One‑year follow‑up of the Polish subset of the RecordAF registry of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation

INTRODUCTION Data on real‑life management of atrial fibrillation (AF) in Poland is limited. 
OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to present data on 1‑year follow‑up of patients from Poland included in a worldwide registry of patients with AF (RecordAF). 
PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 303 patients with recent‑onset AF were included in the study. Treatment strategy (rhythm control or heart rate control) was noted at baseline. Therapeutic success was assessed at 1 year (control of AF, no incidence of cardiovascular events, no switch between the strategies). 
RESULTS Data from 289 patients were assessed. A rhythm control strategy was used in 70% of the patients. These patients received antithrombotic therapy less frequently than patients in whom rate control was implemented (90.4% vs. 97.6%, respectively, P <0.05), but they more often received class I (19.8% vs. 4.8%, respectively, P <0.05) and class III (20.8% vs. 4.8%, respectively, P <0.05) antiarrhythmic drugs. Therapeutic success was noted in 71.5% of the rhythm‑control group vs. 29.1% of the rate‑control group (P <0.0001), which was related to a better control of AF in the rhythm‑control group compared with the other group (89.3% vs. 56.1%, respectively, P <0.0001). The rate of cardiovascular events was similar in both groups (20.6% of all patients). Progression to permanent AF occurred in 5.9% of the rhythm‑control group compared with the 73.2% of the rate‑control group (P <0.001). 
CONCLUSIONS Almost all patients received antithrombotic treatment and the majority was assigned to rhythm‑control therapy. Despite rare use of antiarrhythmic drugs, a rhythm‑control strategy was associated with better control and slower progression of AF, but not with the lower rate of cardiovascular events in patients with recent‑onset AF in Poland.