Treatment Failure With Rhythm and Rate Control Strategies in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Congestive Heart Failure: An AF-CHF Substudy.
BACKGROUND
Rate and rhythm control strategies for atrial fibrillation (AF) are not always effective or well tolerated in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). We assessed reasons for treatment failure, associated characteristics, and effects on survival.


RESULTS
A total of 1,376 patients enrolled in the AF-CHF trial were followed for 37  ±  19 months, 206 (15.0%) of whom failed initial therapy leading to crossover. Rhythm control was abandoned more frequently than rate control (21.0% vs. 9.1%, P < 0.0001). Crossovers from rhythm to rate control were driven by inefficacy, whereas worsening heart failure was the most common reason to crossover from rate to rhythm control. In multivariate analyses, failure of rhythm control was associated with female sex, higher serum creatinine, functional class III or IV symptoms, lack of digoxin, and oral anticoagulation. Factors independently associated with failure of rate control were paroxysmal (vs. persistent) AF, statin therapy, and presence of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. Crossovers were not associated with cardiovascular mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1.11 from rhythm to rate control; 95% confidence interval [95% CI, 0.73-1.73]; P = 0.6069; HR 1.29 from rate to rhythm control; 95% CI, 0.73-2.25; P = 0.3793) or all-cause mortality (HR 1.16 from rhythm to rate control, 95% CI [0.79-1.72], P = 0.4444; HR 1.15 from rate to rhythm control, 95% [0.69, 1.91], P = 0.5873).


CONCLUSIONS
Rhythm control is abandoned more frequently than rate control in patients with AF and CHF. The most common reasons for treatment failure are inefficacy for rhythm control and worsening heart failure for rate control. Changing strategies does not impact survival.
Electrophysiology Service, Montreal Heart Institute, Université de Montréal.
Katia
K
Dyrda
Electrophysiology Service, Montreal Heart Institute, Université de Montréal.
Denis
D
Roy
Montreal Heart Institute Coordinating Center (MHICC), Montreal, QC, Canada.
Hugues
H
Leduc
Electrophysiology Service, Montreal Heart Institute, Université de Montréal.
Mario
M
Talajic
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Lynne Warner
LW
Stevenson
Electrophysiology Service, Montreal Heart Institute, Université de Montréal.
Peter G
PG
Guerra
Electrophysiology Service, Montreal Heart Institute, Université de Montréal.
Jason
J
Andrade
Electrophysiology Service, Montreal Heart Institute, Université de Montréal.
Marc
M
Dubuc
Electrophysiology Service, Montreal Heart Institute, Université de Montréal.
Laurent
L
Macle
Electrophysiology Service, Montreal Heart Institute, Université de Montréal.
Bernard
B
Thibault
Electrophysiology Service, Montreal Heart Institute, Université de Montréal.
Lena
L
Rivard
Electrophysiology Service, Montreal Heart Institute, Université de Montréal.|Montreal Heart Institute Coordinating Center (MHICC), Montreal, QC, Canada.
Paul
P
Khairy
D000368:Aged; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable; D004077:Digoxin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D017211:Treatment Failure
D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D000925:Anticoagulants; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D004077:Digoxin; D003404:Creatinine
atrial fibrillation; congestive heart failure; crossover; mortality; rate control; rhythm control