Short-term versus long-term antiarrhythmic drug treatment after cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (Flec-SL): a prospective, randomised, open-label, blinded endpoint assessment trial

Paulus Kirchhof; Dietrich Andresen; Ralph Bosch; Martin Borggrefe; Thomas Meinertz; Ulli Parade; Ursula Ravens; Alexander Samol; Gerhard Steinbeck; Andras Treszl; Karl Wegscheider; Günter Breithardt

doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60570-4

Short-term versus long-term antiarrhythmic drug treatment after cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (Flec-SL): a prospective, randomised, open-label, blinded endpoint assessment trial

Paulus Kirchhof, Dietrich Andresen, Ralph Bosch, Martin Borggrefe, Thomas Meinertz, Ulli Parade, Ursula Ravens, Alexander Samol, Gerhard Steinbeck, Andras Treszl, Karl Wegscheider, Günter Breithardt

Cardiovascular Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

91 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Antiarrhythmic drugs prolong the atrial action potential and refractory period, and thereby prevent recurrent atrial fibrillation after cardioversion. The atrial action potential normalises after 2-4 weeks of sinus rhythm, suggesting that antiarrhythmic drugs might not be needed beyond that period. Therefore, we investigated whether short-term antiarrhythmic drug treatment after cardioversion is non-inferior to long-term treatment.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	238-46
Number of pages	9
Journal	Lancet
Volume	380
Issue number	9838
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60570-4
Publication status	Published - 2012

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Kirchhof, P., Andresen, D., Bosch, R., Borggrefe, M., Meinertz, T., Parade, U., Ravens, U., Samol, A., Steinbeck, G., Treszl, A., Wegscheider, K., & Breithardt, G. (2012). Short-term versus long-term antiarrhythmic drug treatment after cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (Flec-SL): a prospective, randomised, open-label, blinded endpoint assessment trial. Lancet, 380(9838), 238-46. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60570-4

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abstract = "Antiarrhythmic drugs prolong the atrial action potential and refractory period, and thereby prevent recurrent atrial fibrillation after cardioversion. The atrial action potential normalises after 2-4 weeks of sinus rhythm, suggesting that antiarrhythmic drugs might not be needed beyond that period. Therefore, we investigated whether short-term antiarrhythmic drug treatment after cardioversion is non-inferior to long-term treatment.",

author = "Paulus Kirchhof and Dietrich Andresen and Ralph Bosch and Martin Borggrefe and Thomas Meinertz and Ulli Parade and Ursula Ravens and Alexander Samol and Gerhard Steinbeck and Andras Treszl and Karl Wegscheider and G{\"u}nter Breithardt",

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doi = "10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60570-4",

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Kirchhof, P, Andresen, D, Bosch, R, Borggrefe, M, Meinertz, T, Parade, U, Ravens, U, Samol, A, Steinbeck, G, Treszl, A, Wegscheider, K & Breithardt, G 2012, 'Short-term versus long-term antiarrhythmic drug treatment after cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (Flec-SL): a prospective, randomised, open-label, blinded endpoint assessment trial', Lancet, vol. 380, no. 9838, pp. 238-46. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60570-4

TY - JOUR

T1 - Short-term versus long-term antiarrhythmic drug treatment after cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (Flec-SL)

T2 - a prospective, randomised, open-label, blinded endpoint assessment trial

AU - Kirchhof, Paulus

AU - Andresen, Dietrich

AU - Bosch, Ralph

AU - Borggrefe, Martin

AU - Meinertz, Thomas

AU - Parade, Ulli

AU - Ravens, Ursula

AU - Samol, Alexander

AU - Steinbeck, Gerhard

AU - Treszl, Andras

AU - Wegscheider, Karl

AU - Breithardt, Günter

PY - 2012

Y1 - 2012

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AB - Antiarrhythmic drugs prolong the atrial action potential and refractory period, and thereby prevent recurrent atrial fibrillation after cardioversion. The atrial action potential normalises after 2-4 weeks of sinus rhythm, suggesting that antiarrhythmic drugs might not be needed beyond that period. Therefore, we investigated whether short-term antiarrhythmic drug treatment after cardioversion is non-inferior to long-term treatment.

U2 - 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60570-4

DO - 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60570-4

M3 - Article

C2 - 22713626

SN - 1474-547X

VL - 380

SP - 238

EP - 246

JO - Lancet

JF - Lancet

IS - 9838

ER -

Short-term versus long-term antiarrhythmic drug treatment after cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (Flec-SL): a prospective, randomised, open-label, blinded endpoint assessment trial

Abstract

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