Pharmacological rate control of atrial fibrillation

For patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), recent evidence suggests similar outcomes are achieved with ventricular rate control and anticoagulation as compared with strategies focused on conversion to sinus rhythm. This article reviews the evidence supporting the need for heart rate control in different degrees of structural heart disease and also presents a systematic review of the efficacy of agents used for the pharmacologic control of ventricular rate in patients with AF.