Medical Management of Atrial Fibrillation

Medical management may be a less intimidating treatment option for some people suffering from atrial fibrillation. 

It consists of using anticoagulants in conjunction with rate control or rhythm control drug regimens. Each of these regimens has benefits and risks, and both are life-long drug therapies. Factors to consider for medical management include your classification of atrial fibrillation, your medical history, your susceptibility to high-risk factors, and your ability to follow specific dosage requirements and maintain an appropriate testing schedule. 

Rate control drugs attempt to reduce the symptoms of atrial fibrillation by lowering the heart rate to less than 100 beats per minute.

Rhythm control drugs, or antiarrhythmics, work to stabilize heart rhythm and maintain a normal sinus rhythm.

Anticoagulants are the most commonly prescribed medications for reducing the risk of stroke among patients with atrial fibrillation. Anticoagulants, or blood thinners, do nothing to address the abnormal heart beat but instead are used to prevent the formation of blood clots.