Low-dose amiodarone for atrial fibrillation: time for a prospective study?
- PMID: 1586091
- DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-116-12-1017
Low-dose amiodarone for atrial fibrillation: time for a prospective study?
Abstract
Because atrial fibrillation is associated with substantial morbidity, restoration of sinus rhythm is desirable. Long-term maintenance of sinus rhythm often requires chronic antiarrhythmic therapy. Class I antiarrhythmic drugs such as quinidine or propafenone maintain sinus rhythm in approximately 50% of patients at 1 year and have risks for proarrhythmia and noncardiac toxicity. Studies of low-dose amiodarone for atrial fibrillation have reported sinus rhythm maintenance in 53% to 79% of patients during a mean follow-up of 27 months. Amiodarone has a lower incidence of proarrhythmia and heart failure exacerbation compared with class I drugs. Most noncardiac side effects are dose related, and low-dose amiodarone (less than 300 mg/d) is well tolerated. The time has come for a large-scale prospective evaluation of low-dose amiodarone treatment early in the course of atrial fibrillation.
Comment in
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A proposed trial of amiodarone for atrial fibrillation.Ann Intern Med. 1992 Dec 1;117(11):972; author reply 972-3. Ann Intern Med. 1992. PMID: 1290555 No abstract available.
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A proposed trial of amiodarone for atrial fibrillation.Ann Intern Med. 1992 Dec 1;117(11):972; author reply 972-3. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-117-11-972. Ann Intern Med. 1992. PMID: 1443959 No abstract available.
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