Abstract
The purpose of this study is to clarify the efficacy and safety of bepridil for persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). Bepridil (100-200mg/day) was administered to 159 patients (141 males, 58 years) with persistent AF. The effects of conversion and maintenance of sinus rhythm (SR) were evaluated. If sinus restoration was not obtained until 3 months observation, DC cardioversion was performed. In 87 of 159 patients (55%), SR was restored within an average 2.1 months following administration of bepridil. 74 of those 87 patients (85%) have been maintained in SR for the average follow-up of 16 months. The 31 out of remaining 72 patients failed pharmacological conversion were performed DC cardioversion. All of patients restored SR, and 18 of them (58%) could be maintained SR for an average of 20 months. Although ECG revealed significant prolongation of QT interval from 0.38 to 0.42 sec, QTc was unchanged and no serious adverse complications including torsade de pointes were recognized. Bepridil is clinically safe and useful with favorable efficacy for conversion and maintenance of SR in patients with persistent AF.
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