Largest Atrial Fibrillation Registry Reveals Poor AF Control and High Rates of Cardiovascular Hospitalization

Paris (ots/PRNewswire) - Sanofi-aventis announced
today that results from the RealiseAF (Real-life global survey
evaluating patients with Atrial Fibrillation) registry show that
control of atrial fibrillation (AF) (defined by the 2006 ACC/AHA/ESC
AF guidelines as either sinus rhythm or AF with heart rate at rest
less than or equal 80 bpm)[1] was not achieved in more than 40
percent of the AF patients included in this 10,000 patient
cross-sectional registry, as presented today during the European
Society of Cardiology Congress in Stockholm, Sweden. In addition, the
registry revealed that a majority of patients complain of symptoms,
even when AF is controlled [2] (55.7 percent).

Importantly, cardiovascular (CV) events were very frequent in
this population, with a high rate of concomitant CV risk factors
(72.2% of patients were hypertensive and 46.3% of patients had
dyslipidemia) 28.7 percent of AF patients suffered from CV events
such as acute coronary syndrome (ACS) acute heart failure or stroke,
leading to an unplanned hospitalisation during the last 12 months and
12.4 percent of patients requiring major CV interventions such as
Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), Coronary Artery Bypass
Graft (CABG) or valvular surgery.

Management of AF in a real-life setting shows that today, AF is
not treated according to the 2006 ACC/AHA/ESC AF guidelines:

- 20 percent of AF patients with structural heart disease
received Class Ic AADs, despite its contraindication in this patient
population.
- 49.9 percent of evaluated paroxysmal and persistent AF
patients without congestive heart failure (CHF) or hypertension with
significant left ventricular hypertrophy received amiodarone as a
first-line treatment, despite guidelines recommendations that it be
used as a second line agent.
- In addition, patients with a CHADS2 greater than or equal to
2 who should receive anti-coagulants agents only received these agents
in 52 percent of cases.

"The RealiseAF registry shows that patients suffering from atrial
fibrillation not only require symptom relief but management which
goes beyond heart rate or rhythm control, and addresses event-driven
hospitalisations," said Professor Ph. Gabriel Steg, Department of
Cardiology, Hôpital Bichat, Paris, France, on behalf of the RealiseAF
steering committee. "The data suggest a need for new therapies and an
increased focus on cardiovascular outcomes, as well as a more
stringent adherence to guidelines."

About RealiseAF

RealiseAF is a large international cross-sectional registry
established in 2009 to determine the rate of AF control and establish
the burden of cardiovascular (CV) disease in typical patients with
AF.

RealiseAF is coordinated by an independent scientific committee
of international experts in cardiology and electrophysiology, and
uses a comprehensive data collection strategy. Building on the
success of previous registries, including RecordAF and the European
Heart Survey on AF, RealiseAF provides a reliable assessment of the
CV risk profile of patients with AF, the types of treatment they
receive, and how these factors influence outcomes in a real-world
setting.

The registry was launched in November 2009 and the database
locked in June 2010. More than 10,000 patients from 26 countries were
enrolled. Participating countries included: Algeria, Azerbaijan,
Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Egypt, Germany, Hungary, India,
Ireland, Italy, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Morocco, Portugal,
Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tunisia,
Turkey, Ukraine and Venezuela.

The registry RealiseAF was sponsored by sanofi-aventis.

About atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation affects close to 7 million people in the USA
and the EU alone. By 2050, the prevalence of AF in the USA is
predicted to more than double. As a growing international health
concern, AF is associated with an increase in morbidity and
mortality, particularly due to cardiovascular (CV) events leading to
an increased risk of hospitalisation, which contributes considerably
to healthcare costs.

For more information, please visit: https://www.realiseaf.org.

About sanofi-aventis

Sanofi-aventis, a leading global pharmaceutical company,
discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions to improve
the lives of everyone. Sanofi-aventis is listed in Paris and in New
York .

1. Fuster V et al. ACC/AHA/ESC 2006 guidelines for the management
of patients with atrial fibrillation. European Heart Journal (2006)
27, 1979-2030.

2. Steg, P. "The REALISE-AF registry: an international,
observational, cross-sectional survey describing characteristics,
cardiovascular risk, and management of patients with atrial
fibrillation." Presented at the European Society of Cardiology
Congress, Sept. 1, 2010. Program number 5080.
http://spo.escardio.org/SessionDetails.aspx?id=331012

ots Originaltext: sanofi-aventis Group
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
CONTACT: Media Contact: Ingrid Görg-Armbrecht, +33-1-53-77-46-25
or+33-6-38-10-50-87, ingrid.goerg-armbrecht@sanofi-aventis.com .