Side effects of long-term amiodarone therapy.

Although amiodarone is an effective antiarrhythmic agent, long-term therapy may be associ- ated with unwanted effects.We report our experience in 140 patients treated over 5 years.Important effects were seen particularly in the thyroid gland, liver, lung and skin.Some of these effects are dose-dependent and others may be related to the chemical structure and metabolism of amiodarone.Corneal microdeposits were always found when sought, but did not cause impairment of visual acuity.