Special Focus of September 2010 Issue of HeartRhythm Journal and Podcasts: Atrial Fibrillation

The September 2010 issue of HeartRhythm Journal focused on atrial fibrillation (AF), coinciding with AF Awareness Month. Learn more about the variety of AF related articles that are featured, including:

* Note: These articles, featured in the September 2010 issue of the HeartRhythm Journal, were designated so that they can be accessed by non-subscribers. All Heart Rhythm Society members enjoy complimentary print and online subscriptions to HeartRhythm Journal, the number one specialty journal in cardiology. (Not a Society member? Join today for full benefits and discounts!)

• Antiarrhythmic use from 1991 to 2007: Insights from the Canadian Registry of Atrial Fibrillation (CARAF I and II)
  This study evaluated the use of rate-controlling drugs and antiarrhythmic drugs (AAD) in the Canadian Registry of Atrial Fibrillation (CARAF) over a 16-year period from 1991 through 2007. The results show that AAD use increased initially from 1991 to 1994 before steadily declining. After 1999, there was a continued increase in rate-controlling medication use due to the increased use of beta-blockers. The authors conclude that management of AF has undergone significant shifts since 1990, reflecting the influence of drug development, prevailing belief systems, the impact of large clinical trials and evidence-based recommendations. Monitoring of pharmacotherapy trends will provide insight into the real-world application of evidence-based guidelines as well as allow the opportunity to identify deficiencies and improve patient care.
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• Identification of a high-risk population for esophageal injury during radiofrequency catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation: Procedural and anatomical considerations
  New research released in the journal is the first to find both anatomical and procedural considerations that can lead to the creation of esophageal ulcerations after radiofrequency ablation of AF. According to the study, patients at high-risk for esophageal injury can be identified based on pre-acquired multislice computed tomography. The study is the largest to provide serial endoscopy data on the esophagus after radiofrequency ablation.
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AF Studies: Rhythms in Review Podcasts

Each month HeartRhythm Journal Editor Douglas P. Zipes, MD, FHRS interviews select journal authors about their research. Listen to the two special interviews on AF studies featured in September:

• Interview with Dawood Darbar — Dawood Darbar, MD, FHRS and his collaborators have found a genetic abnormality affecting the ultra rapid potassium channel in patients with early onset lone AF. This channel, unique to the atria, is normally regulated by tyrosine kinase but no longer responds to such regulation, a change that can shorten the atrial action potential duration and predispose to atrial fibrillation. Dr. Zipes discusses the importance of this finding and the authors' uncovering of a new regulatory pathway that might provide therapeutic opportunities in the future.
  Listen to Dawood Darbar interview » (11:57 minutes)
  
  
• Interview with Charles R. Kerr — Charles Kerr, MD, FHRS and his associates analyzed the CARAF over a period of 16 years to discover trends in the use of rate and rhythm control medications in 1400 patients with new onset paroxysmal AF. This “real world” application of drugs showed a more recent decline in the use of rhythm controlling drugs, but an increase in amiodarone, and an increase in rate controlling drugs, primarily due to an increase in beta blockers. Dr. Zipes discusses the importance of these findings and what the future might hold.
  Listen to Charles R. Kerr interview » (9:59 minutes)