A roadmap to improve the quality of atrial fibrillation management:proceedings from the fifth Atrial Fibrillation Network/European Heart Rhythm Association consensus conference

At least 30 million people worldwide carry a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation (AF), and many more suffer from undiagnosed, subclinical, or 'silent' AF. Atrial fibrillation-related cardiovascular mortality and morbidity, including cardiovascular deaths, heart failure, stroke, and hospitalizations, remain unacceptably high, even when evidence-based therapies such as anticoagulation and rate control are used. Furthermore, it is still necessary to define how best to prevent AF, largely due to a lack of clinical measures that would allow identification of treatable causes of AF in any given patient. Hence, there are important unmet clinical and research needs in the evaluation and management of AF patients. The ensuing needs and opportunities for improving the quality of AF care were discussed during the fifth Atrial Fibrillation Network/European Heart Rhythm Association consensus conference in Nice, France, on 22 and 23 January 2015. Here, we report the outcome of this conference, with a focus on (i) learning from our 'neighbours' to improve AF care, (ii) patient-centred approaches to AF management, (iii) structured care of AF patients, (iv) improving the quality of AF treatment, and (v) personalization of AF management. This report ends with a list of priorities for research in AF patients

2012 focused update of the ESC Guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation: an update of the 2010 ESC Guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation--developed with the special contribution of the European Heart Rhythm Association.

peer reviewe

Guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation: the Task Force for the Management of Atrial Fibrillation of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, occurring in 1\u20132% of the general population. Over 6 million Europeans suffer from this arrhythmia, and its prevalence is estimated to at least double in the next 50 years as the population ages. It is now 4 years since the last AF guideline was published, and a new version is now needed. AF confers a 5-fold risk of stroke, and one in five of all strokes is attributed to this arrhythmia. Ischaemic strokes in association with AF are often fatal, and those patients who survive are left more disabled by their stroke and more likely to suffer a recurrence than patients with other causes of stroke. In consequence, the risk of death from AF-related stroke is doubled and the cost of care is increased 1.5-fold. There has been much research into stroke prevention, which has influenced this guideline. In the majority of patients there appears to be an inexorable progression of AF to persistent or permanent forms, associated with further development of the disease that may underlie the arrhythmia. Some advance has been made in the understanding of the dynamic development of AF from its preclinical state as an \u2018arrhythmia-in-waiting\u2019 to its final expression as an irreversible and end-stage cardiac arrhythmia associated with serious adverse cardiovascular events. Much recent therapeutic effort with \u2018upstream therapies\u2019 has been expended to slow or halt the progression of AF due to underlying cardiovascular disease and to AF itself. Limited success has been achieved and is recognized in this guideline

Ranolazine in the treatment of atrial fibrillation: Results of the dose-ranging RAFFAELLO (Ranolazine in Atrial Fibrillation Following An ELectricaL CardiOversion) study

Background Currently available antiarrhythmic agents for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) have important limitations, leaving an unmet need for safe and effective therapy. Ranolazine is an approved antianginal agent with a favorable safety profile and electrophysiologic properties suggesting a potential role in the treatment of AF. Objective The purpose of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of ranolazine in the prevention of AF recurrence after successful electrical cardioversion and to ascertain the most appropriate dose of this agent. Methods This prospective, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-control parallel group phase II dose-ranging trial randomized patients with persistent AF (7 days to 6 months) 2 hours after successful electrical cardioversion to placebo, or ranolazine 375 mg, 500 mg, or 750 mg bid. Patients were monitored daily by transtelephonic ECG. The primary end-point was the time to first AF recurrence. Results Of 241 patients randomized, 238 took at least 1 drug dose. Ranolazine proved to be safe and tolerable. No dose of the drug significantly prolonged time to AF recurrence. AF recurred in 56.4%, 56.9%, 41.7%, and 39.7% of patients in the placebo, ranolazine 375 mg, ranolazine 500 mg, and ranolazine 750 mg groups, respectively. The reduction in overall AF recurrence in the combined 500-mg and 750-mg groups was of borderline significance compared to the placebo group (P =.053) and significant compared to 375-mg group (P =.035). Conclusion No dose of ranolazine significantly prolonged time to AF recurrence. However, the 500-mg and 750 mg-groups combined reduced AF recurrences, suggesting a possible role for this agent in the treatment of AF

Antithrombotic management in patients undergoing electrophysiological procedures: a European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) position document endorsed by the ESC Working Group Thrombosis, Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), and Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society (APHRS)

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