Clinical, echocardiographic, and hormonal factors influencing spontaneous conversion of recent-onset atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm

The present study was designed to determine clinical, hormonal, and echocar diographic factors influencing spontaneous conversion to sinus rhythm of re cent-onset atrial fibrillation (symptoms <6 hours). The most important pred ictor of spontaneous conversion was the time of onset of atrial fibrillatio n; patients who developed the arrhythmia during sleep had the highest proba bility of spontaneous conversion during the first 24 hours. A second predic tor was the plasma concentration of atrial natriuretic peptide during the a rrhythmia.