BACKGROUND: Electric conversion of atrial fibrillation is the most widely used and effective treatment for sinus rhythm restoration. However, it has a limited success rate and a high recurrence rate. HYPOTHESIS: Pretreatment with calcium channel blocker may improve the efficacy by reversing the so-called "electric remodeling" phenomenon, also related to overload in cytosolic calcium. METHODS: The efficacy of diltiazem or amiodarone pretreatment (oral, 1 month before and 1 month after conversion) on direct-current conversion of persistent atrial fibrillation was assessed in 120 patients, randomly assigned to 3 matched groups: A (n = 44, diltiazem); B (n = 46, amiodarone), and C (n = 30, digoxin). RESULTS: Before electric conversion, all treatments significantly decreased mean heart rate. Spontaneous conversion to sinus rhythm was achieved in 6% of patients of group A (3 of 46) versus 25% of group B (11 of 44) and 3% (1 of 30) of group C (A/C vs B, P < .005). Current conversion was more successful in group B (91%) compared with group A (76%) and group C (67%) (B vs A/C, P < .05), with no difference in the electric threshold for effective conversion (P = not significant). At the 24-hour time point, early relapse of atrial fibrillation was similar between groups A and B (A, 2%; B, 3%; P = not significant) and lower than group C (12%) (P < .01), whereas at the 1-month time point the recurrence rate was lower in group B (28%) versus groups A (56%) and C (78%) (B vs A/C, P < .01). No significant side effects were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Although diltiazem seems to be as effective as amiodarone in reducing early atrial fibrillation recurrences, diltiazem is less effective in determining spontaneous or electric conversion, with a higher recurrence rate at 2 months. Diltiazem pretreatment could be considered as only a second choice treatment in those patients in whom amiodarone is contraindicated.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: Electric conversion of atrial fibrillation is the most widely used and effective treatment for sinus rhythm restoration. However, it has a limited success rate and a high recurrence rate. HYPOTHESIS: Pretreatment with calcium channel blocker may improve the efficacy by reversing the so-called "electric remodeling" phenomenon, also related to overload in cytosolic calcium. METHODS: The efficacy of diltiazem or amiodarone pretreatment (oral, 1 month before and 1 month after conversion) on direct-current conversion of persistent atrial fibrillation was assessed in 120 patients, randomly assigned to 3 matched groups: A (n = 44, diltiazem); B (n = 46, amiodarone), and C (n = 30, digoxin). RESULTS: Before electric conversion, all treatments significantly decreased mean heart rate. Spontaneous conversion to sinus rhythm was achieved in 6% of patients of group A (3 of 46) versus 25% of group B (11 of 44) and 3% (1 of 30) of group C (A/C vs B, P < .005). Current conversion was more successful in group B (91%) compared with group A (76%) and group C (67%) (B vs A/C, P < .05), with no difference in the electric threshold for effective conversion (P = not significant). At the 24-hour time point, early relapse of atrial fibrillation was similar between groups A and B (A, 2%; B, 3%; P = not significant) and lower than group C (12%) (P < .01), whereas at the 1-month time point the recurrence rate was lower in group B (28%) versus groups A (56%) and C (78%) (B vs A/C, P < .01). No significant side effects were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Although diltiazem seems to be as effective as amiodarone in reducing early atrial fibrillation recurrences, diltiazem is less effective in determining spontaneous or electric conversion, with a higher recurrence rate at 2 months. Diltiazem pretreatment could be considered as only a second choice treatment in those patients in whom amiodarone is contraindicated.
Authors: Boyoung Joung; Jung Myung Lee; Ki Hong Lee; Tae Hoon Kim; Eue Keun Choi; Woo Hyun Lim; Ki Woon Kang; Jaemin Shim; Hong Euy Lim; Junbeom Park; So Ryoung Lee; Young Soo Lee; Jin Bae Kim Journal: Korean Circ J Date: 2018-12 Impact factor: 3.243
Authors: Hany A Zaki; Khalid Bashir; Haris Iftikhar; Waleed Salem; Eslam Hussein Mohamed; Helmy M Elhag; Mohamed Hendy; Ahmed Abdu O Kassem; Emad El-Din Salem; Amr Elmoheen Journal: Cureus Date: 2022-07-13