Atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure: the intersection of two common diseases.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, and congestive heart failure is an increasingly frequent diagnosis as our population tends to age. Appropriate management of these patients has engaged clinicians for many years. It was long appreciated that atrial fibrillation, per se, without associated cardiac disease could result in congestive heart failure and that prompt treatment resulting in either restoration of sinus rhythm or rate control could obviate the signs and symptoms of congestive heart failure.