Evolution of Knowledge in the Treatment of Long-Standing Atrial Fibrillation in a UK Tennis Champion

During the last several decades, there have been major advances in the evolution of drug therapies for the rate management of atrial fibrillation (AF). Initially, the drug of choice was digoxin but currently, the drug of choice is beta-adrenergic blockers. Drug therapies for stroke prevention in AF have also evolved. Initially, the drug of choice was aspirin, then became warfarin, and now in the current era, there are newer oral anticoagulants, such as apixaban, which are the preferred drugs. In this case report, we present the details of a 79-year-old athletic man who developed palpitations due to rapid AF at age 31. At the time of his initial presentation, he was treated with digoxin and aspirin and has remained on these drugs to the present. In 1973, 28 years after his initial presentation, he became the United Kingdom (UK) amateur tennis champion in the 55 and over division at age 59. At present, the clinical applications of advances in the management of AF should include quality of life considerations in the context of patient preferences. This patient is an active and vigorous 79-year-old man who plays competitive tennis and pickleball. He steadfastly adheres to an antediluvian regimen for the management of his AF, but this may be viewed in the context of the famous quotation by Bert Lance, Director of the Office of Management and Budget in the US under President Carter who said “sometimes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” In addition to the evolution of drug therapies from digoxin to beta-adrenergic blockers for rate control as well as from aspirin to warfarin to apixaban for the prevention of stroke, there have been other recent remarkable advances. For example, recent promising findings from randomized trials include that early rhythm control was more effective than rate control as well as that cryoballoon ablation was superior to drug therapies. These findings require confirmation in additional randomized trials designed a priori to test these promising but unproven hypotheses.