According to recent research conducted by an Australian research team, in patients who have atrial fibrillation (AF) as well as a coexistent heart failure that requires cardiac resynchronization therapy, AV nodal ablation (AVNA) has been found to help lower the mortality rate and improve NYHA functional class.

“Interestingly, the improvements in mortality and functional capacity with AVNA were not accompanied by a significant LVEF (left ventricular ejection fraction) improvement,” note Dr. Prashanthan Sanders with the Royal Adelaide Hospital and colleagues in the February 21 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The research is showing that the benefits of patients getting the cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) have been proven more than once when it comes to the patients who also have symptomatic heart failure. However, the results are not as established for the patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure. As a means of assessing the true value of AVNA in this regard, the researchers monitored information from six observational studies that involved 768 CRT-AF patients. There were 339 participating patients that had to undergo AV ablation and 429 received medical therapy alone as a means of controlling the rate.

What the researchers learned was that all-cause mortality rates were a good deal lower with AVNA when compared with medical therapy, and so was the cardiovascular mortality. The researchers also pointed out that while AVNA has not yet been widely used for AF patients undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy, there is some concern about the patients becoming dependant on pacemakers. They did, however, explain that the problems that are linked to the loss of a pacemaker’s functions are not common.

“To confirm these data, prospective evaluation of AVNA in CRT-AF patients by randomized controlled trial is warranted,” the researchers said when reporting their findings.

Doctors have been trying to find a safe treatment for treating AF for years. The medication Multaq was at first viewed as one of those solutions until the drug caused some patients to suffer from liver failure and worsening of their heart conditions. Some patients taking Multaq even died. Because of the dangers linked to Multaq, most doctors won’t prescribe the drug unless other drugs aren’t working.

If you or a loved one has developed liver failure or a worsening of your heart condition after taking Multaq, contact the attorneys at Greg Jones today for a free consultation. We are experienced at fighting Multaq lawsuits and may be able to help you recover money for your injuries.