Casper, Wyoming - Tuesday, June 21, 2005   >  >  > Atrial Fibrillation -- A quick study News Forms Services Regional Lee Newspapers Great Falls, Mont.   Markets Atrial Fibrillation -- A quick study By LINDA SEARING Special to The Washington Post * THE QUESTION The heart's electrical system normally maintains a steady beat, but if the impulses are blocked, an abnormal rhythm -- atrial fibrillation -- can result. Medication often is used to correct this, but some people experience serious side effects from the drugs, and they do not always work. Might a procedure that uses high-frequency waves to destroy the tissue causing the short circuit be a viable alternative? * THIS STUDY randomly assigned 70 adults with atrial fibrillation (AF) to take anti-arrhythmic drugs and an anti-clotting drug or to undergo radiofrequency ablation, administered

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