American Journal of Cardiology
Volume 102, Issue 6, Supplement , Pages 3H-11H , 22 September 2008

A Contemporary Look at Classic Trials in Atrial Fibrillation: What Do They Really Show and How Might They Apply to Future Therapies?

  • James A. Reiffel, MD

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress for reprints: James A. Reiffel, MD, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, 161 Fort Washington Avenue, Suite 349, New York, New York 10032

References 

  1. AFFIRM Investigators. Quality of life in atrial fibrillation: the Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) study. Am Heart J. 2005;149:112–120
  2. Singh SN, Tang XC, Singh BN, Dorian P, Reda DJ, Harris CL, et al Quality of life and exercise performance in patients in sinus rhythm versus persistent atrial fibrillation. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2006;48:721–730
  3. Naccarelli GV. Atrial fibrillation: impact of recent clinical advances. http://www.medscape.com/viewprogram/323_pntAccessed August 20, 2007
  4. AFFIRM Investigators. A comparison of rate control and rhythm control in patients with atrial fibrillation. N Engl J Med. 2002;347:1825–1833
  5. Van Gelder IC, Hagens VE, Bosker HA, Kingma JH, Kamp O, Kingma T, et al. A comparison of rate control and rhythm control in patients with recurrent persistent atrial fibrillation. N Engl J Med. 2002;347:1834–1840
  6. Crijns HJGM. Rate versus rhythm control in patients with atrial fibrillation: what the trials really say. Drugs. 2005;65:1651–1667
  7. Hohnloser SH, Kuck K-H, Lilienthal J PIAF Investigators. Rhythm or rate control in atrial fibrillation—Pharmacological Intervention in Atrial Fibrillation (PIAF): a randomized trial. Lancet. 2000;356:1789–1794
  8. Carlsson J, Miketic S, Windeler J, Cuneo A, Haun S, Micus S, et al. Randomized trial of rate-control versus rhythm-control in persistent atrial fibrillation: the Strategies of Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation (STAF) study. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2003;41:1690–1696
  9. Opolski G, Torbicki A, Kosior DA, Szulc M, Wozakowska-Kaplon B, Kolodziej P, et al. Rate control vs rhythm control in patients with nonvalvular persistent atrial fibrillation: the results of the Polish How to Treat Chronic Atrial Fibrillation (HOT CAFÉ) study. Chest. 2004;126:476–486
  10. The Planning and Steering Committees of the AFFIRM study for the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute AFFIRM Investigators. Atrial fibrillation follow-up investigation of rhythm management—the AFFIRM study design. Am J Cardiol. 1997;79:1198–1202
  11. Hagens VE, Crijns HJGM, Van Veldhuisen DJ, Van Den Berg MP, Rienstra M, Ranchor AV, et al. Rate control versus rhythm control for patients with persistent atrial fibrillation with mild to moderate heart failure: results from the RAte Control versus Electrical Cardioversion (RACE) study. Am Heart J. 2005;149:1106–1111
  12. Pedersen OD, Bagger H, Keller N, Marchant B, Køber L, Torp-Pedersen C Danish Investigations of Arrhythmia and Mortality ON Dofetilide Study Group. Efficacy of dofetilide in the treatment of atrial fibrillation-flutter in patients with reduced left ventricular function: a Danish Investigations of Arrhythmia and Mortality ON Dofetilide (DIAMOND) substudy. Circulation. 2001;104:292–296
  13. AFFIRM Investigators. Relationships between sinus rhythm, treatment, and survival in the Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) Study. Circulation. 2004;109:1509–1513
  14. Singh BN, Singh SN, Reda DJ, Tang XC, Lopez B, Harris CL, et al Amiodarone versus sotalol for atrial fibrillation. N Engl J Med. 2005;352:1861–1872
  15. Thrall G, Lane D, Carroll D, Lip GYH. Quality of life in patients with atrial fibrillation: a systematic review. Am J Med. 2006;119:448.e1–448.e19
  16. Dorian P, Jung W, Newman D, Paquette M, Wood K, Ayers GM, et al. The impairment of health-related quality of life in patients with intermittent atrial fibrillation: implications for the assessment of investigational therapy. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2000;36:1303–1309
  17. Van Gelder IC, Crijns HJGM, Blanksma PK, Landsman MLJ, Posma JL, Van Den Berg MP, et al. Time course of hemodynamic changes and improvement of exercise tolerance after cardioversion of chronic atrial fibrillation unassociated with cardiac valve disease. Am J Cardiol. 1993;72:560–566
  18. Coplen SE, Antman EM, Berlin JA, Hewitt P, Chalmers TC. Efficacy and safety of quinidine therapy for maintenance of sinus rhythm after cardioversion: a meta-analysis of randomized control trials. Circulation. 1990;82:1106–1116
  19. Flaker GC, Blackshear JL, McBride R, Kronmal RA, Halperin JL, Hart RG Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation Investigators. Antiarrhythmic drug therapy and cardiac mortality in atrial fibrillation: the Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation Investigators. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1992;20:527–532
  20. Echt DS, Liebson PR, Mitchell LB, Peters RW, Obias-Manno D, Barker AH, et al. Mortality and morbidity in patients receiving encainide, flecainide, or placebo: the Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trial. N Engl J Med. 1991;324:781–788
  21. The Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trial (CAST) Investigators. Preliminary report: effect of encainide and flecainide on mortality in a randomized trial of arrhythmia suppression after myocardial infarction. N Engl J Med. 1989;321:406–412
  22. Pritchett EL, Wilkinson WE. Mortality in patients treated with flecainide and encainide for supraventricular arrhythmias. Am J Cardiol. 1991;67:976–980
  23. Teo KK, Yusuf S, Furberg CD. Effects of prophylactic antiarrhythmic drug therapy in acute myocardial infarction: an overview of results from randomized controlled trials. JAMA. 1993;270:1589–1595
  24. Cairns JA, Connolly SJ, Roberts R, Gent M Canadian Amiodarone Myocardial Infarction Arrhythmia Trial Investigators. Randomised trial of outcome after myocardial infarction in patients with frequent or repetitive ventricular premature depolarisations: CAMIAT. Lancet. 1997;349:675–682
  25. Julian DG, Camm AJ, Frangin G, Janse MJ, Munoz A, Schwartz PJ, et al. Randomised trial of effect of amiodarone on mortality in patients with left-ventricular dysfunction after recent myocardial infarction: EMIAT. Lancet. 1997;349:667–674
  26. Julian DG, Jackson FS, Szekely P, Prescott RJ. A controlled trial of sotalol for 1 year after myocardial infarction. Circulation. 1983;67:161–162
  27. Camm AJ, Pratt CM, Schwartz PJ, Al-Khalidi HR, Spyt MJ, Holroyde MJ, et al. Mortality in patients after a recent myocardial infarction: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of azimilide using heart rate variability for risk stratification. Circulation. 2004;109:990–996
  28. Singh SN, Fletcher RD, Fisher SG, Singh BN, Lewis HD, Deedwania PC, et al. Amiodarone in patients with congestive heart failure and asymptomatic ventricular arrhythmia: Survival Trial of Antiarrhythmic Therapy in Congestive Heart Failure. N Engl J Med. 1995;333:77–82
  29. Doval HC, Nul DR, Grancelli HO, Perrone SV, Bortman GR, Curiel R Grupo de Estudio de la Sobrevida en la Insuficiencia Cardiaca en Argentina (GESICA). Randomised trial of low-dose amiodarone in severe congestive heart failure. Lancet. 1994;344:493–498
  30. Steinberg JS, Sadaniantz A, Kron J, Krahn A, Denny DM, Daubert J, et al. Analysis of cause-specific mortality in the Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) study. Circulation. 2004;109:1973–1980
  31. Reiffel JA, Naccarelli GV. Antiarrhythmic drug therapy for atrial fibrillation: are the guidelines guiding clinical practice?. Clin Cardiol. 2006;29:97–102
  32. Fuster V, Rydén LE, Cannom DS, Crijns HJ, Curtis AB, Ellenbogen KA, et al ACC/AHA/ESC 2006 Guidelines for the Management of Patients with Atrial Fibrillation—Executive Summary. Circulation. 2006;114:700–752

 Statement of author disclosure: Please see the Author Disclosures section at the end of this article.

PII: S0002-9149(08)01080-1

doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2008.06.024

American Journal of Cardiology
Volume 102, Issue 6, Supplement , Pages 3H-11H , 22 September 2008

Article Tools

* Image Usage & Resolution