Diseases Commons^™

Atrial Fibrillation: Rate Versus Rhythm Control, Carlos E. Vargas, Mina Bhatnagar, Haris Ahmed, Michael G. Flynn, Thomas Alexander

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Atrial fibrillation (AF) remains the most common arrhythmia worldwide and is expected to affect approximately 12 million individuals in the United States alone by 2030. Thromboembolic events remain a feared complication of AF and should be treated and risk-stratified utilizing the CHA₂DS₂-VASc scoring system. Other complications of AF span a wide spectrum from impaired quality of life (QoL) to an increase in all-cause mortality. Rate control strategies consist of controlling the ventricular rate and have been shown to be a safe and effective strategy for asymptomatic AF patients. In patients who are plagued with symptoms leading to impaired QoL or …