failure -- Five More Years
N. Engl. J. Med., December 2, 2004; 351(23): 2437 - 2440.
[Full Text] [PDF]


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ANN INTERN MEDHome page
P. Zimetbaum and M. E. Josephson
Is There a Role for Maintaining Sinus Rhythm in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation?
Ann Intern Med, November 2, 2004; 141(9): 720 - 726.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


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ANN INTERN MEDHome page
T. D. Bahnson and A. O. Grant
To Be or Not To Be in Normal Sinus Rhythm: What Do We Really Know?
Ann Intern Med, November 2, 2004; 141(9): 727 - 729.
[Full Text] [PDF]