[Effectiveness and side effects of the treatment with propafenone and flecainide for recent-onset atrial fibrillation]. / Efficacia ed effetti collaterali del trattamento con propafenone e flecainide della fibrillazione atriale di recente insorgenza.

BACKGROUND: The authors report their experience in recent-onset atrial fibrillation treated with intravenous flecainide and propafenone, in comparison with the placebo group. METHODS: We randomized 352 (138 in the flecainide group, 164 in the propafenone group and 50 in the control group) consecutive patients (167 males, 185 females, mean age 59 +/- 12 years) with recent-onset atrial fibrillation. The electrocardiogram of all patients was monitored for at least 24 hours. RESULTS: The restoration of sinus rhythm occurred in 72.5, 80.4, 86.2 and 89.8% of patients in the flecainide group; in 54.3, 68.3, 75 and 92.1% in the propafenone group; in 22.2, 27.8, 35.2 and 46.3% in the control group, at 1, 3, 6 and 24 hours respectively. The occurrence of side effects was the same in all treatment groups, and occurred in about 10% of patients in the flecainide and propafenone groups, and in 4% in the control group. In our study population the treatment of recent-onset atrial fibrillation with flecainide was faster in converting the arrhythmia to sinus rhythm (p < 0.005 at 1 hour, p < 0.05 at 3 hours, p = 0.05 at 6 hours). However within 24 hours the efficacy of either flecainide or propafenone was the same (p = NS at 24 hours). CONCLUSIONS: Side effects were similar in both treatment groups. In particular malignant arrhythmias did not occur in the treatment groups and in the control group.

Factors associated with autonomic nervous function in type 1 and type 2 diabetic subjects free of clinical manifestations of autonomic neuropathy.

Even though autonomic diabetic neuropathy is highly prevalent and a noted risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, very little is known about factors associated with it. We carried out standard autonomic nervous system function tests by means of a computerized portable system on 55 diabetic patients (22 with type 1 diabetes, 33 with type 2 diabetes) who had no signs or symptoms of autonomic diabetic neuropathy and on 10 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. Test results of patients with type 1 diabetes did not differ significantly from those with type 2 diabetes. Of the clinical, metabolic, and anthropometric variables considered, only the duration of diabetes was inversely and independently correlated to deep breathing test scores (E:I ratio value of deep breathing 1.38-0.009. years of diabetes; R2 = 0.25). The duration of diabetes was inversely correlated to variations in orthostatic systolic blood pressure (r = -0.37, p < 0.01). The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (score: 1 = no; 2 = yes) was significantly higher in the diabetic group with lower deep breathing values (1.8 +/- 0.3 vs 1.0 +/- 0.0; p < 0.01). The prevalence of ischemic electrocardiographic alterations (score: 1 = no; 2 = yes) was significantly higher in the diabetic group with a poorer orthostatic systolic blood pressure response (1.4 +/- 0.1 vs 1.2 +/- 0.1; p < 0.01). This study suggests that 1) autonomic neuropathy is correlated to disease duration; 2) type of diabetes, present level of metabolic compensation, and anthropometric characteristics do not seem correlated to this complication; 3) diabetic retinopathy and ischemic cardiopathy may be correlated to autonomic neuropathy.