Atrial fibrillation and heart failure.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and congestive heart failure (CHF) are the new epidemics of the third millennium due to ageing of the population and the success of new therapies for acute cardiac illnesses that, in the past, were fatal. The interactions between AF and CHF are only partially understood, and the effectiveness of drugs as well as that of non-pharmacological interventions remains often disappointing. Furthermore, few studies have been planned with a view to evaluate specifically the combined clinical setting of atrial tachyarrhythmias and CHF. Antiarrhythmic drugs have been widely used in preparation for cardioversion of AF and maintenance of sinus rhythm, though they have a limited