Health Conditions

What is on the horizon?

The next therapeutic option being developed for AF is a surgical procedure known as pulmonary vein isolation. The pulmonary veins are the 4 vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood back to the left side of the heart. There is a thick ring of muscle at the point where the veins attach to the heart. Scientists have found that this muscle may become electrically active, becoming the source of the abnormal electrical firing, initiating AF. During pulmonary vein isolation, a small catheter is fed into the heart and electrical energy is used to destroy the band of muscle. This hopefully eliminates a source of abnormal electrical activity, possibly the source of the AF, and hopefully will prevent further episodes. The procedure is currently being studied in certain situations including paroxysmal AF, AF that develops while the patient is on AF treatment, and patients having many side-effects from the medications used to treat AF.

A recent analysis of 6 studies suggests that the use of statins, medications commonly used to treat high cholesterol, may decrease the risk for developing AF. In addition to their cholesterol-lowering abilities, statins also reduce inflammation. Researchers believe that statins may decrease inflammation around the heart, resulting in lower risks of AF. While statin therapy is very encouraging as a potential therapy for prevention of AF, larger, well-conducted studies are needed before they can be recommended.