Some good afib papers that were buried in covid avalanche

JournalFeed put together a list and these relevant papers made it.

[journalfeed.org]

RAFF2 - Electrical vs Pharmacological Conversion of Atrial Fibrillation - There was no significant difference in overall rate of conversion from atrial fibrillation to normal sinus rhythm with procainamide infusion followed by electrical cardioversion, if needed, compared to placebo infusion followed by electrical cardioversion.
Electrical versus pharmacological cardioversion for emergency department patients with acute atrial fibrillation (RAFF2): a partial factorial randomised trial. Lancet. 2020 Feb 1;395(10221):339-349. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32994-0.

Early Rhythm Control for A-fib | EAST-AFNET 4 Trial - Early rhythm control of atrial fibrillation was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular outcomes, including cardiovascular-related death as well as stroke and hospitalization for worsening heart failure or acute coronary syndrome.
Early Rhythm-Control Therapy in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation. N Engl J Med. 2020 Aug 29. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2019422. Online ahead of print.

How Accurate Is Your ECG Interpretation? - We all have room for improvement in ECG interpretation. Training improves accuracy.
Accuracy of Physicians' Electrocardiogram Interpretations: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Intern Med. 2020 Sep 28;e203989. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.3989. Online ahead of print.

"Early rhythm control of atrial fibrillation was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular outcomes..."

Been my approach for 16+ years - just my own protocol rather than standard of care.

As an aside, I just got off a Zoom call with some cousins. 12 years ago, referred one cousin & his wife to Sergio Pinski, a Natale protegé at Cleveland Clinic Weston FL. They were both ablated and are happily one and done, still.

A his brother who has more recently joined the afib club told me that my suggestion to limit his exercise exertion level (detail here) had the immediate effect of halting his symptoms.

Thanks NLAMA for sharing

Many years ago when i was in Florida, I met an older man that also rented an Apt. next to the one i rented, i spoke with him and he said that he got AF when he was in his late teens, he said he played sports and even went into the army. He was in AF for most of his life, he was in his seventies when he told me about his AF. Biden is in AF, takes a blood thinner, I guess he is going to be President, my daughter has a Condo. in
Florida and the handyman that takes care of work that has to be done, which he does also has AF. Many people are in AF and not getting strokes or Cardio problems anymore than the average public. I know of 2 people that had a stroke and did not have AF.

L

Liz, everyone is different in being symptomatic or not while in AF. It comes down to one’s quality of life. I’m happy you are active with gardening and af doesn’t affect you. My back neighbor, as a reverse example to the handyman, looks miserable when I see him struggling (he is in permanent AF on rate control drugs) to take the trash cans out.

susan, that is true, everyone is different in their AF symptoms--that is why I posted what I did, we all don't have to get an ablation if we have AF. It depends on how we feel and if our heart rate is good. I have read on here that a lot of people have to get more than one ablation, maybe 3, but if that is what they need to stay in NSR and they feel great afterwards, which some have posted that has happened then great. I am just posting another side.

It always amazes me hearing about people living in permanent afib without symptoms.

Pompon:

For almost 20 years I got AF occassionaly and always self converted, during the time I had AF I couldn't do very much and the AF bothered me a lot. Once i went into permanent AF last year it is all different I don't feel it like i did and i can do pretty much everything i used to do, beats me, but that is what has happened. I usually am in the 60s BPM so that could be part of it.

Even if I'm still paroxysmal, I must admit I'm less disabled now while in afib than I could be 5 years ago. Of course, I've had ablations since, but I guess my body is now slowly adapting...