title: [Efficacy and safety of low dose amiodarone for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in the aged patients with no-valvular heart diseases].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the efficacy and safety of low-dose amiodarone (AD) for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in the aged patients with no-valvular heart diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  40 inpatients were treated with load-dose AD (600 mg.d-1) for 6 days and then low maintenance dose of 50 mg or 100 mg daily. Clinical efficacy was evaluated with 24 h dynamic electrocardiogram.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AD maintained efficaciously sinus rhythm about 90.0% (36/40) during 6 months, about 83.3% (25/30) during 12 months, about 72.7% (16/22) during 24 months. Only 2 patients were stopped oral AD because sinus bradycardia(< or = 45 bpm) occurred.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low dose AD (50-100 mg.d-1) is a safe and efficient maintenance of sinus rhythm in aged patients with no-valvular heart diseases and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000638:Amiodarone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D000638:Amiodarone