Article    Table of Contents                    Full Text of this article    PDF of this article (PDFs free after 6 months)    Figures/Tables List    Related articles in Annals  Services    Send comment/rapid response letter    Published comments/rapid response letters    Notify a friend about this article    Alert me when this article is cited    Add to Personal Archive    Download to Citation Manager    ACP Search                            Get Permissions  Google Scholar    Search for Related Content  PubMed Articles in PubMed by Author:    Zimetbaum, P.    Josephson, M. E.    Related Articles in PubMed    PubMed Citation    PubMed

PERSPECTIVE

Is There a Role for Maintaining Sinus Rhythm in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation?

Peter Zimetbaum, MD, and Mark E. Josephson, MD

2 November 2004 | Volume 141 Issue 9 | Pages 720-726

Recent studies have indicated that outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation who are managed with rate control and anticoagulation are similar to those in patients who have maintenance of sinus rhythm. These studies did not include important groups of patients with atrial fibrillation in whom antiarrhythmic therapy may be appropriate. This perspective argues for the maintenance of sinus rhythm and for the use of antiarrhythmic therapy that includes medications, invasive procedures, and a combination of both in appropriate patients.

Author and Article Information

From Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts.

Potential Financial Conflicts of Interest: None disclosed.

Requests for Single Reprints: Peter Zimetbaum, MD, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 185 Pilgrim Road, Boston, MA 02215.

Current Author Addresses: Drs. Zimetbaum and Josephson: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 185 Pilgrim Road, Boston, MA 02215.

Related articles in Annals:

Articles
Cost-Effectiveness of Rhythm versus Rate Control in Atrial Fibrillation
Deborah A. Marshall, Adrian R. Levy, Humberto Vidaillet, Elisabeth Fenwick, April Slee, Gordon Blackhouse, H. Leon Greene, D. George Wyse, Graham Nichol, Bernie J. O'Brien, AND and the AFFIRM and CORE Investigators*

Annals 2004 141: 653-661. [ABSTRACT][SUMMARY][Full Text]  

Editorials
To Be or Not To Be in Normal Sinus Rhythm: What Do We Really Know?
Tristram D. Bahnson AND Augustus O. Grant

Annals 2004 141: 727-729. [Full Text]  

Letters
The Dry Pipeline of Antiarrhythmic Therapies
Amnon Schlegel

Annals 2005 142: 871. [Full Text]  

This article has been cited by other articles:

				V. Essebag, M. R. Reynolds, T. Hadjis, R. Lemery, B. Olshansky, A. E. Buxton, M. E. Josephson, and P. Zimetbaum Sex Differences in the Relationship Between Amiodarone Use and the Need for Permanent Pacing in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Arch Intern Med, August 13, 2007; 167(15): 1648 - 1653. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Schlegel The Dry Pipeline of Antiarrhythmic Therapies Ann Intern Med, May 17, 2005; 142(10): 871 - 871. [Full Text] [PDF]

				Cost-Effectiveness of Rate vs. Rhythm Control for Afib Journal Watch Cardiology, November 26, 2004; 2004(1126): 1 - 1. [Full Text]

				Atrial Fibrillation: More Data on Rate vs. Rhythm Control Journal Watch (General), November 26, 2004; 2004(1126): 2 - 2. [Full Text]

				T. D. Bahnson and A. O. Grant To Be or Not To Be in Normal Sinus Rhythm: What Do We Really Know? Ann Intern Med, November 2, 2004; 141(9): 727 - 729. [Full Text] [PDF]

Rapid Responses: