Skip Navigation


European Heart Journal Advance Access originally published online on April 7, 2008
European Heart Journal 2008 29(9):1181-1189; doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehn139
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
29/9/1181    most recent
ehn139v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Nieuwlaat, R.
Right arrow Articles by Crijns, H. J.G.M.
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Nieuwlaat, R.
Right arrow Articles by Crijns, H. J.G.M.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2008. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Prognosis, disease progression, and treatment of atrial fibrillation patients during 1 year: follow-up of the Euro Heart Survey on Atrial Fibrillation

Robby Nieuwlaat1,*, Martin H. Prins2, Jean-Yves Le Heuzey3, Panos E. Vardas4, Etienne Aliot5, Massimo Santini6, Stuart M. Cobbe7, Jos W.M.G. Widdershoven8, Leo H. Baur9, Samuel Lévy10 and Harry J.G.M. Crijns1

1 Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands
2 Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Medical Technology Assessment, University Hospital Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands
3 Department of Cardiology, Hopital Europeen Georges Pompidou, Paris, France
4 Cardiology Department, University Hospital of Heraklion, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
5 Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Nancy, Nancy, France
6 Department of Cardiology, San Filippo Neri Hospital, Rome, Italy
7 Department of Medical Cardiology, Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, UK
8 Department of Cardiology, TweeSteden Ziekenhuis, Tilburg, The Netherlands
9 Department of Cardiology, Atrium Medical Centre, Heerlen, The Netherlands
10 Division of Cardiology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Nord, Marseille, France

Received 18 January 2007; revised 20 February 2008; accepted 13 March 2008; online publish-ahead-of-print 7 April 2008.

* Corresponding author. Tel: +31 43 3875053, Fax: +31 43 3875104, Email: nieuwlaatrobby{at}live.com.au

Aims: To gain insight in the prognosis and treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) patients during 1-year follow-up in the Euro Heart Survey (EHS) on AF.

Methods and results: The EHS enrolled 5333 AF patients in 2003–2004. One-year follow-up data were available for 80%. Of first detected AF patients, 46% did not have a recurrence during 1 year, paroxysmal AF largely remained paroxysmal AF (80%), and 30% of persistent AF progressed to permanent AF. Many treatment changes occurred since baseline. Oral anticoagulation was started in 19% and discontinued in 16% of all patients. Of patients initially on rhythm control 27% did not receive rhythm control during follow-up, whereas 15% of patients initially on rate control received rhythm control. Mortality was highest in permanent AF (8.2%), but also substantial in first detected AF (5.7%). In multivariable analysis, sinus rhythm at baseline was associated with lower mortality, but no significant effect was observed regarding the application of either rhythm or rate control.

Conclusion: The EHS on AF provides unique prospective observational data on AF progression, long-term treatment, prognosis, and determinants of adverse outcome of the total clinical spectrum of AF in a European cardiology-based patient cohort.

Key Words: Atrial fibrillation • Mortality • Prognosis • Progression • Management • Anticoagulation • Rhythm control • Rate control


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.