BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation is common in heart failure, but data regarding beta-blockade in these patients and its ability to prevent new occurrence of atrial fibrillation are scarce. METHODS: Baseline ECGs in MERIT-HF were coded regarding baseline rhythm, and outcome was analyzed in relation to rhythm. Occurrence of atrial fibrillation during follow-up was also analyzed. RESULTS: At baseline atrial fibrillation was diagnosed in 556 patients (13.9%). Mean metoprolol CR/XL dose in patients in atrial fibrillation (154 mg) and sinus rhythm (158 mg) was similar, as well as decrease in heart rate (14.8 and 13.7 bpm, respectively). Only 61 (total of 362) deaths occurred in those in atrial fibrillation at baseline, 31 on placebo and 30 on metoprolol (RR 1.0; 95% CI 0.61-1.65). During follow-up, new atrial fibrillation was observed in 85 patients onplacebo and 47 patients on metoprolol (RR 0.53; 95% CI 0.37-0.76; p=0.0005). CONCLUSION: First, given the wide confidence interval, it was impossible to detect an interaction between metoprolol and mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure. Second, in patients with sinus rhythm at baseline, metoprolol reduced the incidence of atrial fibrillation during follow-up. However, we must be extremely cautious in over-interpreting effects in these subgroups.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND:Atrial fibrillation is common in heart failure, but data regarding beta-blockade in these patients and its ability to prevent new occurrence of atrial fibrillation are scarce. METHODS: Baseline ECGs in MERIT-HF were coded regarding baseline rhythm, and outcome was analyzed in relation to rhythm. Occurrence of atrial fibrillation during follow-up was also analyzed. RESULTS: At baseline atrial fibrillation was diagnosed in 556 patients (13.9%). Mean metoprolol CR/XL dose in patients in atrial fibrillation (154 mg) and sinus rhythm (158 mg) was similar, as well as decrease in heart rate (14.8 and 13.7 bpm, respectively). Only 61 (total of 362) deaths occurred in those in atrial fibrillation at baseline, 31 on placebo and 30 on metoprolol (RR 1.0; 95% CI 0.61-1.65). During follow-up, new atrial fibrillation was observed in 85 patients on placebo and 47 patients on metoprolol (RR 0.53; 95% CI 0.37-0.76; p=0.0005). CONCLUSION: First, given the wide confidence interval, it was impossible to detect an interaction between metoprolol and mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure. Second, in patients with sinus rhythm at baseline, metoprolol reduced the incidence of atrial fibrillation during follow-up. However, we must be extremely cautious in over-interpreting effects in these subgroups.
Authors: H F Groenveld; H J G M Crijns; J G P Tijssen; M Alings; H L Hillege; Y S Tuininga; M P Van den Berg; D J Van Veldhuisen; I C Van Gelder Journal: Neth Heart J Date: 2013-04 Impact factor: 2.380
Authors: Jonathan P Piccini; William T Abraham; Christopher Dufton; Ian A Carroll; Jeff S Healey; Dirk J van Veldhuisen; William H Sauer; Inder S Anand; Michel White; Stephen B Wilton; Ryan Aleong; Michiel Rienstra; Steven K Krueger; Felix Ayala-Paredes; Yaariv Khaykin; Bela Merkely; Vladimir Miloradović; Jerzy K Wranicz; Leonard Ilkhanoff; Paul D Ziegler; Gordon Davis; Laura L Emery; Debra Marshall; David P Kao; Michael R Bristow; Stuart J Connolly Journal: JACC Heart Fail Date: 2019-04-29 Impact factor: 12.035
Authors: Bart A Mulder; Kevin Damman; Dirk J Van Veldhuisen; Isabelle C Van Gelder; Michiel Rienstra Journal: Clin Cardiol Date: 2017-05-17 Impact factor: 2.882
Authors: David P Kao; Gordon Davis; Ryan Aleong; Christopher M O'Connor; Mona Fiuzat; Peter E Carson; Inder S Anand; Jonathan F Plehn; Stephen S Gottlieb; Marc A Silver; JoAnn Lindenfeld; Alan B Miller; Michel White; Guinevere A Murphy; Will Sauer; Michael R Bristow Journal: Eur J Heart Fail Date: 2012-12-07 Impact factor: 15.534