title: Low-dose amiodarone for atrial fibrillation: time for a prospective study?
abstract: Because atrial fibrillation is associated with substantial morbidity, restoration of sinus rhythm is desirable. Long-term maintenance of sinus rhythm often requires chronic antiarrhythmic therapy. Class I antiarrhythmic drugs such as quinidine or propafenone maintain sinus rhythm in approximately 50% of patients at 1 year and have risks for proarrhythmia and noncardiac toxicity. Studies of low-dose amiodarone for atrial fibrillation have reported sinus rhythm maintenance in 53% to 79% of patients during a mean follow-up of 27 months. Amiodarone has a lower incidence of proarrhythmia and heart failure exacerbation compared with class I drugs. Most noncardiac side effects are dose related, and low-dose amiodarone (less than 300 mg/d) is well tolerated. The time has come for a large-scale prospective evaluation of low-dose amiodarone treatment early in the course of atrial fibrillation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine 90024-1679.
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Middlekauff
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wiener
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Saxon
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Stevenson
mesh_terms: D000638:Amiodarone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D000638:Amiodarone