Disease × agent evidence record

Digoxin for Atrial Fibrillation: evidence, trials and status

Digoxin has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Atrial Fibrillation. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit.

8 registered trials 1 recruiting 15 publications Evidence tier A · Strong Score 74.0
Research Tracker › Pairs › Atrial Fibrillation › Digoxin
Research map, not treatment advice. This page aggregates registry and literature records. It does not evaluate efficacy, dosing or safety for any individual. Discuss any treatment decision with a qualified clinician.

Summary

Digoxin has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Atrial Fibrillation would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Atrial Fibrillation. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 8 registered trials linking Digoxin to Atrial Fibrillation: 1 is currently recruiting; 4 have completed; 3 are terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 4 (NCT02391337). The largest enrolment is 2204 participants (NCT00911508). Registration activity spans 2009 to 2026. The literature layer holds 15 publications for this pair: 5 Cochrane reviews, 4 meta-analyses, 1 systematic review and 5 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 2019 to 2026. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.

The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Atrial Fibrillation ranks 332 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: Spontaneous reversion to sinus rhythm occurs in ~50% of paroxysmal AF within 24-48 hours; persistent AF almost never self-terminates; rate-control (the dominant strategy) by definition keeps the patient in AF.

Open in Repurposing ExplorerAtrial Fibrillation hubAtrial Fibrillation biomarkers & interventions

Evidence table

Evidence tierA · Strong
Evidence score74.0 (trials 24.0, literature 30.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0)
Registered trials8 total: 1 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 4 completed, 3 other
Linked publications15 (5 Cochrane reviews, 5 clinical trial publications, 4 meta-analyses, 1 systematic review)
Agent typeDrug (Small molecule)
Development stage (any indication)Approved
Mechanism / classinhibitor
Data sourcesDGIdb
Linked via biomarker / targetATP1A2
How the evidence score is calculated
  • Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
  • Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
  • The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
  • Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
  • The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.

Registered clinical trials

NCT IDTitleStatusPhaseEnrolment
NCT02391337Rate Control Therapy Evaluation in Permanent Atrial Fibrillation (RATE-AF)
2016
completedPhase 4161
NCT01181414Spanish Atrial Fibrillation And Resynchronization Study
2010
completedPhase 460
NCT02025465Randomized Trial Comparing Diltiazem and Metoprolol For Atrial Fibrillation Rate Control
2013
status unknownPhase 4150
NCT04308031Efficacy of Ivabradine in Patient With Both Persistent Atrial Fibrillation and Heart Failure With Reduce Ejection Fraction
2018
status unknownPhase 3100
NCT02167165Role of SNP and DIGOXIN Response in Atrial Fibrillation Patients
2013
completedNot applicable150
NCT00911508Catheter Ablation vs Anti-arrhythmic Drug Therapy for Atrial Fibrillation Trial
2009
completedNot applicable2,204
NCT07272902Treating Atrial Fibrillation in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction: Ablation or Medication
2026
recruitingNot applicable84
NCT02633774Comparison of Brain Perfusion in Rhythm Control and Rate Control of Persistent Atrial Fibrillation
2015
status unknownNot applicable200

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Published literature

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Mechanism and notes

Recorded mechanism or class: inhibitor.

OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target ATP1A2. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.

Frequently asked questions

Is Digoxin approved for Atrial Fibrillation?

Digoxin has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Atrial Fibrillation would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Atrial Fibrillation. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.

Is Digoxin in clinical trials for Atrial Fibrillation?

ClinicalTrials.gov lists 8 registered trials linking Digoxin to Atrial Fibrillation: 1 is currently recruiting; 4 have completed; 3 are terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 4 (NCT02391337). The largest enrolment is 2204 participants (NCT00911508). Registration activity spans 2009 to 2026.

What does the evidence show for Digoxin in Atrial Fibrillation?

Digoxin has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Atrial Fibrillation. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target ATP1A2. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.

Cite this page

Open Source Medicine Foundation. Digoxin for Atrial Fibrillation: evidence, trials and status. OSMF Research Tracker. Updated 2026-07-05. https://research.opensourcemed.info/pairs/atrial-fibrillation/digoxin.html

Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.

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This is a research map, not treatment advice. Evidence tiers and scores summarise what has been studied, not whether a treatment works or is safe for you.