title: Atrial fibrillation in patients with heart failure.
abstract: Atrial fibrillation and heart failure are very common cardiac disorders, and both are associated with symptoms, significant morbidity, and mortality. Studies have attempted to determine the prognostic significance of atrial fibrillation in patients with heart failure. Whether atrial fibrillation is an independent risk factor of mortality remains controversial. Multiple trials using either pharmacologic or nonpharmacologic therapies in an attempt to manage atrial fibrillation have been developed. The purposes of this review are to present an overview of atrial fibrillation in patients with heart failure and to discuss the prevalence, prognostic significance, complications, mechanisms, and trials that have formed the therapies presently used.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
authors.forename: B John
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Hynes
authors.forename: Jerry C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Luck
authors.forename: Deborah L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Wolbrette
authors.forename: Luna
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bhatta
authors.forename: Mazhar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Soraya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Samii
authors.forename: Gerald V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Naccarelli
mesh_terms: D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology