Active clinical trials for "Atrial Fibrillation"

This randomized, controlled trial is designed to test whether treatment of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) with positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy alters the natural history of atrial fibrillation (AF). Patients with recent AF who are now in sinus rhythm, and found to have SDB (obstructive and/or central sleep apnea) by formal sleep study but without complaints of daytime sleepiness, are randomized to PAP therapy to eradicate SDB or to usual care (medical management as prescribed by the patient's cardiologist).

The aim of this prospective randomized clinical trial was to evaluate the early and late outcome following left atrial radiofrequency ablation during MV surgery for the treatment of continuous atrial fibrillation and to assess the functional effects of restoration of sinus rhythm.

The purpose of this study is to determine the safety and efficacy of an investigational antiarrhythmic drug (ATI-2042) in the treatment of atrial fibrillation in patients with a dual chamber pacemaker.

Patients with mechanical heart valve prosthesis or with irregular beat (atrial fibrillation) have a high risk of blood clot formation. Such clots can result in a stroke. The patients are treated with warfarin - a "blood thinner" - to prevent these complications. The treatment has to be monitored with a blood test called Prothrombin time (PT) every 1-4 weeks. The dose of warfarin has to be changed whenever the PT result is outside of the treatment range. If the result is too low there is an increased risk of blood clots. If, instead, the result is too high there is a risk of bleeding. One third of the patients have very stable PT results and hardly ever have to change the dose. The investigators hypothesis is that these patients can go less often, e.g. every 12 weeks, for the blood tests.

Anticoagulation with warfarin is a common and potentially hazardous therapeutic intervention. It is a leading cause of iatrogenic bleeding events and, hence, of malpractice claims. There are no good alternatives presently for warfarin anticoagulation, and even when alternatives become available (i.e., ximelagatran), cost, labeling, and experience (outcomes-related) issues will continue to favor an extensive and ongoing use of warfarin. If the present study is able to confirm an advantage for a genotype-driven algorithm, in terms of improved efficiency, therapeutic efficacy, and, especially, safety, then a pharmacogenetics approach to warfarin dosing can be recommended as the basis for an Intermountain Health Care (IHC)-wide quality improvement initiative that should improve patient outcomes, reduce resource use (costs of achieving safe and therapeutic anticoagulation), and reduce adverse clinical events. COUMA-GEN is a prospective, randomized study of patients who are to begin chronic warfarin therapy for specific, qualifying clinical reasons (i.e., atrial fibrillation (AF), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), or post-orthopedic surgery prophylaxis). Qualifying patients will be consented and randomized to an individualized, genotype-based warfarin-dosing regimen or to standard care (without knowledge of genotype). In each study arm, a predicted maintenance dose will be determined. All patients will receive a baseline International Normalized Ratio (INR). For patients in all 3 entry strata, a starting dose of warfarin that is twice the assigned daily maintenance dose (according to the specific treatment arm) will be prescribed on the first and second days, and then the dose will revert to the assigned maintenance dose.

The purpose of the study is to demonstrate the efficiency on AT / AF prevention and termination of a new algorithm contained in the Medtronic AT500 Antitachycardia device in patients with conventional pacemaker indications.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart arrhythmia afflicting approximately 1% of the Danish population. Medical antiarrhythmic treatment is only moderately effective and has the risk of severe side effects. The present study is a prospective, randomized, multicentre study comparing medical antiarrhythmic drug strategy with catheter based radiofrequency strategy in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. The primary end point is atrial fibrillation burden (symptomatic and asymptomatic) judged by multiple 7-day Holter monitorings during 2 years follow-up. Three hundred patients considered candidates for antiarrhythmic drug treatment will be randomized. The study will be performed as a Scandinavian/German multicentre study.

Since home monitors of prothrombin time (PT) may potentially improve the safety, quality, and convenience of chronic anticoagulation management, it is likely that there will be demands from providers, patients, and manufacturers to make home monitors available to VA patients. The rationale for patient self-testing (PST) is that, compared to conventional high quality anticoagulation management (HQACM), it would permit more intense monitoring and increased patient participation in his/her own care, resulting in increased precision in anticoagulation control and thus fewer events of thromboembolism (strokes) and bleeding. The secondary hypothesis is that PST and HQACM will be comparable in terms of health care utilization and cost.

Metoprolol is frequently administered to cardiac surgery patients to reduce the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation (PoAF). Metoprolol is metabolized by the enzyme CYP2D6, which is known to have many mutations that could influence a patient's ability to metabolize the drug. In this prospective clinical trial, the investigators will determine the genotype of CYP2D6 for patients undergoing cardiac surgery, provide an altered dosing recommendation for metoprolol, then report the relative effectiveness in managing PoAF for each pharmacogenetic- guided dosing category. The investigators will also explore the effects of personalized metoprolol dosing recommendations on outcomes in hospital length of stay, cost, and provider participation.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm disorder, and the incidence is rapidly increasing. Cardioversion using an electrical shock (DC-cardioversion) is an important treatment to reduce symptoms and improve patient's quality-of-life. The treatment is performed by applying gel electrodes to the chest. Cardioversion is not always successful, and it is unknown which electrode-position provides the optimal efficacy. This study aims to compare two electrode positions, which are in clinical use: Anterior-posterior (left front and left back) versus anterior-lateral (right front and left side of the chest).