title: [Atrial fibrillation: current recommendations for diagnosis and treatment].
abstract: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is by far the most common arrhythmia. It occurs more often with increasing age. Patients with AF almost always require oral anticoagulants and a rate-control treatment. In addition, other cardiovascular diseases must also be carefully treated in order to reduce the risks of cardiovascular complications from AF. Most patients profit from rate-control treatment with drugs that slow the conduction of the electrical impulse through the AV node. The aim is a resting heart rate of 100-110/min. If patients suffer from AF whilst on optimal rate control therapy, rhythm-control treatment with antiarrhythmic drugs, cardioversion or catheter ablation is indicated. The choice of the rhythm-control therapy should be made based on safety considerations. Whether achieving sinus rhythm beyond improvement of symptoms improves the prognosis of AF is tested in ongoing trials.
authors: Institute for Biomedical Research, University of Birmingham Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences and SWBH NHS Trust, B15 2TT Birmingham, United Kingdom. p.kirchhof@bham.ac.uk
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Kirchhof
mesh_terms: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000592:standards*; D004554:Electric Countershock / Q000592:standards*; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents
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