Pacing Therapy for Prevention of Atrial Fibrillation

Abstract

Nonpharmacological therapy is being evaluated for the prevention of atrial fibrillation (AF). Pacing has been proposed as a one of the option to prevent AF. In patients with bradycardia and requiring pacemaker, physiological pacing such as dual chamber pacing or atrial pacing has an advantage against ventricular pacing in prevention AF. Pacing from novel site like the dual-site atrium, biatrial, Bachman, and low sepatl pacing may reduce AF burden and new anti-AF pacemakers with atrial prevention algorithm may decrease AF further. However, selecting the appropriate patients and adopting tailored-therapy for individual patient is likely to remain one of the difficulties in achieving an advantage. This review discusses the current status of pacing therapy for the prevention of AF. It also discusses the some of merits and limitations of pacing therapy for the treatment of AF. (J Arrhythmia 2005; 21: 438-449)