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Digitalis reappraised: Still here today, but gone tomorrow?

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Lionel H Opie

Abstract


Digoxin is one of the oldest of drugs acting on the heart and still one of the most frequently used. While in atrial fibrillation digoxin continues to have a valid role in the control of ventricular rate when added to beta-blockers and calcium antagonists, digoxin for heart failure is no longer a supportable option in view of the negative recent meta-analysis.


Author's affiliations

Lionel H Opie, Research scholar, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Emeritus Director, Hatter Institute for Cardiovascular Research in Africa, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa

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Keywords

Digitalis; Atrial fibrillation; Heart failure; Negative meta-analysis

Cite this article

South African Medical Journal 2015;105(2):88-89. DOI:10.7196/SAMJ.8634

Article History

Date submitted: 2014-08-25
Date published: 2014-12-15

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