Success of electrocardioversion on the elderly
J J Stroink1, N van Boven, J H Ruiter
1Hart-long Centrum, Medisch Centrum Alkmaar, Postbus 501, 1800, AM, Alkmaar, the Netherlands, jjstroink113@gmail.com.
Background:
There are two treatment strategies for medication-resistant atrial fibrillation (AF): rhythm control or rate control. It has been suggested that rate control is a valid strategy in well-tolerated AF because it does not result in increased mortality. We aimed to investigate the 1-year outcome of rhythm control in an elderly population of AF patients.
Method:
The study was retrospective, using the data collected from electrocardioversions (ECV) of elderly patients and the data of their follow-up visits to the outpatient clinic. We looked for recurrence of AF within the first year after ECV. Furthermore, we investigated possible predictors of recurrence.
Results:
From February 2008 till November 2011, 436 consecutive elderly patients admitted for ECV were included. The 1-year recurrence rate of AF was 51.3 %. We found that being female and a large left atrial diameter were independent predictors of recurrence.
Conclusion:
The AF recurrence rate in our elderly population is comparable with reported AF recurrence rates in a younger population; we conclude that rhythm control can be regarded as the viable strategy in persistent AF in elderly patients.
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