title: Drug therapy for atrial fibrillation: where do we go from here?
abstract: Atrial fibrillation, the most common cardiac arrhythmia requiring medical attention, has effects that range from mild symptoms to devastating stroke. Although treatments have evolved since the foxglove plant (later identified as containing digitalis) was first administered to slow the heart rate, satisfactory drug therapy has not been developed. In this review we describe present-day medical options and developments of future therapies to treat atrial fibrillation and maintain normal sinus rhythm.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Room AA502, Health Sciences Bldg, Box 356422, Seattle 98195-6422, USA. rpage@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: Richard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Page
authors.forename: Dan M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Roden
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D015394:Molecular Structure
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents