Whether the use of digoxin in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is safe remains unclear. Ouyang and colleagues attempted to address this question by performing a meta-analysis of all available evidence on the relationship between digoxin and mortality in patients with AF. Altogether, 11 observational studies met the inclusion criteria, including a total of 318,191 patients who were followed up for a mean of 2.8 years. Digoxin use increased the risk of death by 21% (HR 1.21, 95% CI 1.12–1.30). Importantly, this increase in mortality was observed in patients with AF receiving digoxin, either with or without concomitant heart failure.
References
Ouyang, A.-J. et al. Meta-analysis of digoxin use and risk of mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation. Am. J. Cardiol. 10.1016/j.amjcard.2015.01.013
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Digoxin use is associated with increased mortality in patients with AF regardless of concomitant heart failure. Nat Rev Cardiol 12, 132 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2015.12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2015.12
