Relation between achieved heart rate and outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (from the Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management [AFFIRM] Study).

Many patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are treated with rate control and anticoagulation. However, the relation between the degree of heart rate (HR) control and clinical outcome is uncertain. We assessed whether lower achieved HR at rest and/or lower achieved exercise HR was associated with improved prognosis, quality of life (QoL), and functional status among patients in the AFFIRM study.