Cardiovascular Disease Update: Atrial Fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia. The prevalence increases with age, especially in the seventh and eighth decades of life. AF also is associated with multiple risk factors and conditions that are managed commonly in family medicine settings, such as hypertension and diabetes. Rhythm control and rate control are primarily equivalent for mortality rate, but patients treated for rhythm control have more hospitalizations; however, rhythm control may be a viable option for select patients. Beta blockers and nondihydropyridine calcium channel blockers can be used to achieve rate control. Pharmacotherapy or electrical cardioversion can be used to achieve rhythm control, and antiarrhythmic drugs are used to maintain sinus rhythm. Catheter ablation is an option for symptomatic patients whose AF is refractory to standard treatment. The CHA2DS2-VASc score should be used to predict the risk of stroke for patients with AF. Patients with nonvalvular AF and a history of stroke or transient ischemic attack or CHA2DS2-VASc scores of 2 or greater should be treated with warfarin or novel oral anticoagulants. Patients with valvular AF should be treated with warfarin.

Cardiovascular Disease Update: Pulmonary Hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a spectrum disorder with multiple causes of the elevation of pressure in the lungs. It often is difficult to diagnose because it mimics many commonly reported symptoms (eg, dyspnea, exercise intolerance, chest pain). Diagnosis is made via right heart catheterization; however, transthoracic echocardiography may show evidence of elevated pulmonary pressure as the first clue to the diagnosis. Diagnostic tests to consider include a liver panel, complete blood count, and thyroid function test; electrocardiogram; chest x-ray; pulmonary function testing; and possibly lung imaging via computed tomography scan or ventilation-perfusion scan. PH is grouped into several broad categories: group 1 is pulmonary artery hypertension, group 2 is PH due to left heart disease, group 3 is PH due to lung disease, group 4 is chronic thromboembolic PH, and group 5 is PH due to unclear or multifactorial mechanisms. Therapy targets the underlying etiology and may include physical activity and pulmonary rehabilitation; drugs such as diuretics, vasodilators, and anticoagulants; oxygen therapy; and lung transplantation. Significant PH can result in increased mortality risk. Because of its complex and heterogeneous nature, PH is best managed by subspecialists with expertise in the condition.

Cardiovascular Disease Update: Bradyarrhythmias.

Bradyarrhythmia (bradycardia) is a heart rate lower than 60 beats/min. It can be due to sinus, atrial, or junctional bradycardia or to a problem with the conduction system (eg, an atrioventricular block). Asymptomatic bradycardia is common, especially among trained athletes or during sleep. Bradycardia symptoms can include syncope, dizziness, chest pain, dyspnea, or fatigue. It is important to determine during the evaluation if bradycardia is the cause of the patient's symptoms. In the acute setting, symptomatic patients should be treated with atropine. Percutaneous pacing can be used as a bridge to definitive treatment. The only therapy for persistent bradycardia is placement of a permanent pacemaker. Symptomatic patients with sick sinus syndrome and high second- or third-degree atrioventricular blocks require placement of permanent pacemakers.

Cardiovascular Disease Update: Care of Patients After Coronary Artery Bypass Graft.

Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) is a surgical procedure in which a vessel, normally the left internal mammary artery and/or a segment of an excised vein (typically from the leg), is grafted to the coronary arteries to bypass a blockage. CABG has been shown to be superior to percutaneous coronary intervention for patients with complex three vessel disease and left main coronary artery disease. All patients undergoing CABG should receive aspirin preoperatively; they also should receive a beta blocker preoperatively to reduce the likelihood of postsurgical atrial fibrillation. All patients should receive aspirin within 6 hours postsurgery to prevent graft thrombosis and should continue taking aspirin indefinitely, be started or continued on a high-intensity statin, be enrolled in a cardiac rehabilitation program, and be screened and treated if necessary for depression.