Chest Email Content Delivery
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Guest Access | Sign In via User Name/Password
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF) Free
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Article Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Yahalom, J
Right arrow Articles by Kaplinsky, E
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Yahalom, J
Right arrow Articles by Kaplinsky, E

Chest, Vol 71, 592-596, Copyright © 1977 by American College of Chest Physicians

ARTICLES

Beta-adrenergic blockade as adjunctive oral therapy in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation

J Yahalom, HO Klein and E Kaplinsky

In many patients with chronic atrial fibrillation, it is difficult to prevent an excessive ventricular rate under stress, even with high levels of digoxin in the blood. The effect of adding beta-adrenergic blockade with practolol to digoxin on the heart rate at rest and during low-grade controlled exercise was investigated in 28 patients with chronic atrial fibrillation and in ten normal control subjects who were receiving maintenance dosages (0.25 to 0.75 mg) of digoxin. In atrial fibrillation, therapy with practolol decreased the mean heart rate at rest from 99.8 beats per minute to 77.5 beats per minute (23 percent reduction; P less than 0.01) and during mild exercise from 148.9 beats per minute to 105.4 beats per minute (29 percent) reduction (P less than 0.001). Fifteen patients had clinically significant heart failure; therapy with practolol did not worsen it. Reversible side effects were detected in two patients. When therapy with digoxin is not sufficient to control atrial fibrillation, the addition of a beta-adrenergic blocking agent is recommended as adjunctive treatment in selected patients.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J Am Coll CardiolHome page
A. U. Khand, A. C. Rankin, W. Martin, J. Taylor, I. Gemmell, and J. G. F. Cleland
Carvedilol alone or in combination with digoxin for the management of atrial fibrillation in patients with heart failure?
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., December 3, 2003; 42(11): 1944 - 1951.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 ChestHome page
N. Wattanasuwan, I. A. Khan, N. J. Mehta, P. Arora, N. Singh, B. C. Vasavada, and T. J. Sacchi
Acute Ventricular Rate Control in Atrial Fibrillation : IV Combination of Diltiazem and Digoxin vs IV Diltiazem Alone
Chest, February 1, 2001; 119(2): 502 - 506.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Eur Heart JHome page
A.U Khand, A.C Rankin, G.C Kaye, and J.G.F Cleland
Systematic review of the management of atrial fibrillation in patients with heart failure
Eur. Heart J., April 2, 2000; 21(8): 614 - 632.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 J Am Coll CardiolHome page
R. Farshi, D. Kistner, J. S. M. Sarma, J. A. Longmate, and B. N. Singh
Ventricular rate control in chronic atrial fibrillation during daily activity and programmed exercise: a crossover open-label study of five drug regimens
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., February 1, 1999; 33(2): 304 - 310.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1977 by the American College of Chest Physicians.