title: Cross-sectional study of treatment strategies on atrial fibrillation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite the high prevalence and clinical importance of atrial fibrillation (AF), there is no Brazilian study describing the clinical profile of patients with AF and the most used treatment strategy (rhythm control vs. rate control).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Assess the most common treatment on AF in an outpatient specialized clinic for management of AF. In addition, the clinical profile of the population studied was provided.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study assessing the most used strategy for atrial fibrillation control in 167 patients. The clinical profile was also described. A standardized form was used for data collection and statistical analysis was performed by SPSS 13.0 software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In This high risk population for thromboembolic events (61% had CHADS(2) ≥ 2), 54% of patients had paroxysmal or persistent AF, 96.6% were on vitamin K antagonists or acetylsalicylic acid, and 76.6% on beta-blocker (rate control 81,2% x rhythm control 58,8%; p < 0.05). Heart rate control was the most used strategy (79.5% x 20.5%; p < 0.001). A statistical tendency towards more patients with ventricular dysfunction (15.2% x 2.9%; p = 0.06), CHADS(2) ≥ 2 (60.5% x 39.5%; p = 0.07) and heart valve diseases (25.8% x 11.8%; p = 0.08) was observed in the heart rate control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this high risk population for thromboembolic events, the rate control strategy was the most used.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lucas Hollanda
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Fabrício Bonnoto
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Mallmann
authors.forename: Fábio Nardo
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Botelho
authors.forename: Luiz Carlos
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: Marcio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gianotto
authors.forename: Rafael de Biase
authors.initials: Rde B
authors.lastname: Abt
authors.forename: Nilton José Carneiro
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Christian Moreno
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Luize
authors.forename: Fernando Lopes
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Nogueira
authors.forename: Ricardo Sobral
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Angelo Amato Vincenzo de
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Paola
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cirenza
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000379:methods; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001241:Aspirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000503:physiopathology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D014812:Vitamin K / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D014812:Vitamin K; D001241:Aspirin