ACC/AHA/ESC 2006 Guidelines for the Management of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

Christophe LeclercqCardiologist, CHU Rennes, France

“The ATHENA trial shows that dronedarone, a new antiarryhtmic drug similar to amiodarone but with different effects on individual ion channels, reduced the risk of death or hospitalisation for cardiovascular reasons by 36% when compared with placebo. This was in patients without severe heart failure (NYHA class IV) but with paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation or flutter with additional risk factor for death.”

“PREFER in AF illustrates changes in management of patients with AF since the last 'Guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation: The Task Force for the Management of Atrial Fibrillation of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)' update in 2010. The registry shows that oral anticoagulant therapy is now much more widely used than in the German Competence Network on Atrial Fibrillation (AFNET) and the EuroHeartSurvey registries and suggests that European clinicians are using guidelines well. The rapid uptake of new oral anticoagulants suggests that these drugs are filling a therapeutic gap”