This review summarizes the evolving management of atrial fibrillation, highlighting advancements in rate and rhythm control as well as new pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies.
#### Summary points Atrial fibrillation is the commonest sustained arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice. Its prevalence increases with age, rising from 0.7% in people aged 55-59 years to 18% in those older than 85 years.1 Consequently, the public health burden associated with atrial fibrillation is increasing.w1 The therapeutics of atrial fibrillation is evolving. In recent years, publication of several randomised controlled trials and meta-analyses have improved our understanding of the advantages and inconveniences of rate and rhythm control strategies, and effective, new non-pharmacological treatments have been introduced. New antiarrhythmic and anticoagulant drugs are expected in the near future. Atrial fibrillation is characterised by a chaotic electrical activity in the atria that induces an irregular and usually rapid contraction of the ventricles (figure 1⇓). Patients may be asymptomatic; may have mild symptoms, …
Lafuente‐Lafuente et al. (Wed,) studied this question.