Quality of life is an increasingly recognized outcome measure in atrial fibrillation, though few studies have used properly validated tools to assess the impact of antiarrhythmic drug treatment.
Does antiarrhythmic drug treatment improve quality of life in patients with atrial fibrillation?
This review emphasizes the need for properly validated tools to assess quality of life as an outcome measure in patients with atrial fibrillation receiving antiarrhythmic therapy.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a frequent and costly health care problem. In patients with AF, the restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm is the primary therapeutic goal. The most frequent strategy for maintaining sinus rhythm after restoration is the use of antiarrhythmic drugs. The efficacy of therapy in AF has been predominantly measured using objective criteria such as mortality and morbidity. In recent years, the importance of quality of life (QoL) as an outcome measure has been recognized. However, few studies in the literature have examined QoL in patients with AF using properly validated tools. In addition, the specific impact of antiarrhythmic drug treatment on QoL in patients with AF has not been assessed. These issues are now being addressed in several ongoing studies. This article attempts to define QoL, makes recommendations on how QoL might be assessed, reviews our current knowledge regarding QoL in patients with AF, and discusses new clinical trials currently assessing QoL in patients with AF.
Lüderitz et al. (Mon,) conducted a review in Atrial fibrillation. Antiarrhythmic drugs was evaluated on Quality of life. Quality of life is an increasingly recognized outcome measure in atrial fibrillation, though few studies have used properly validated tools to assess the impact of antiarrhythmic drug treatment.
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