A new drug that would change the way we treat Atrial Fibrillation!

ATHENA showed that dronedarone decreased the risk of cardiovascular hospitalizations or death from any cause, meeting the study primary endpoint. For the first time in decades of clinical drug trials in atrial fibrillation, an investigational medicine, showed a significant decrease in the risk of cardiovascular death by 30% on top of standard therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter. Dronedarone also significantly decreased the risk for arrhythmic death and there were numerically less deaths from any cause in the dronedarone group compared to placebo. In my opinion dronedarone will have 2 major roles in changing the way we treat patients with atrial fibrillation:1)For the first time we will feel safe initiating an antiarrhythmic drug on an outpatient basis.2) ATHENA showing improved mortality and morbidity using this drug, dronedarone might be considered as a first drug of choice when treating patients with atrial fibrillation and normal heart.