title: Pharmacological conversion of atrial fibrillation in the patients of Graves' disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hyperthyroidism is one of the common causes of atrial fibrillation (AF), and AF is associated with increased morbidity and mortality due to thromboembolism. The sinus rhythm maintenance rate of hyperthyroidism-induced AF patients after conversion to sinus rhythm is excellent. The present study was undertaken to assess the efficacy and safety of bepridil, a multichannel blocker, in patients with hyperthyroidism-induced persistent AF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-two patients with hyperthyroidism-induced persistent AF were treated with bepridil. Oral bepridil therapy resulted in conversion to sinus rhythm in 32 (51.6%) of the 62 patients. There were no significant differences in clinical characteristics between the responders and non-responders. At the observation period of an average of 23.9 months, the sinus rhythm maintenance rate was found to be 81.3%. Adverse effects consisted of abnormal QTc prolongation in 3 patients and sinus bradycardia in 10 patients. There was one death in which a causal association with bepridil could not be ruled out.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bepridil is as beneficial treatment to convert AF for the patients with hyperthyroidism-induced persistent AF as it is for the patients with AF due to other causes. However, bepridil should be used with caution to avoid serious side effects.
authors.affiliation: Ito Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine, 4-3-6 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8308, Japan. y-kidokoro@ito-hospital.jp
authors.forename: Yo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kunii
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uruno
authors.forename: Masako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mukasa
authors.forename: Jaeduk
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Noh
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akaishi
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.forename: Hiroe
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakazawa
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015764:Bepridil / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000150:complications*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012849:Sinoatrial Node / Q000503:physiopathology; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000209:etiology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D015764:Bepridil