Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Catheter Ablation in Combination With Left Atrial Appendage Closure for Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: February 26, 2013
Recent advances in pharmacotherapy of atrial fibrillation
1Department of Pharmacology Pt. BD Sharma PGIMS, Rohtak-124 001, India.
Abstract:
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Efficacy and safety of currently employed antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) continue to be less optimal in AF. Development of newer AADs has recently been made possible through a greater understanding of electro-pathophysiology of AF. Highly specific drugs acting on atria are currently being explored, although there is little data available on effectiveness of atrial specific agents in maintaining sinus rhythm. Combining AADs and non-AADs such as angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) may increase effectiveness of AADs in patients with AF. Controlled clinical trials are required to precisely define the efficacy of single agents versus various combinations in maintaining sinus rhythm in patients with AF. This review describes some of the most promising therapeutic approaches that may overcome some of the limitations of drugs used at present for the management of AF.
Related Concept Videos
Dysrhythmias VI: Management of Dysrhythmias
Heart Failure Drugs: Inhibitors of Renin-Angiotensin System
Anticoagulant Drugs: Vitamin K Antagonists and Direct Oral Anticoagulants
Warfarin, a prominent vitamin K antagonist family member, exerts its effect by inhibiting the enzyme VKORC1 (vitamin K epoxide reductase complex 1). By hindering this enzyme, warfarin...
Heart Failure V: Medical Management
Antiplatelet Drugs: Prostaglandin Synthesis, P2Y12 and Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibitors
Prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors, exemplified by the widely known aspirin, wield their power by irreversibly acetylating...
Antiarrhythmic Drugs: Class II Agents as β-Adrenergic Blockers

