BACKGROUND The incidence and risk factors for hospitalized atrial fibrillation have not been previously assessed in a national population of dialysis patients. METHODS We analyzed the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) Dialysis Morbidity and Mortality Study (DMMS) Wave II in a historical cohort study of hospitalized atrial fibrillation. Data from 3374 patients who started dialysis in 199...

INTRODUCTION Dronedarone, a benzofuran derivative with a structure similar to amiodarone, has been developed as a potential therapy for patients with atrial fibrillation. AIM To review the published evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of dronedarone use in patients with atrial fibrillation. EVIDENCE REVIEW Available evidence suggests that dronedarone 400 mg orally twice daily can len...

BACKGROUND The prevalence of atrial fibrillation is increasing rapidly; however, to date, population-based data are lacking on the attributable cost of illness of atrial fibrillation from a societal perspective, including both direct and indirect costs. METHODS The study was an incidence-based cost-of-illness study based on national registries covering the entire population of Denmark. We ide...

Cryptogenic stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) account for approximately one-third of stroke patients [1]. Paroxys-mal atrial fibrillation (PAF) has been suggested as a major etiology of these cryptogenic strokes [2, 3]. PAF can be difficult to diagnose because it is intermittent, often brief, and asymptomatic. PAF might be more prevalent than persistent atrial fibrillation in stroke an...

Identifying patients at high risk for the occurrence of atrial fibrillation is one means by which subsequent thromboembolic complications may be prevented. Left atrial enlargement is associated with progression of atrial remodeling, which is a substrate for atrial fibrillation, but impaired atrial pump function is also another aspect of the remodeling. Our objective was to differentiate patient...

Atrial fibrillation could be induced reproducibly by 50 Hz rapid stimulation which was given through systolic and early diastolic phase of atrial excitation. Duration of atrial fibrillation induced in this way was roughly dependent on the current amplitude of the stimulation. The minimum current that could induce long-lasting atrial fibrillation (30 sec in the clinical setting, 2 sec in the rab...

CONTEXT Atrial fibrillation is a common, but potentially preventable, complication following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. OBJECTIVES To assess the nature and consequences of atrial fibrillation after CABG surgery and to develop a comprehensive risk index that can better identify patients at risk for atrial fibrillation. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Prospective observati...

BACKGROUND The relationship between autonomic activation and the mechanisms of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation remains unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS We implanted a pacemaker and a radio transmitter in 7 dogs (group 1). After baseline recording, we paced the left atrium at 20 Hz for 1 week and then monitored left stellate ganglion nerve activity, left vagal nerve activity, and left atrial electr...

OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that including preoperative electrocardiogram (ECG) characteristics with clinical variables significantly improves the new-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation prediction model. DESIGN Retrospective analysis. SETTING Single-center university hospital. PARTICIPANTS Five hundred twenty-six patients, ≥ 18 years of age, who underwent coronary artery bypass ...

INTRODUCTION Oral beta-blockers improve the prognosis of patients with acute myocardial infarction, while atrial fibrillation worsens the prognosis of this population. The reduction of atrial fibrillation incidence in patients treated with beta-blockers could at least in part explain the benefits of this drug. OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of beta-blockers on the incidence of atrial fib...