Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM)

Summary

To compare two standard treatment strategies for atrial fibrillation: ventricular rate control and anticoagulation vs. rhythm control and anticoagulation.

Timeline

Start

1995-03

Primary completion

—

Completion

2002-09

Publications

• Background Atrial fibrillation follow-up investigation of rhythm management -- the AFFIRM study design. The Planning and Steering Committees of the AFFIRM study for the NHLBI AFFIRM investigators. Am J Cardiol. 1997 May 1;79(9):1198-202.
• Background Wyse DG. The AFFIRM trial: main trial and substudies-what can We expect? J Interv Card Electrophysiol. 2000 Jan;4 Suppl 1:171-6. doi: 10.1023/a:1009815606734.
• Background Waldo AL. Management of atrial fibrillation: the need for AFFIRMative action. AFFIRM investigators. Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management. Am J Cardiol. 1999 Sep 15;84(6):698-700. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9149(99)00419-1. No abstract available.
• Background AFFIRM Investigators. Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management. Baseline characteristics of patients with atrial fibrillation: the AFFIRM Study. Am Heart J. 2002 Jun;143(6):991-1001. doi: 10.1067/mhj.2002.122875.
• Background Epstein AE, Vidaillet H, Greene HL, Curtis AB, Ellenbogen KA, Simmons T, Mickel M. Frequency of symptomatic atrial fibrillation in patients enrolled in the Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) study. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol. 2002 Jul;13(7):667-71. doi: 10.1046/j.1540-8167.2002.00667.x.
• Background Wyse DG, Waldo AL, DiMarco JP, Domanski MJ, Rosenberg Y, Schron EB, Kellen JC, Greene HL, Mickel MC, Dalquist JE, Corley SD; Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) Investigators. A comparison of rate control and rhythm control in patients with atrial fibrillation. N Engl J Med. 2002 Dec 5;347(23):1825-33. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa021328.
• Background AFFIRM First Antiarrhythmic Drug Substudy Investigators. Maintenance of sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation: an AFFIRM substudy of the first antiarrhythmic drug. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2003 Jul 2;42(1):20-9. doi: 10.1016/s0735-1097(03)00559-x.
• Background Corley SD, Epstein AE, DiMarco JP, Domanski MJ, Geller N, Greene HL, Josephson RA, Kellen JC, Klein RC, Krahn AD, Mickel M, Mitchell LB, Nelson JD, Rosenberg Y, Schron E, Shemanski L, Waldo AL, Wyse DG; AFFIRM Investigators. Relationships between sinus rhythm, treatment, and survival in the Atrial Fibrillation Follow-Up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) Study. Circulation. 2004 Mar 30;109(12):1509-13. doi: 10.1161/01.CIR.0000121736.16643.11. Epub 2004 Mar 8.
• Background Steinberg JS, Sadaniantz A, Kron J, Krahn A, Denny DM, Daubert J, Campbell WB, Havranek E, Murray K, Olshansky B, O'Neill G, Sami M, Schmidt S, Storm R, Zabalgoitia M, Miller J, Chandler M, Nasco EM, Greene HL. Analysis of cause-specific mortality in the Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) study. Circulation. 2004 Apr 27;109(16):1973-80. doi: 10.1161/01.CIR.0000118472.77237.FA. Epub 2004 Mar 29.
• Background Cooper HA, Bloomfield DA, Bush DE, Katcher MS, Rawlins M, Sacco JD, Chandler M; AFFIRM Investigators. Relation between achieved heart rate and outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (from the Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management [AFFIRM] Study). Am J Cardiol. 2004 May 15;93(10):1247-53. doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2004.01.069.
• Background Kaufman ES, Zimmermann PA, Wang T, Dennish GW 3rd, Barrell PD, Chandler ML, Greene HL; Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management investigators. Risk of proarrhythmic events in the Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) study: a multivariate analysis. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2004 Sep 15;44(6):1276-82. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2004.06.052.
• Background Marshall DA, Levy AR, Vidaillet H, Fenwick E, Slee A, Blackhouse G, Greene HL, Wyse DG, Nichol G, O'Brien BJ; AFFIRM and CORE Investigators. Cost-effectiveness of rhythm versus rate control in atrial fibrillation. Ann Intern Med. 2004 Nov 2;141(9):653-61. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-141-9-200411020-00005.
• Background Shelton RJ. The AFFIRM study: approaches to control rate in atrial fibrillation. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2004 Dec 21;44(12):2418; author reply 2418-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2004.09.025. No abstract available.
• Background Jenkins LS, Brodsky M, Schron E, Chung M, Rocco T Jr, Lader E, Constantine M, Sheppard R, Holmes D, Mateski D, Floden L, Prasun M, Greene HL, Shemanski L. Quality of life in atrial fibrillation: the Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) study. Am Heart J. 2005 Jan;149(1):112-20. doi: 10.1016/j.ahj.2004.03.065.
• Background Olshansky B, Sami M, Rubin A, Kostis J, Shorofsky S, Slee A, Greene HL; NHLBI AFFIRM Investigators. Use of amiodarone for atrial fibrillation in patients with preexisting pulmonary disease in the AFFIRM study. Am J Cardiol. 2005 Feb 1;95(3):404-5. doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2004.09.044.
• Background Cooper HA, Sacco J, Solomon AJ, Feld GK, Leman R, Wilber D; AFFIRM Investigators. Relation of initial resting ventricular rate to the ability to achieve and maintain normal sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation. Am J Cardiol. 2005 Mar 1;95(5):597-602. doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2004.10.037.
• Background Curtis AB, Seals AA, Safford RE, Slater W, Tullo NG, Vidaillet H, Wilber DJ, Slee A. Clinical factors associated with abandonment of a rate-control or a rhythm-control strategy for the management of atrial fibrillation in the AFFIRM study. Am Heart J. 2005 Feb;149(2):304-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ahj.2004.08.012.
• Background Murray KT, Rottman JN, Arbogast PG, Shemanski L, Primm RK, Campbell WB, Solomon AJ, Olgin JE, Wilson MJ, Dimarco JP, Beckman KJ, Dennish G, Naccarelli GV, Ray WA; AFFIRM Investigators. Inhibition of angiotensin II signaling and recurrence of atrial fibrillation in AFFIRM. Heart Rhythm. 2004 Dec;1(6):669-75. doi: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2004.08.008.
• Background Wyse DG, Slee A, Epstein AE, Gersh BJ, Rocco T Jr, Vidaillet H, Volgman A, Weiss R, Shemanski L, Greene HL; AFFIRM Investigators. Alternative endpoints for mortality in studies of patients with atrial fibrillation: the AFFIRM study experience. Heart Rhythm. 2004 Nov;1(5):531-7. doi: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2004.07.007.
• Background Sherman DG, Kim SG, Boop BS, Corley SD, Dimarco JP, Hart RG, Haywood LJ, Hoyte K, Kaufman ES, Kim MH, Nasco E, Waldo AL; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute AFFIRM Investigators. Occurrence and characteristics of stroke events in the Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Sinus Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) study. Arch Intern Med. 2005 May 23;165(10):1185-91. doi: 10.1001/archinte.165.10.1185.
• Background Olshansky B, Heller EN, Mitchell LB, Chandler M, Slater W, Green M, Brodsky M, Barrell P, Greene HL. Are transthoracic echocardiographic parameters associated with atrial fibrillation recurrence or stroke? Results from the Atrial Fibrillation Follow-Up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) study. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2005 Jun 21;45(12):2026-33. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2005.03.020.
• Background DiMarco JP, Flaker G, Waldo AL, Corley SD, Greene HL, Safford RE, Rosenfeld LE, Mitrani G, Nemeth M; AFFIRM Investigators. Factors affecting bleeding risk during anticoagulant therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation: observations from the Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) study. Am Heart J. 2005 Apr;149(4):650-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ahj.2004.11.015.
• Background Flaker GC, Belew K, Beckman K, Vidaillet H, Kron J, Safford R, Mickel M, Barrell P; AFFIRM Investigators. Asymptomatic atrial fibrillation: demographic features and prognostic information from the Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) study. Am Heart J. 2005 Apr;149(4):657-63. doi: 10.1016/j.ahj.2004.06.032.
• Background Curtis AB, Gersh BJ, Corley SD, DiMarco JP, Domanski MJ, Geller N, Greene HL, Kellen JC, Mickel M, Nelson JD, Rosenberg Y, Schron E, Shemanski L, Waldo AL, Wyse DG; AFFIRM Investigators. Clinical factors that influence response to treatment strategies in atrial fibrillation: the Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) study. Am Heart J. 2005 Apr;149(4):645-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ahj.2004.09.038.
• Background Olshansky B, Rosenfeld LE, Warner AL, Solomon AJ, O'Neill G, Sharma A, Platia E, Feld GK, Akiyama T, Brodsky MA, Greene HL; AFFIRM Investigators. The Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) study: approaches to control rate in atrial fibrillation. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2004 Apr 7;43(7):1201-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2003.11.032.
• Background Chung MK, Shemanski L, Sherman DG, Greene HL, Hogan DB, Kellen JC, Kim SG, Martin LW, Rosenberg Y, Wyse DG; AFFIRM Investigators. Functional status in rate- versus rhythm-control strategies for atrial fibrillation: results of the Atrial Fibrillation Follow-Up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) Functional Status Substudy. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2005 Nov 15;46(10):1891-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2005.07.040. Epub 2005 Oct 21.
• Proietti M, Romiti GF, Olshansky B, Lip GYH. Systolic Blood Pressure Visit-to-Visit Variability and Major Adverse Outcomes in Atrial Fibrillation: The AFFIRM Study (Atrial Fibrillation Follow-Up Investigation of Rhythm Management). Hypertension. 2017 Nov;70(5):949-958. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.117.10106. Epub 2017 Oct 3.
• Saksena S, Slee A, Waldo AL, Freemantle N, Reynolds M, Rosenberg Y, Rathod S, Grant S, Thomas E, Wyse DG. Cardiovascular outcomes in the AFFIRM Trial (Atrial Fibrillation Follow-Up Investigation of Rhythm Management). An assessment of individual antiarrhythmic drug therapies compared with rate control with propensity score-matched analyses. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2011 Nov 1;58(19):1975-85. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2011.07.036.

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