Considering the exclusion criteria, criteria #1 (patients with prior or planned treatment w/rhythm control, either catheter ablation or antiarrhythmic drug therapy) and criteria #6 (permanent atrial fibrillation) could be contradictory and would limit the study participants.

Patients who have definitive plans for initiation of an antiarrhythmic drug other than dronedarone (e.g. patient is scheduled for dofetilide loading next week) or definitive plans for catheter ablation are not eligible since they already have plans for specific rhythm control interventions. However, if a patient has been recommended rhythm control, without plans for specific intervention, then they would be an excellent candidate. Patients deemed to have “permanent” AF by definition are not considered to be eligible for rhythm control (as per the definition of permanent AF) and therefore are not eligible.