Towards a paradigm shift in atrial fibrillation

A paradigm shift in treatment for atrial fibrillation: from electrical to structural therapy?

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, most notably due to stroke and heart failure. Maintaining sinus rhythm in AF patients is not an easy task, and eventually it will even fail in most leading to permanent AF. Therefore, the therapeutic goal often lies in postponing permanent AF as long as possible. Except from the surgical correction of mitral valve di...

Towards a Paradigm Shift in Economics?

Economists and the financial community share a paradoxical fate: their economic influence is strengthened by their mistakes. We all agree that they share much of the responsibility for the crisis, yet we do not call their credibility into question. Over the past five years, the financial markets’ leading actors, notably the credit-rating agencies and major banks, have increased their ability to...

paradigm shift of health towards obesity in childhood

Atrial fibrillation pharmacotherapy after hospital discharge between 1995 and 2004: a shift towards beta-blockers.

AIMS To study evolvement in pharmacotherapy of atrial fibrillation from 1995 to 2004. METHODS AND RESULTS All Danish patients were discharged following first-time atrial fibrillation and their pharmacotherapy was identified by individual-level-linkage of nationwide registers of hospitalization and drug dispensing from pharmacies. A total of 108 791 patients survived 30 days after discharge an...

Human atrial fibrillation substrate: towards a specific fibrotic atrial cardiomyopathy.

The atrial structure/substrate of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and clinically similar characteristics can present very differently, and also the 'phenotype' (i.e. paroxysmal, persistent, and long standing persistent) of the arrhythmia cannot comprehensively explain these differences. It was unclear why some patients stay in paroxysmal AF for decades, whereas other patients with the sa...