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The effect of angiotensin receptor blockers for preventing atrial fibrillation

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Abstract

Atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia in clinical practice, and causes significant burden to patients and health care systems. Clinicians treat existing atrial fibrillation with anticoagulation and/or drugs that utilize either a rate or rhythm control strategy. It remains unclear how best to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in this population. Prevention of atrial fibrillation using angiotensin receptor blockers, which affect ion currents and refractoriness in atrial myocytes, regress or prevent atrial fibrosis, decrease left atrial size, regress left ventricular hypertrophy, modulate sympathetic nerve activity, reduce inflammation, and reduce blood pressure, may become an important and desirable alternative.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiology B2142, Rigshospitalet, The Heart Center, 9 Blegdamsvej, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Kristian Wachtell MD, PhD

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  1. Kristian Wachtell MD, PhD
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  2. Richard B. Devereux MD
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  3. Paulette A. Lyle BS
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Correspondence to Kristian Wachtell MD, PhD.

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Wachtell, K., Devereux, R.B. & Lyle, P.A. The effect of angiotensin receptor blockers for preventing atrial fibrillation. Current Science Inc 9, 278–283 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11906-007-0051-1

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