[Atrial fibrillation-pharmacological therapy for rate and rhythm control].

The therapeutic management of patients with atrial fibrillation is based on the three pillars (1) prevention of thromboembolism, (2) rate control, and (3) rhythm control. Patients with one or more risk factors should be treated with an oral anticoagulants in order to prevent stroke and to reduce mortality. The goals of rate control, prevention of heart failure and alleviation of atrial fibrillation related symptoms, normally can be achieved by pharmacological agents slowing the conduction in the AV node (e. g. β-blockers, calcium channel blockers, digoxin). For patients remaining symptomatic despite sufficient rate control adding a rhythm control strategy may be considered. The currently available antiarrhythmic drugs (e. g. flecainide, propafenone, sotalol, dronedarone, amiodarone) are characterized by a rather low efficacy in maintaining sinus rhythm and various possibly life threatening side effects. Therefore, invasive therapies as catheter ablation are frequently needed to achieve rhythm control in symptomatic patients with atrial fibrillation.