Lenient rate control is as effective as strict rate control and easier to achieve in patients with permanent atrial fibrillation.
In patients with permanent atrial fibrillation, lenient rate control is as effective as strict rate control and is easier to achieve. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00392613.)
“Our study suggests that lenient rate control may be adopted as the first-choice rate control strategy in patients with permanent atrial fibrillation, and this applies both for high- and low-risk patients. … If a patient comes into the office with permanent atrial fibrillation, a target resting heart rate just under 110 bpm on a 12-lead ECG is good enough.”
Gelder et al. (2010) studied this question.