Effects of dronedarone on all-cause mortality and on cardiovascular events in patients treated for atrial fibrillation. A meta analysis of RCTs.

CONCLUSIONS: In our meta-analysis, dronedarone did not provide any significant benefit with regard to all-cause mortality and major cardiovascular events, as well as regarding the risk of worsening heart failure. Sensitivity analyses then showed that the exclusion of a study ,namely ATHENA study, caused a shift in the overall odds ratio, so as to convert the dronedarone use to the ominous role of predictor of higher mortality, worse cardiovascular morbidity and increased risk of worsening heart failure. Thus, dronedarone should be used with caution as second- line medication and exclusively for the secondary prevention of paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation, in patients without signs or symptoms of cardiac decompensation, preferably for limited periods of time and under assiduous clinical and laboratory surveillance. PMID: 30260141 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Minerva Cardioangiologica - Category: Cardiology Tags: Minerva Cardioangiol Source Type: research