Loading...
In a major trial published in 2002 (AFFIRM; JW Gen Med Dec 13 2002), investigators found no difference in outcome between rhythm and rate control during 5 years of follow-up in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, many clinicians still favor rhythm control. In this retrospective cohort study, researchers used a Canadian database to identify 26,000 hospitalized patients (median age, 77) with incident AF who were treated with rhythm or rate control. Patient follow-up was available for as long as 9 years (median, 3.1 years); during that time, half of the patients died.
Analyses were adjusted for many demographic and clinical confounders. Compared with rate control, rhythm control was associated with 7% higher mortality at 6 months, …