Clinical Update on the Management of Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a cardiac arrhythmia associated with significant morbidity and mortality, affecting more than 3 million people in the United States and 12% of the population worldwide. Its estimated prevalence is expected to double within the next 50years. During the past decade, there have been significant advances in the treatment of AF. Studies have demonstrated that a rate control strategy, with a target resting heart rate between 80 and 100beats/minute, is recommended over rhythm control in the vast majority of patients. The CHA2DS2 (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age 65 yrs, diabetes mellitus, stroke or transient ischemic attack, vascular disease, female gender) scoring system is a potentially useful stroke risk stratification tool that incorporates additional risk factors to the commonly used CHADS2 (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age 75 years, diabetes mellitus, stroke transient ischemic attack) scoring tool. Similarly, a convenient scheme, termed HAS-BLED (hypertension, abnormal renal/liver function, stroke, bleeding history or predisposition, labile international normalized ratio, elderly, drugs/alcohol concomitantly), to assess bleeding risk has emerged that may be useful in select patients. Furthermore, new antithrombotic strategies have been developed as potential alternatives to warfarin, including dual-antiplatelet therapy with clopidogrel plus aspirin and the development of new oral anticoagulants such as dabigatran, rivaroxaban, and apixaban. Vernakalant has emerged as another potential option for pharmacologic conversion of AF, whereas recent trials have better defined the role of dronedarone in the maintenance of sinus rhythm. Finally, catheter ablation represents another alternative to manage AF, whereas upstream therapy with inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, statins, and polyunsaturated fatty acids could potentially prevent the occurrence of AF. Despite substantial progress in the management of AF, significant uncertainty surrounds the optimal treatment of this condition.