Atrial fibrillation: rhythm control vs rate control
Keywords:
Atrial fibrillation, rhythm control, rate controlAbstract
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia in
the clinical practice with increasing prevalence due to the population progressive aging. It is an important cause of morbidity and
mortality, especially that arising from cerebrovascular accident and heart failure.
The two main FA management concerns are to restore and/
or maintain sinus rhythm with pharmacologic and/or electrical
cardioversion, or to achieve satisfactory rate control, both with antithrombotic therapy.
Some studies have reported similar reduction of morbidity and
mortality when either of the treatments is applied.
When choosing the appropriate treatment there are a few
factors which must be taken into account such as the nature,
intensity and frequency of symptoms, comorbid conditions, patient
preferences and the response to the treatment.
This review will therefore focus on the potential risks and
benefits of these two strategies, identifying the better candidates
for each strategy as well as showing the current guidelines about these issues.
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