The effect of controlling the heart rate on the heart failure index and on heart function in heart failure patients with atrial fibrillation.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of controlling the heart rate on the heart failure index and on heart function in patients with heart failure and atrial fibrillation. METHODS: 82 patients with heart failure and atrial fibrillation were divided into a control group (n=41) and a study group (n=41). The patients in the control group underwent conventional treatment. In addition to the conventional treatment, the patients in the study group were administered metoprolol to actively control their heart rates and to decrease their resting heart rates down to 55-60 beats/min as the target heart rate. After three months of treatment, the heart function, the levels of N terminal pro B type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and the inflammatory factors were compared between the two groups. At the same time, the readmission rates and prognoses were calculated. RESULTS: After the treatment, the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and the cardiac output (CO) levels in the two groups were increased, and the levels in the study group were higher than the levels in the control group; there were opposite trends in the left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESD) levels, the left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD) levels, and the NT-proBNP, serum CRP, TNF-α and IL-6 levels (all P<0.05). After a six month follow up, the readmission and heart failure rates, and the incidence of adverse events in the study group were lower than they were in the control group (all P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The effective control of the ventricular rate can more significantly benefit the heart failure symptoms and atrial fibrillation, alleviate the inflammatory response, and thus improve the heart function and prognoses of heart failure patients with atrial fibrillation.