"There is hope for drug therapy that targets the atria without risk of
adverse effects on the ventricles and that prevents AF at the level of
substrate development. A serious look needs to be taken at the
possibility that ablation approaches may be better choices for many
patients with AF than currently available antiarrhythmic agents."

CMAJ · September 28, 2004; 171 (7). doi:10.1503/cmaj.1040853.
© 2004 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors

http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/171/7/752
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/reprint/171/7/752

Commentary
Commentaire

Antiarrhythmic drugs for atrial fibrillation: Do we need better use,
better drugs or a randomized trial of ablation as primary therapy?

Stanley Nattel

Dr. Nattel is Senior Scientist at the Research Center, Montreal Heart
Institute, and Paul-David Chair in Cardiovascular Electrophysiology and
Professor of Medicine at the University of Montreal, Montréal, Que. He
is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Quebec
Heart Foundation and Paul-David Chair in Cardiovascular
Electrophysiology, University of Montreal.

Correspondence to: Dr. Stanley Nattel, Montreal Heart Institute
Research Center, 5000 Belanger St. E., Montréal QC H1T 1C8; fax 514
376-1355; Stanley.nattel@icm-mhi.org

Atrial fibrillation (AF