Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41121356›Full record

ArticleBMC medicine2025

Impact of digoxin versus beta-blocker in patients with coexistent atrial fibrillation and heart failure: a target trial emulation.

Lin Liu, An-Ping Cai, Jia-Yi Huang, Wen-Li Gu, Ran Guo, Jing-Nan Zhang, Hao-Chen Xuan, Yap-Hang Chan, Ai-Min Xu, Bernard M Y Cheung and 2 more

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Lin Liu *Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong Shen Zhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
An-Ping Cai *Hypertension Research Laboratory, Department of Cardiology, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Jia-Yi Huang *Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong Shen Zhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
Wen-Li GuDivision of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong Shen Zhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
Ran GuoDivision of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong Shen Zhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
Jing-Nan ZhangDivision of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong Shen Zhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
Hao-Chen XuanDivision of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong Shen Zhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
Yap-Hang ChanDivision of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong Shen Zhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
Ai-Min XuDepartment of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Bernard M Y CheungDepartment of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Gregory Y H LipLiverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science at University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital, Liverpool, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7566-1626
Kai-Hang YiuDivision of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong Shen Zhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China. khkyiu@hku.hk.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThis study aimed to compare the impact of digoxin versus beta-blocker on adverse clinical outcomes in patients with coexisting atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF).

methodsThis study employed a target trial emulation with a clone-censor-weight approach to analyze data from 28,377 patients diagnosed with both AF and HF in the Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System (CDARS) in Hong Kong between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2017. Patients were followed up for up to 3 years or until the occurrence of clinical outcomes. The exposures were digoxin (N = 5351) versus beta-blocker (N = 7655) within a 90-day grace period. Absolute risks (ARs), risk differences, and risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using weighted pooled logistic regression adjusted for demographic characteristics, comorbidities, and medication use. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality, while secondary outcomes included cardiovascular (CV) mortality, heart failure hospitalization, acute ischemic stroke, acute myocardial infarction, and pacemaker implantation.

resultsOver 3 years, digoxin was associated with a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality (AR: 51.2% vs. 42.2%; RR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.17 to 1.26), CV mortality (AR: 25.1% vs. 21.0%; RR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.11 to 1.29), and heart failure hospitalization (AR: 29.0% vs. 26.4%; RR: 1.10; 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.16). No significant differences were observed for acute ischemic stroke (AR: 4.3% vs. 4.3%; RR: 1.00; 95% CI: 0.85 to 1.18), acute myocardial infarction (AR: 4.6% vs. 4.3%; RR: 1.04; 95% CI: 0.88 to 1.23), or pacemaker implantation (AR: 1.0% vs. 1.3%; RR: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.54 to 1.01).

conclusionsIn patients with coexisting AF and HF, digoxin was associated with significantly higher risks of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and heart failure hospitalization compared to beta-blocker.

Indexed as

Adrenergic beta-AntagonistsAtrial FibrillationDigoxinHeart FailureAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHong KongHospitalizationHumansMaleMiddle AgedAdrenergic beta-AntagonistsDigoxinAtrial fibrillationBeta-blockerDigoxinHeart failureTarget trial emulation

Identifiers

PMID41121356
PMCPMC12538934

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.