Short-term effects of sinus rhythm restoration in patients with lone atrial fibrillation: a hormonal study.
It is well known that atrial fibrillation can lead to heart failure, and is attributed to rapid ventricular rate (tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy). Some recent studies suggest the possible existence of an intrinsic left-ventricular factor related to atrial fibrillation, irrespective of other elements. In order to demonstrate the implication of this factor, we measured B-type Natriuretic Peptide, known as a functional marker of left-ventricular dysfunction, in 40 consecutive patients with chronic non-valvular atrial fibrillation, with low ventricular rate and absence of clinical heart failure or echocardiographic left-ventricular dysfunction. In all patients, Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) plasma level was high and dramatically decreased 24 h after external electrical cardioversion (61.4 pg/ml before cardioversion, 23.5 pg/ml 1 day after cardioversion, P<0.002). Our study demonstrates that atrial fibrillation, in absence of high ventricular rate, induces an asymptomatic cardiac alteration that is not detectable by echocardiography.
Jourdain
P
P
Service de Cardiologie, Hôpital René Dubos, 6 avenue de l'Ile de France, 95300, Pontoise, France. patrickjourdain@hotmail.com
Bellorini
M
M
Funck
F
F
Fulla
Y
Y
Guillard
N
N
Loiret
J
J
Thebault
B
B
Sadeg
N
N
Desnos
M
M
D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004554:Electric Countershock; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D015415:Biomarkers; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain