Summary

State-of-the-art management of atrial fibrillation (AF) requires an understanding of the general therapeutic strategies, limitations of each approach, and the factors involved in the selection of a strategy. This article discusses the merits of a rate control versus a rhythm control strategy using antiarrhythmic drugs, optimal approaches to anticoagulation in patients with AF, new catheter ablation techniques, and the use of rhythm control for younger patients, among other topics.