Continuous Versus Episodic Amiodarone Treatment for the Prevention of Permanent Atrial Fibrillation

Summary

Our hypothesis is that episodic amiodarone treatment (i.e. amiodarone treatment 1 month prior until 1 month after cardioversion) is associated with a lower morbidity and a higher quality of life compared to continuous prophylactic amiodarone treatment while atrial fibrillation is still effectively suppressed. The latter means that at the end of the study permanent atrial fibrillation is prevented in comparable percentage of patients (70%) in both treatment strategies. However, this will be accomplished at the cost of a higher number of electrical cardioversions (2-3) in the episodic treatment group compared to the continuous treatment group.

Timeline

Start

2003-01

Primary completion

—

Completion

2007-03

Publications

• Ahmed S, Ranchor AV, Crijns HJ, Van Veldhuisen DJ, Van Gelder IC; CONVERT investigators. Effect of continuous versus episodic amiodarone treatment on quality of life in persistent atrial fibrillation. Europace. 2010 Jun;12(6):785-91. doi: 10.1093/europace/euq049. Epub 2010 Mar 2.
• Ahmed S, Rienstra M, Crijns HJ, Links TP, Wiesfeld AC, Hillege HL, Bosker HA, Lok DJ, Van Veldhuisen DJ, Van Gelder IC; CONVERT Investigators. Continuous vs episodic prophylactic treatment with amiodarone for the prevention of atrial fibrillation: a randomized trial. JAMA. 2008 Oct 15;300(15):1784-92. doi: 10.1001/jama.300.15.1784.

Drugs

Indications