Rate Control

The initial therapy after the onset of atrial fibrillation should always include medication to control the ventricular rate. This should be continued throughout a rhythm control approach to ensure adequate control of ventricular rate during recurrences of atrial fibrillation.

Before choosing rate control alone as a long-term strategy,
the clinician should consider several things:

1.  How will permanent atrial fibrillation affect the individual patient in the future.
2.  How successful will a rhythm control strategy be for this patient.
3.  Is the patient a candidate for an ablation.



In general, rate control should be the initial approach in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation and minimal symptoms. The three medications that are commonly used to control rate are beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers and digitalis, with beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers being the more effective medications.

If your physician would like to refer you for a consultation or you would like to make an appointment to speak with us concerning the treatment options available to you in our Atrial Fibrillation Center please call (201) 996-2997.