A new study compares the efficacy of Amiodarone against that of Bepridil in conversion to sinus rhythm in patients who are suffering from atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim was to see which drug worked best.
For the study, researchers monitored data collected from 40 patients who were 60 years of age or older and had persistent prospective AF. Researchers gave the participants either Amiodarone or Bepridil randomly in open label fashion. They then kept track of the effects the drugs had on them in bringing about conversion to sinus rhythm and maintaining it. Researchers then wanted to see if the sinus rhythm was maintained for 3 months; if it wasn’t, direct current (DC) cardioversion was performed. The researchers also kept track of the patients’ side effects.
According to the published account on Medscape, what the researchers found was that the sinus rhythm was restored in “seven (35 percent) of 20 patients in group A (average follow-up of 3.2 months) and in 17 (85 percent) of 20 in group B (average follow-up of 2.3 months).” Researchers also found that the QT interval and QTc were prolonged greatly when they compared the baseline values in group B. One thing that should be noted, however, is that there were no torsade de pointes seen in any of the patients. In the end, the Bepridil proved to be better than Amiodarone achieving and maintaining sinus rhythm after cardioversion in AF patients.
One drug that was not tested in this study was Sanofi-Aventis’s Multaq. Multaq is an anticoagulant medication that has been linked to liver failure and a worsening of the heart condition; because of this, the drug is only recommended for use if other medications for AF treatment fail.
If you or a loved one has suffered from liver failure or a worsening heart condition after being treated with Multaq, contact the attorneys at Greg Jones today for a free consultation. I am experienced at fighting Multaq lawsuits and may be able to help you recover money for your injuries.