Abstract
Long-term follow-up of the amplitude of firillatory waves (f waves) on the standard electrocardiograms (10.6±3.3yr, up to 20yrs) was performed in 45 patients with chronic stable atrial fibrillation (24 men and 21 women, average age 60.2±11.5yrs). The patients were divided into three groups on the basis of the underlying heart disease. Seventeen patients with mitral stenosis were classified as the MS group, 11 with hypertensive heart disease, old myocardial infarction, and aortic insufficiency as the HD group, and 17 without apparent heart diseases as the no heart disease (NHD) group. The f wave amplitude was measured at lead V1 according to the technique employed by Peter. The initial f wave amplitudes of the MS group (0.24±0.12mV, mean±SD) and of the HD group (0.19±0.08mV) were significantly larger thant hat of the NHD group (0.13±0.08mV, p<0.05). The f wave amplitudes were significantly decreased during the observation period in each group, and the terminal f wave amplitudes (expressed as the percent of the initial f wave amplitude) were 61±34% in MS group, 59±26% in the HD group and 67±34% in the NHD group. In the NHD group, there was no significant difference in the terminal f wave amplitude between the cases with (n=10) and without (n=7) maintenance dose of digitalis. These results showed the apparent reduction of the f wave amplitude with perpetuation of this arrhythmia, and suggested that maintenance doses of digitalis had little effect on this process.
