Atrial fibrillation management strategies and early mortality after myocardial infarction: results from the Valsartan in Acute Myocardial Infarction (VALIANT) Trial

In patients with AF after an MI, an anti-arrhythmic drug-based rhythm control strategy is associated with excess 45-day mortality compared with a rate control strategy, but is not associated with increased mortality outside of the immediate peri-infarct period. These results potentially identify a patient population in whom the use of anti-arrhythmic drug therapy may portend an increased risk of death.