title: Alternative medicine in atrial fibrillation treatment-Yoga, acupuncture, biofeedback and more.
abstract: The last decade has seen a significant improvement in the management of atrial fibrillation (AF) with the development of newer medications and improvement in catheter ablation techniques. Recurrence of AF remains a significant problem in these patients and medications offer limited supportive role. Complementary and alternative treatment strategies therefore remain a viable option for these AF patients. Several studies have shown improvement in AF symptoms with yoga therapy, acupuncture and biofeedback. There are also several herbal medicine and supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidant vitamins, barberry, motherwort, cinchona, Shensongyangxin, hawthorn, Kella and Wenxin Keli that have been evaluated as potential therapeutic options in AF. These studies are however limited by small sample sizes with mixed results. Besides the pharmacological action, metabolism, interactions with other medications and the adverse effects of the herbal medications and supplements remain poorly understood. In spite of the above limitations, complementary therapies remain a promising option in the management of AF and further studies are necessary to validate their safety and efficacy.
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, USA ; 2 VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, Nebraska, USA ; 3 The University of Kansas Medical Center and Hospital, Kansas City, Kansas, USA ; 4 Case Western Reserve University, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Arun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kanmanthareddy
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, USA ; 2 VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, Nebraska, USA ; 3 The University of Kansas Medical Center and Hospital, Kansas City, Kansas, USA ; 4 Case Western Reserve University, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Madhu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, USA ; 2 VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, Nebraska, USA ; 3 The University of Kansas Medical Center and Hospital, Kansas City, Kansas, USA ; 4 Case Western Reserve University, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Gopi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ponnaganti
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, USA ; 2 VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, Nebraska, USA ; 3 The University of Kansas Medical Center and Hospital, Kansas City, Kansas, USA ; 4 Case Western Reserve University, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Hari Priya
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Sanjani
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, USA ; 2 VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, Nebraska, USA ; 3 The University of Kansas Medical Center and Hospital, Kansas City, Kansas, USA ; 4 Case Western Reserve University, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Sandeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koripalli
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, USA ; 2 VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, Nebraska, USA ; 3 The University of Kansas Medical Center and Hospital, Kansas City, Kansas, USA ; 4 Case Western Reserve University, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Nivedita
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Adabala
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, USA ; 2 VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, Nebraska, USA ; 3 The University of Kansas Medical Center and Hospital, Kansas City, Kansas, USA ; 4 Case Western Reserve University, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Avanija
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buddam
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, USA ; 2 VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, Nebraska, USA ; 3 The University of Kansas Medical Center and Hospital, Kansas City, Kansas, USA ; 4 Case Western Reserve University, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Pramod
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Janga
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, USA ; 2 VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, Nebraska, USA ; 3 The University of Kansas Medical Center and Hospital, Kansas City, Kansas, USA ; 4 Case Western Reserve University, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Thanmay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lakkireddy
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, USA ; 2 VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, Nebraska, USA ; 3 The University of Kansas Medical Center and Hospital, Kansas City, Kansas, USA ; 4 Case Western Reserve University, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Sudharani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bommana
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, USA ; 2 VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, Nebraska, USA ; 3 The University of Kansas Medical Center and Hospital, Kansas City, Kansas, USA ; 4 Case Western Reserve University, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Ajay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vallakati
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, USA ; 2 VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, Nebraska, USA ; 3 The University of Kansas Medical Center and Hospital, Kansas City, Kansas, USA ; 4 Case Western Reserve University, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Donita
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Atkins
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, USA ; 2 VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, Nebraska, USA ; 3 The University of Kansas Medical Center and Hospital, Kansas City, Kansas, USA ; 4 Case Western Reserve University, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Dhanunjaya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lakkireddy
keywords: Atrial fibrillation (AF) and alternative therapy; complementary therapy; yoga and AF