title: Drug therapy of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in the elderly over 75 years old.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effectiveness and safety of various agents on paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in the elderly over 75 years old.
  
  
  METHODS
  Totally 264 in-patients (75-91 years old, 185 males and 79 females) with atrial fibrillation history of less than 7 days were enrolled in this study. A total of 611 atrial fibrillation episodes were recorded, but 130 episodes (22.3%) of atrial fibrillation were auto-converted to sinus rhythm. The rest 481 episodes of atrial fibrillation were divided into six groups based on the drug used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cardioversion ratio of atrial fibrillation were 9.5%, 46.9%, 71.7%, 55.9%, 32.7%, and 73.6% in control, cedilanid, amiodarone, propafenone, verapamil, and quinidine groups, respectively. Ventricular rate control were 5.4%, 83.6%, 84.9%, 77.9%, 78.8%, and 11.3% in those groups, respectively. The total effective rates of amiodarone and cedilanid groups were the highest. When the ventricular rate was controlled to below 90 bpm, the patients would almost complain of no discomfort. No severe side-effect was observed in each group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Amiodarone and cedilanid may be the proper drugs for the treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in the elderly. The above antiarrhythmics in each therapeutic group were relatively safe and effective.
authors.affiliation: Department of Outpatient, General Hospital of People's Liberation Army, Beijing 100853. calvin301@163.com
authors.forename: De-you
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Bing-po
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000638:Amiodarone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001919:Bradycardia / Q000139:chemically induced; D002301:Cardiac Glycosides / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007799:Lanatosides / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced; D011405:Propafenone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D002301:Cardiac Glycosides; D007799:Lanatosides; C018548:lanatoside C; D011405:Propafenone; D000638:Amiodarone