5 articles
Atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation (AF, AFib) is the most common treated heart arrhythmia, an irregular atrial rhythm raising stroke and heart failure risk; treated with anticoagulation, rate or rhythm control, and ablation.
EAST trial
The EAST trial, formally EAST-AFNET 4, was an international randomized trial of 2,789 patients showing early rhythm control for atrial fibrillation cut cardiovascular death, stroke, and hospitalization by 21%.
Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation
Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (pAF, paroxysmal AFib): self-terminating AF episodes under 7 days, about half of AF cases, driven mainly by pulmonary vein triggers, progressing to persistent AF in about a third of patients within 10 years.
Permanent atrial fibrillation
Permanent atrial fibrillation (ICD-11 BC81.32) is AF accepted by patient and physician with no planned sinus-rhythm restoration; a therapeutic decision, not a pathologic type, managed with rate control and anticoagulation.
Persistent atrial fibrillation
Persistent atrial fibrillation (PersAF, persistent AFib) is continuous atrial fibrillation lasting more than 7 days and requiring intervention, distinct from paroxysmal (12 months) forms; higher stroke and mortality risk than paroxysmal AF, treated with anticoagulation, rate/rhythm control, and increasingly first-line ablation.