Revista internacional de investigación cardiovascular

The current management strategy for atrial fibrillation

Fazzari Donnici

The most frequent arrhythmia seen in clinical practise is Atrial Fibrillation (AF), which has a high prevalence that rises with age. Palpitations, weariness, chest discomfort, lightheadedness, or syncope are all possible symptoms caused by a lack of atrial mechanical performance and a quick, irregular ventricular response. In high-risk individuals, AF is also linked to a large risk of systemic embolisation, with annual stroke risk reaching 5%. The negative impact these symptoms can have on a patient's quality of life, as well as the risk of stroke, leads to a desire to stop AF and return to normal sinus rhythm. However, other trials, like the Atrial Fibrillation Followup Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) research, have failed to substantiate the expected benefits of a rhythmcontrol strategy, a clinical conundrum that will be examined further in this review.