Evidence continues to mount to the effect that aldosterone is an important factor in the initiation and progression of atrial fibrillation and that aldosterone receptor blockers (spironolactone and eplerenone) may be useful in preventing it. A group of Japanese researchers reports that eplerenone is effective in preventing relapse following catheter ablation for permanent AF and a fellow afibber reports that spironolactone is keeping his AF under control.

Ten years ago I pointed out that digoxin is a very dangerous drug which should never be used by lone afibbers. Cardiologists at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, CA now support this position after completing a large study that showed afibbers who were prescribed digoxin after their initial diagnosis were twice as likely to die within the following 10 months as were patients not prescribed digoxin. The lead author of the study summed up its findings as “This is a very big deal. We will tell Kaiser physicians not to prescribe digoxin to patients with atrial fibrillation.”

Also in this issue we report on a new alternative to Holter monitoring, that dental scaling may help prevent AF, that radiofrequency ablation is superior to cryo-ablation in follow-up procedures, that hypothyroidism is associated with AF, and that electrophysiological studies can clearly distinguish between vagal and adrenergic AF – there really is a difference!

Last but not least, if you need to restock your supplements, please remember that by ordering through my on-line vitamin store you will be helping to defray the cost of maintaining the web site and bulletin board. You can find the store at http://www.afibbers.org/vitamins.htm - your continuing support is greatly appreciated.

Wishing you good health and lots of NSR,