In continuation of my update on Digoxin
The widely used heart drug digoxin is associated with increased risk of death and hospitalization among patients who have the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation but no evidence of heart failure, a new study finds.
Atrial fibrillation is a common form of irregular heartbeat that has been linked to a rise in risk for stroke among older Americans. Digoxin has been used for more than a century to help treat irregular heartbeat, the authors of the new study said, and many guidelines recommend the drug for the treatment of atrial fibrillation.
However, the new findings "suggest that the use of digoxin should be re-evaluated for the treatment of atrial fibrillation in contemporary clinical practice," study co-author Dr. Anthony Steimle, chief of cardiology at Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center, said in a Kaiser news release.
One expert wasn't surprised by the findings.
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