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type=\u0022text\/css\u0022 rel=\u0022stylesheet\u0022 href=\u0022\/\/d282kpwvnogo5m.cloudfront.net\/sites\/default\/files\/advagg_css\/css__ce2QY63WIanKyr8eSq7eavr1XQRRmFD6ZSmwpyJi8lM__zXwFqpqmxrZOXXcd_TpBQpjuELbmIP9wBR5UuTDWAO4__YJWWMMdfCJuAFm5cUEp88OsodhO3ZA-2lzRfoBsSlk4.css\u0022 media=\u0022all\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Clink rel=\u0027stylesheet\u0027 type=\u0027text\/css\u0027 href=\u0027\/sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/panels\/plugins\/layouts\/onecol\/onecol.css\u0027 \/\u003E\u003C\/head\u003E\u003Cbody\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022panels-ajax-tab-panel panels-ajax-tab-panel-sageoa-tab-art\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022panel-display panel-1col clearfix\u0022 \u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022panel-panel panel-col\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022panel-pane pane-highwire-markup\u0022 \u003E\n  \n      \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022pane-content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022highwire-markup\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv xmlns=\u0022http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xhtml\u0022 id=\u0022content-block-markup\u0022 xmlns:xhtml=\u0022http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xhtml\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022article fulltext-view \u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022highwire-journal-article-marker-start\u0022\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022section abstract\u0022 id=\u0022abstract-1\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESummary\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022p-1\u0022\u003ETreatment of patients with atrial fibrillation who underwent catheter ablation with a short-term antiarrhythmic drug did not decrease long-term recurrence of atrial fibrillation or tachycardia at one year compared to placebo.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cul class=\u0022kwd-group\u0022\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022kwd\u0022\u003Eatrial fibrillation\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022kwd\u0022\u003Eablation\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022kwd\u0022\u003Eantiarrhythmic drug\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022kwd\u0022\u003Eatrial tachycardia\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022kwd\u0022\u003Eatrial flutter\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022kwd\u0022\u003Earrhythmias\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022kwd\u0022\u003Ecardiology \u0026amp; cardiovascular medicine clinical trials\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022kwd\u0022\u003Einterventional techniques \u0026amp; devices\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022section\u0022 id=\u0022sec-1\u0022\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022p-2\u0022\u003EShort-term treatment with an antiarrhythmic drug (AAD) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who underwent catheter ablation reduced the recurrence of AF or atrial tachycardia (AT) at 90 days, but did not improve outcomes at 1 year. Kazuaki Kaitani, MD, Tenri Hospital, Nara, Japan, presented data from the EAST-AF trial [Kaitani K et al. \u003Cem\u003EEur Heart J\u003C\/em\u003E. 2015. In press; \u003Ca class=\u0022external-ref external-ref-type-clintrialgov\u0022 href=\u0022\/lookup\/external-ref?link_type=CLINTRIALGOV\u0026amp;access_num=NCT01477983\u0026amp;atom=%2Fspmdc%2F15%2F28_suppl_2%2F10.atom\u0022\u003ENCT01477983\u003C\/a\u003E].\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022p-3\u0022\u003EDuring the first several months following catheter ablation for the treatment of AF, transient AF or AT may occur, likely as a result of irritability associated with ablation. The purpose of the EAST-AF trial was to evaluate the role of short-term AAD use immediately following ablation for AF in improving long-term outcomes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022p-4\u0022\u003EIn the EAST-AF trial, 2044 patients were randomly assigned to receive AAD or be in the control group for 90 days. The primary end point was recurrent tachyarrhythmias at 1 year. The secondary end points included recurrent AT within the first 90 days, and adverse events. Recurrent AT was defined as an AF, atrial flutter, or AT event that lasted \u0026gt;\u200530 seconds; need for repeat ablation; hospital admission; or need for a Vaughan Williams class I or III AAD.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022p-5\u0022\u003EAt baseline, the mean age was 65.9 and 60.7 years in the AAD and control arms, respectively, and the duration of AF ranged from 24.7 to 26.1 months. Paroxysmal AF was present in 68.1% and 66.9% of patients, whereas persistent AF was present in 22%. The CHADS\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E score was \u2264\u20051 in 70.0% and 77.6% of patients, 2 in 18.9% and 15%, and \u2265\u20053 in 11.1% and 7.4%. The mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 64%.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022p-6\u0022\u003EAt 1 year, 69.5% and 67.8% of patients in the AAD and control arms, respectively, were free from AF or AT (HR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.79 to 1.09; \u003Cem\u003EP\u003C\/em\u003E\u2005=\u2005.38). In addition, there was no significant difference in the primary end point among multiple prespecified subgroups, including age, sex, type of AF, left atrial dimension, and number of previously ineffective AADs. However, freedom from AF or AT was significantly greater in the AAD arm compared with the control arm at 90 days (59.0% vs 52.1%; log-rank \u003Cem\u003EP\u003C\/em\u003E\u2005=\u2005.001).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022p-7\u0022\u003EThe rates of all-cause mortality, ischemic stroke, intracranial hemorrhage, myocardial infarction, and heart failure hospitalization were \u0026lt;\u20050.5% in both groups. Furthermore, there were no instances of cardiovascular death or systemic embolism in the AAD group (vs 0.1% in the control group). About 12% of patients in each group required cardioversion. Side effects related to the AAD occurred in 4.1% of patients and included bradycardia in 1.3% of patients.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022p-8\u0022\u003EDr Kaitani acknowledged that this study was limited by lack of continuous electrocardiography monitoring and the differences in recommendations between Western AF management guidelines and the EAST-AF trial use of AADs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022p-9\u0022\u003EDr Kaitani concluded that, based on the data from the EAST-AF trial, short-term use of AADs in patients with AF who have undergone ablation did not result in improved outcomes at 1 year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cul class=\u0022copyright-statement\u0022\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022fn\u0022 id=\u0022copyright-statement-1\u0022\u003E\u00a9 2015 SAGE Publications\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022highwire-journal-article-marker-end\u0022\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan id=\u0022related-urls\u0022\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/mdc.sagepub.com\/content\/15\/28_suppl_2\/10.abstract\u0022 class=\u0022hw-link hw-link-article-abstract\u0022 data-icon-position=\u0022\u0022 data-hide-link-title=\u00220\u0022\u003EView Summary\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cscript type=\u0022text\/javascript\u0022 src=\u0022http:\/\/mdc.sagepub.com\/sites\/all\/modules\/highwire\/highwire\/plugins\/highwire_markup_process\/js\/highwire_openurl.js?nzl1k3\u0022\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\n\u003C\/body\u003E\u003C\/html\u003E"}