Does Cardiac Resynchronization Reduce Atrial Arrhythmias?

Patients with heart failure frequently develop atrial fibrillation, which is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Whether AF is a cause or a consequence of worsening congestive HF has important implications for patient management: If AF is a cause of HF, anti-arrhythmic agents are indicated; but if AF is a result, improvement in hemodynamics is the primary treatment goal. In an intriguing study that begins to address this chicken-and-egg question, investigators from the University of Minnesota Medical Center tracked the atrial tachyarrhythmia burden in 28 consecutive patients with dual-chamber pacemakers or implantable cardioverter-defibrillators who upgraded to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices, from >1 year b…