title: Strict heart rate control attenuates prothrombotic state and platelet activity in patients with non-valvular permanent atrial fibrillation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The underlying mechanisms of increased risk of thrombo-embolism in atrial fibrillation (AF) are not completely understood; however, substantial evidence supports that AF is associated with a prothrombotic state. Accordingly, we hypothesized that strict rate control could attenuate platelet activity and thrombotic state in patients with non-valvular AF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-five patients with non-valvular AF were divided into 2 groups based on heart rate: (1) normal ventricular rate (n = 34, 18 female) and (2) high ventricular rate (n = 39). Thirty-three sex- and age-matched subjects in sinus rhythm were included as control. Thirty patients with high ventricular rate (16 female) were successfully followed. Markers of platelet function were measured at baseline and repeated 1-month after adequate rate control in high ventricular rate group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum fibrinogen levels were significantly higher in AF patients with high ventricular rate than that in controls. Mean platelet volume, soluble CD40L and β-Thromboglobulin were significantly higher in AF patients with high ventricular rate than those in both AF patients with normal ventricular rate and controls. Soluble CD40L and β-Thromboglobulin were significantly higher in AF patients with normal ventricular rate than those in controls. One-month after adequate rate control, serum fibrinogen, soluble CD40L and β-Thromboglobulin levels significantly decreased (from 2.26 ± 1.02, 85.01 ± 37.05, 3.10 ± 0.90 to 1.55 ± 1.08, 66.34 ± 33.72, 2.71 ± 0.53; p < 0.001, p = 0.002, p = 0.03, respectively) in high ventricular rate group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AF patients with high ventricular rate had increased indices of platelet activity and thrombotic state. Furthermore, strict rate control significantly decreased indices of thrombotic state and platelet activity in those patients.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey.
authors.forename: Dogan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Erdogan
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey.
authors.forename: Bayram Ali
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Uysal
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aksoy
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey.
authors.forename: Selcuk
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey.
authors.forename: Atilla
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Icli
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey.
authors.forename: Betul Mermi
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Ceyhan
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozaydin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000378:metabolism*; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015539:Platelet Activation / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Atrial fibrillation; hypercoagulability; platelet activity; strict rate control