title: Antiarrhythmic therapy--future trends and forecast for the 21st century.
abstract: This article discusses recent changes in antiarrhythmic therapy, with a focus on nonpharmacologic therapy (electrode catheter ablation, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators [ICDs]), and puts them into perspective for the coming years. The treatment of supraventricular tachycardias and tachycardia involving accessory pathways is likely to remain the domain of catheter ablation. With promising new techniques under investigation, the spectrum of arrhythmias that can be cured will probably be expanded. Treatment of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias is likely to remain the domain of the ICD in the foreseeable future. With the safety net of the ICD in place, new antiarrhythmic drugs or other forms of antiarrhythmic therapy can be developed and tested.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology and Angiology and Institute for Arteriosclerosis Research, Hospital of the Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Böcker
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Block
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hindricks
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Borggrefe
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Breithardt
mesh_terms: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000628:therapy*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000639:trends*; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable / Q000639:trends*; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents