Background-Data from studies of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors provide evidence that the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system plays a role as a mediator of atrial remodeling in atrial fibrillation. The present study has evaluated the effect of treatment with the angiotensin I type 1 receptor blocker irbesartan on maintaining sinus rhythm after conversion from persistent atrial fibrillation. Methods and Results-To be included in the present study, patients must have had an episode of persistent atrial fibrillation for Ͼ7 days. The patients were then randomized and scheduled for electrical cardioversion. Two groups of patients were compared: Group I was treated with amiodarone, and group II was treated with amiodarone plus irbesartan. The primary end point was the length of time to a first recurrence of atrial fibrillation. From a total of 186 patients assessed in the study, 154 were analyzed with the use of intention-to-treat analysis. Seventy-five patients were randomly allocated to group I and 79 to group II. After 2 months of follow-up in the intention-to-treat analysis, the group treated with irbesartan had fewer patients with recurrent atrial fibrillation (

No abstract

We conducted a meta-analysis of all randomized controlled clinical trials that compared ARBs and/or ACEIs with either placebo or conventional therapy in patients with either hypertension, heart failure, ischemic heart disease, or diabetes mellitus. The pooled outcome was the development of new onset atrial fibrillation. Two reviewers independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. In some cases, the study authors were contacted for additional information. Seven trials involving a total of 24,849 patients were included (11,328 randomized to active therapy and 13,521 to control). There was a significant statistical difference in the pooled development of atrial fibrillation between the treatment and control group. (OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.39 to 0.82); test for overall effect z = 2.98 P = 0.003). Treatment with ACEIs/ARBs markedly reduces the risk of development or recurrence of atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia associated with increased risk of stroke and mortality. The early appearance of electrical remodeling is followed by structural remodeling of the atrial tissue. Direct current cardioversion of persistent AF is the most effective treatment for the restoration of sinus rhythm, but it is hampered by a high percentage of recurrences. Recurrences may be the consequence of both electrical and structural remodeling. A study on the use of irbesartan to maintain sinus rhythm in patients with long-lasting persistent AF showed that this angiotensin II receptor blocker combined with amiodarone prolonged sinus rhythm after cardioversion. Irbesartan may have antifibrotic effects due not only to the ability to diminish the synthesis of collagen type I molecules but also to its capacity to stimulate the degradation of collagen type I fibers, as has been demonstrated with losartan, another angiotensin II receptor blocker. This suggests that efforts to reduce the structural changes that occur during AF may be more useful in preventing recurrences than efforts designed to minimize the electrical changes alone. The AFFIRM trial compared two approaches to the treatment of AF: cardioversion with antiarrhythmic drugs to maintain sinus rhythm and the use of rate-controlling drugs. The results show that management of AF with the rhythm-control strategy offers no survival advantage over the rate-control strategy. However, non-antiarrhythmic drugs to prevent recurrences, like irbesartan, were not controlled and amiodarone was used in a low percentage of the patients. The treatment strategies proposed in both AFFIRM and RACE, in our opinion, may not be the optimal. The modern clinical approach to AF involves an early intervention to restore sinus rhythm, therefore preventing atrial remodeling. The pretreatment of patients with AF who undergo electrical cardioversion is very important and will be the subject for continuous improvement.

There is a subset of patients with failed ablation of the cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) using standard catheters and with 10% of the patients having recurrences. The purpose of this study was to compare the cooled and standard ablation with regard to acute successful electrophysiological achievement of bidirectional isthmus block and the subacute anatomic characteristics of the lesions. This randomized, experimental study compares the effects of ablation on the isthmus using a cooled catheter with those of a standard ablation catheter in 16 pigs. In 12 animals, CTI block was achieved after ablation (8/8 cooled and 4/8 standard). In two animals, it was not possible to achieve complete isthmus block and two had persistent slow conduction (all four using the standard catheter). After 1 week, the animals were slaughtered. The size of the lesion was greater with the irrigated tip catheters. Transmural lesions were found in 14 animals. A complete line of anatomic isthmus block was not documented after thefirst line in six animals, four with the standard and two with the cooled catheter. A conduction block was never present across gaps > or = 5 mm. In conclusion cooled catheters achieved a complete line of electrophysiological and anatomical block in a significantly higher percentage than the standard catheters.