Efficacy and limitation of nonparoxysmal atrial fibrillation ablation in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.
Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) reduces heart failure (HF) hospitalization in patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). However, the long-term outcomes and subclinical HF after nonparoxysmal AF ablation in HFpEF patients have not been fully evaluated.
One-hundred-ninety nonparoxysmal AF patients with left ventricular ejection fraction ≥50% who underwent first-time AF ablation were studied. HFpEF was diagnosed from a history of congestive HF and/or combined criteria of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentration and transthoracic echocardiogram parameters, including average septal-lateral E/e' and tricuspid regurgitation peak velocity. Ninety-five patients with HFpEF (HFpEF group) were compared with 95 patients without HF (CNT group). Low voltage area (LVA) was defined as an area with a bipolar electrogram of <0.5 mV covering >5% of the total left atrial surface. The primary endpoint was a composite of death from any cause or hospitalization for worsening HF. The secondary endpoint was subclinical HFpEF defined from NT-proBNP concentration and average septal-lateral E/e' or tricuspid regurgitation peak velocity at 6-12 months after the procedure irrespective of the rhythm. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that the primary composite endpoint did not differ between the two groups (mean follow-up period 707 ± 75 days, log-rank p = 0.5330). However, significantly more patients in the HFpEF group reached the secondary endpoint (42 [44%] vs. 13 [14%], p < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis revealed that a high preablation NT-proBNP (odds ratio [OR] 1.001, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.001-1.002, p = 0.0040) and the existence of LVA (OR 5.983, 95% CI 1.463-31.768, p = 0.0194) independently predicted the secondary endpoint in HFpEF patients.
After nonparoxysmal AF ablation, mortality of HFpEF patients was not inferior compared to patients without coexisting HF. However, subclinical HF occasionally persisted especially in HFpEF patients with a high preprocedure NT-proBNP concentration and LVA.
Fukui A
,Hirota K
,Mitarai K
,Kondo H
,Yamaguchi T
,Shinohara T
,Takahashi N
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Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation reduces heart failure rehospitalization in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with heart failure (HF) rehospitalization in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).
We tested the hypothesis that catheter ablation of AF could reduce HF rehospitalization compared with conventional pharmacotherapy in patients with HFpEF.
Eighty-five consecutive HFpEF (EF ≥ 50% and a history of HF hospitalization) patients diagnosed as AF by 12-lead electrocardiogram were retrospectively analyzed. Thirty-five patients who received catheter ablation (ABL group) were compared with 50 patients treated by antiarrhythmic drugs and/or beta-blockers (CNT group). The primary endpoint was rehospitalization due to HF.
The patients characteristics did not differ between the two groups including, age (71 ± 8 vs 71 ± 13 years; P = .637), female sex (34% vs 36%; P = .870), mean plasma brain natriuretic peptide (145 ± 112 vs 195 ± 153 pg/mL; P = .111), mean left ventricular ejection fraction (62% ± 8% vs 61% ± 9%; P = .624), and type of AF (nonparoxysmal AF 60% vs 62%; P = .852). Amiodarone was continued 40% (14 out of 35) and 40% (20 out of 70) in ABL and CNT groups, respectively (P = 1.000). Neither major complication nor major side effect was observed during the follow-up period. During a mean follow-up period of 792 ± 485 days, Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that significantly more patients in the ABL group were free from HF rehospitalization (log-rank P = .0039). Additionally, multivariate analysis revealed that catheter ablation of AF was the only preventive factor of HF rehospitalization (OR = 0.15; 95% CI: 0.04-0.46; P < .001).
Catheter ablation of AF reduced HF rehospitalization compared with conventional pharmacotherapy in patients with HFpEF in our institute. Multicenter randomized study is warranted to confirm the result.
Fukui A
,Tanino T
,Yamaguchi T
,Hirota K
,Saito S
,Okada N
,Akioka H
,Shinohara T
,Yufu K
,Takahashi N
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Safety and efficacy of catheter ablation in atrial fibrillation patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.
Catheter ablation (CA) for atrial fibrillation (AF) in heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF) has shown promising results in reducing mortality and improving heart function. However, previous studies have been limited by a lack of control groups and significant heterogeneity in their methodologies.
CA for AF in HFPEF patients may not increase the complications and had similarly the rate of freedom from AF vs. patients without HFPEF, and it may reduce hospitalizations and mortality and improve heart function VS medical treatment.
Three groups of AF patients were included in the study: 187 patients with HFPEF for their first CA (AFPHF-CA), 187 patients with HFPEF who were undergoing medical therapy (AFPHF-Med), and 196 patients without HFPEF for their first CA (AF-CA).
After a mean (± SD) follow-up of 36 ± 3 months, 50.8% of patients in the AFPHF-CA group and 52.0% in the AF-CA group remained in sinus rhythm (P = 0.94), compared to only 12.5% in the AFPHF-Med group (P < 0.001). Age (OR: 1.09, 95% CI: 1.02-1.08, P = 0.016), duration of AF history (OR: 1.01, 95% CI: 1.00-1.02, P = 0.017), left atrial diameter (OR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.06-2.19, P = 0.024), and the type of atrial fibrillation (OR: 4.02, 95% CI: 1.28-12.62, P = 0.017) were consistent multivariable predictors for sinus rhythm maintenance in AFPHF. HF hospitalization was significantly lower in the AFPHF-CA group (0.38 (0,2)) than in the AFPHF-Med group (1.28(0,3), P < 0.001) during the follow-up. Stroke occurred in 18 of 187 (9.63%) patients in the AFPHF-CA group, significantly lower than the AFPHF-Med group, with approximately 31 of 187 (16.58%) (P < 0.01), but not statistically different from AF-CA, where approximately 17 of 196 (8.67%) experienced stroke (P = 0.65). Regarding mortality, death occurred in 12.8% of patients in the AFPHF-Med group, higher than 7.5% in the AFPHF-CA group and 6.6% in the AF-CA group (P = 0.49). Significant improvements in heart function were observed in the AFPHF-CA group compared to the AFPHF-Med group, including reductions in left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (P < 0.001), New York Heart Association classification (P < 0.001), left ventricular mass index (P < 0.001), and left atrial volume index (P < 0.001). HF hospitalization was significantly lower in the AFPHF-CA group compared to AFPHF-Med (P < 0.001).
CA for AF has showed significant benefits in patients with HFPEF compared to medical treatment alone. These benefits include improvements in heart function, reduced mortality, incidence of stroke, and hospitalizations. Importantly, CA in HFPEF patients showed comparable maintenance of sinus rhythm (SR) and safety outcomes when compared to CA in individuals with normal heart function.
Long S
,Sun Y
,Dai S
,Xiao X
,Wang Z
,Sun W
,Gao L
,Xia Y
,Yin X
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《BMC Cardiovascular Disorders》
Is sinus rhythm maintenance after repeat catheter ablation effective in patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction?
Heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and atrial fibrillation (AF) are associated with high morbidity and mortality. Recently, sinus rhythm (SR) maintenance (SRM) after catheter ablation (CA) of AF (AFCA) in HFpEF has shown to reduce adverse events as compared to medical treatment. However, it remains unclear whether SRM after a repeat CA for recurrent AF has the same effect as SRM after the initial CA in patients with AF and HFpEF.
We studied 244 AF patients with HFpEF who maintained SR after repeat AFCA (repeat CA-SRM group, n = 54) and initial AFCA (initial CA-SRM group, n = 190). HFpEF were defined as HFA-PEFF score of 5 or 6 and left ventricular ejection fraction ≥ 50% before the initial CA. The primary endpoint was a composite of all-cause mortality, HF hospitalizations, or strokes within 3 years after the initial or repeat CA. The incidence of the primary endpoint was similar between the repeat CA-SRM and initial CA-SRM groups (3 of 54 [5.6%] vs. 8 of 190 [4.2%], p = .423 by a log-rank test). There was no significant difference in the 12-month HFA-PEFF score and the proportion of a 12-month HFA-PEFF score <5 between the repeat CA-SRM and the initial CA-SRM groups (5 [4,6] vs. 5 [4,6], p = .915, and 46% vs. 35%, p = .426, respectively).
In patients with AF and HFpEF diagnosed by HFA-PEFF score, the primary endpoint of all-cause mortality, HF hospitalizations, and strokes was similar between the repeat CA-SRM and initial CA-SRM groups.
Egami Y
,Kobayashi N
,Sugino A
,Abe M
,Osuga M
,Nohara H
,Kawanami S
,Ukita K
,Kawamura A
,Yasumoto K
,Okamoto N
,Matsunaga-Lee Y
,Yano M
,Nishino M
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