Clinical characteristics and rhythm outcome of catheter ablation of hemodynamically corrected valvular atrial fibrillation

Freedom from atrial arrhythmia and other clinical outcomes at 5 years and beyond after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

AIMS

Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) is now a mainstream procedure although long-term outcomes are uncertain. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of procedural outcomes at 5 years and beyond.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We searched PubMed and Embase and after the screening, identified 73 studies (67 159 patients) reporting freedom from atrial arrhythmia, all-cause death, stroke, and major bleeding at ≥5 years after AF ablation. The pooled mean age was 59.7y, 71.5% male, 62.2% paroxysmal AF, and radiofrequency was used in 78.1% of studies. Pooled incidence of freedom from atrial arrhythmia at 5 years was 50.6% (95%CI 45.5-55.7%) after a single ablation and 69.7% [95%CI (confidence interval) 63.8-75.3%) after multiple procedures. The incidence was higher among patients with paroxysmal compared with non-paroxysmal AF after single (59.7% vs. 33.3%, p = 0.002) and multiple (80.8% vs. 60.6%, p < 0.001) ablations but was comparable between radiofrequency and cryoablation. Pooled incidences of other outcomes were 6.0% (95%CI 3.2-9.7%) for death, 2.4% (95%CI 1.4-3.7%) for stroke, and 1.2% (95%CI 0.8-2.0%) for major bleeding at 5 years. Beyond 5 years, freedom from arrhythmia recurrence remained largely stable (52.3% and 64.7% after single and multiple procedures at 10 years), while the risk of stroke and bleeding increased over time.

CONCLUSION

Nearly 70% of patients having multiple ablations remained free from atrial arrhythmia at 5 years, with the incidence slightly decreasing beyond this period. Risk of death, stroke, and major bleeding at 5 years were low but increased over time, emphasizing the importance of long-term thromboembolism prevention and bleeding risk management.

Safety of Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with Mechanical Prosthetic Valves

BACKGROUND

Catheter ablation (CA) for Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is increasingly utilized in the recent years, with promising results. We aimed to investigate the nationwide trends in utilization and procedural complications of CA for AF in patients with mechanical prosthetic valves (MPVs).

METHODS AND RESULTS

We drew data from the US National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database to identify cases of AF ablations in patients with MPVs, between 2003-2015. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected, and incidence of procedural complications, mortality, and length of stay were analyzed. We compared the outcomes to a propensity matched cohort of patients without MPVs. The study included a weighted total of 1898 CA for AF cases in patients with MPVs. The median age of the study population was 67 (61-75) years and 53% were males. Despite the increasing age and significant uptrend in the prevalence of individual comorbidities and Deyo - Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) over the years, the risk of peri-procedural complications and mortality in the study group didn't change between the early (2003-2008) and late (2009-2015) study years. The peri-procedural complication rate (8.4% vs 10.4%, p=0.33) and in-hospital mortality (0.2% vs. 0.2%, p=0.9) did not differ significantly between patients with MPVs and 1901 matched patients without MPVs. Length of stay was higher among patients with prior MPVs compared to the controls (4.0±0.2 vs. 3.3±0.2 days, p=0.011).

CONCLUSION

This nationwide analysis shows that AF ablation in patients with mechanical valve prostheses bares similar risk of periprocedural complications and mortality as in patients without prosthetic valves. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Left Atrial Wall Stress and the Long-Term Outcome of Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation: An Artificial Intelligence-Based Prediction of Atrial Wall Stress

Atrial stretch may contribute to the mechanism of atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after atrial fibrillation catheter ablation (AFCA). We tested whether the left atrial (LA) wall stress (LAW-stress_[measured]) could be predicted by artificial intelligence (AI) using non-invasive parameters (LAW-stress_[AI]) and whether rhythm outcome after AFCA could be predicted by LAW-stress_[AI] in an independent cohort. Cohort 1 included 2223 patients, and cohort 2 included 658 patients who underwent AFCA. LAW-stress_[measured] was calculated using the Law of Laplace using LA diameter by echocardiography, peak LA pressure measured during procedure, and LA wall thickness measured by customized software (AMBER) using computed tomography. The highest quartile (Q4) LAW-stress_[measured] was predicted and validated by AI using non-invasive clinical parameters, including non-paroxysmal type of AF, age, presence of hypertension, diabetes, vascular disease, and heart failure, left ventricular ejection fraction, and the ratio of the peak mitral flow velocity of the early rapid filling to the early diastolic velocity of the mitral annulus (E/Em). We tested the AF/atrial tachycardia recurrence 3 months after the blanking period after AFCA using the LAW-stress_[measured] and LAW-stress_[AI] in cohort 1 and LAW-stress_[AI] in cohort 2. LAW-stress_[measured] was independently associated with non-paroxysmal AF (p < 0.001), diabetes (p = 0.012), vascular disease (p = 0.002), body mass index (p < 0.001), E/Em (p < 0.001), and mean LA voltage measured by electrogram voltage mapping (p < 0.001). The best-performing AI model had acceptable prediction power for predicting Q4-LAW-stress_[measured] (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.734). During 26.0 (12.0–52.0) months of follow-up, AF recurrence was significantly higher in the Q4-LAW-stress_[measured] group [log-rank p = 0.001, hazard ratio 2.43 (1.21–4.90), p = 0.013] and Q4-LAW-stress_[AI] group (log-rank p = 0.039) in cohort 1. In cohort 2, the Q4-LAW-stress_[AI] group consistently showed worse rhythm outcomes (log-rank p < 0.001). A higher LAW-stress was associated with poorer rhythm outcomes after AFCA. AI was able to predict this complex but useful prognostic parameter using non-invasive parameters with moderate accuracy.

Association of proteinuria with incident atrial fibrillation in the general Japanese population

BACKGROUND

Although proteinuria has been associated with incident atrial fibrillation (AF) in Western countries, the association has not been investigated in the general Japanese population.

METHODS

Participants aged ≥40 years who underwent the Japanese specific health check-up in Kanazawa City in 2013 and who completed a urine dipstick test were included in this study. Exposure was considered as presence or absence of proteinuria (≥1+). The outcome was incident AF confirmed by 12-lead electrocardiography. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to compute hazard ratio (HR) of proteinuria (≥1+) for incident AF after adjustment for traditional risk factors. We also completed stratified analyses by baseline characteristics.

RESULTS

A total of 37,910 participants aged ≥40 years were included (mean age: 72.3 years, male sex: 37%). Proteinuria ≥1+ was observed in 2.765 (7.3%) participants. During a median follow-up period of 5 years, 708 incident AF cases were observed. Proteinuria ≥1+ was associated with incident AF (HR, 1.47: 95% confidence interval, 1.18-1.84) after covariate adjustment. Stratified analysis demonstrated that the association of proteinuria with AF was stronger in participants <75 years [HR 1.89 (95% CI 1.32-2.70)] compared with those ≥75 years [HR 1.27 (95% CI 0.95-1.69)] (interaction p-value=0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

Proteinuria was significantly associated with incident AF in the general Japanese population. The evaluation of proteinuria using urine dipstick test may be useful in the evaluation of incident AF, especially in younger general population.

Etiology of atrial fibrillation in patients with complex congenital heart disease - for a better treatment strategy

BACKGROUND

The demographics of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) and atrial fibrillation (AF) differ significantly from the general population. The etiology and treatment strategy for AF in CHD patients have been investigated but are to date inconclusive.

METHODS

To determine the etiology of AF in CHD and to seek a better treatment strategy, we retrospectively evaluated the atrial overload in 42 complex CHD cases with normal atrial arrangements and AF (age 25; range, 9-66 years) and the impact of a reduction in the atrial overload on the atrial rhythm.

RESULTS

Cardiac defect diagnoses varied, with 17% of the patients having a persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC). In regard to the volume overload, the frequencies of an overload in the right atrium (RA), left atrium (LA), or both, were 50 %, 23%, and 10%, respectively (p = 0.015). Other sustained supraventricular tachycardias were observed in 29 patients (69%) before and after the onset of AF. Among these 29 patients, 26 had intra-atrial reentrant tachycardia. Fifteen patients (36%), 10 of whom had chronic AF, died during the follow-up including 3 with arrhythmias and 10 because of heart failure. Fourteen (33%) patients had no AF at the last follow-up due to medical interventions, 8 of which underwent solely an RA-sided catheter ablation and/or surgical RA overload reduction.

CONCLUSIONS

AF in complex CHD with a normal atrial arrangement correlates with a higher RA-sided overload than an LA-sided and exhibits a high incidence of PLSVCs, high comorbidity of intra-atrial reentrant tachycardias, and high mortality rate. In a substantial number of patients, RA-sided interventions were effective in controlling AF. To effectively manage AF in complex CHD it is essential to understand each individual's hemodynamics and consider hemodynamic interventions.

Improvement in renal and endothelial function after catheter ablation in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular events in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) can be lowered by catheter ablation. We hypothesized the underlying mechanism was improvement in renal and endothelial function corresponding to AF burden, and investigated whether restoration of sinus rhythm (SR) after ablation affected these functions according to AF type.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We prospectively measured estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR), and reactive hyperemia index (RHI) in 358 consecutive patients with AF before and 6 and 12 months after the ablation. For each AF type [paroxysmal AF (PAF), n = 229, and persistent AF (PeAF), n = 129], we evaluated changes in these markers and influence of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The eGFR and natural logarithm-transformed (ln) UACR improved at 6 months in the PeAF group (68.7 ± 18.7-71.8 ± 18.9 mL/min/1.73 m², p = 0.003 and 3.1±1.6 to 2.8±1.5, p < 0.001, respectively) and remained unchanged in the PAF group. Among the PeAF patients, recurrent AF was identified in 41, but only transiently in 38 patients. PeAF at baseline independently predicted increased eGFR [odds ratio (OR)=2.13, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.35-3.40, p = 0.001] and decreased UACR (OR=1.94, 95 % CI 1.05-3.58, p = 0.033). In the PeAF patients with CKD, ln-RHI significantly increased at 6 months after the ablation, and the change (Δ) in ln-RHI was significantly correlated with the ΔeGFR (r=0.35, p = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

SR restoration after ablation was associated with an improved eGFR and UACR in PeAF patients, but not PAF patients. In PeAF patients with CKD, an improved endothelial function after ablation was associated with an improved renal function.

Characteristics and anticoagulant treatment status of elderly non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients with a history of catheter ablation in Japan: Subanalysis of the ANAFIE registry

BACKGROUND

Benefits of catheter ablation (CA) have been shown for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), including elderly patients. However, data in patients aged ≥75 years who have undergone CA for non-valvular AF (NVAF) are lacking. This cross-sectional subanalysis of the ANAFIE registry determined the characteristics and status of anticoagulant treatment in elderly NVAF patients with a history of CA at enrollment.

METHOD

The ANAFIE registry was a multicenter, prospective, non-interventional cohort study in which elderly ambulatory patients (≥75 years) diagnosed with NVAF by electrocardiogram were enrolled between October 2016 and January 2018. Treatment was prescribed per routine clinical practice by individual treating physicians. The patients were stratified into two groups: the CA and No-CA groups.

RESULTS

Among 32,726 NVAF patients aged ≥75 years, 3002 (9.2%) underwent CA before enrollment. Patients who underwent CA were significantly younger (78.9 years vs 81.7 years; p < 0.0001), had significantly greater height and body weight, as well as creatinine clearance rate (CCr) compared with those who did not undergo CA. In both the CA and No-CA groups, the most common type of AF was paroxysmal AF (72.9% and 38.9%). In the CA group, a significantly larger proportion of patients did not receive anticoagulant therapy compared with the No-CA group (13.3% vs 7.6%; p < 0.0001). Direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) use was similar in the CA (69.9%) and No-CA (66.0%) groups, and standard doses of DOACs were administered more frequently in the CA group than in the No-CA group. A lower proportion of patients in the CA group received warfarin (16.9% vs 26.4%) compared with the No-CA group.

CONCLUSIONS

This ANAFIE registry subanalysis showed that patients with NVAF in the CA group tended to have paroxysmal AF; be significantly younger; have greater weight, height, and CCr; receive standard doses of DOACs; and have not used anticoagulant medication compared with No-CA patients.

Registry of antithrombotic therapy in atrial fibrillation patients with bioprosthetic valves: A retrospective observational study

BACKGROUND

The incidence of cardiovascular diseases, including valvular heart disease and atrial fibrillation (AF), is rising as the elderly population increases. For patients with AF and bioprosthetic valves, current treatment guidelines for antithrombotic therapy vary by country, likely due to a lack of robust study data.

METHODS

We conducted a multicenter, retrospective, observational analysis of 214 Japanese AF patients after bioprosthetic valve replacement in real-world clinical practice. The primary efficacy endpoint was the incidence of stroke/systemic embolism, and the primary safety endpoint was major bleeding.

RESULTS

The mean observation period was 46.0 months. Warfarin was administered to 176 patients (82.2%), direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) to 16 patients (7.5%), and antiplatelet drugs to 13 patients (6.1%). The number of patients who were treated with DOAC was increasing in the later period of registration. Stroke/systemic embolism was observed in 14 patients [1.77 patients/100 person-years (PY)]. Major bleeding was observed in 22 patients (2.83/100 PY).

CONCLUSIONS

In a current real-world setting in Japan, warfarin was the most commonly used treatment in AF patients with bioprosthetic valves, but there was an increasing trend of DOAC-treated patients. Further investigations are needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of DOAC in patients with bioprosthetic valves.

Atrial reverse remodeling represented by the atrial conduction time in persistent atrial fibrillation patients after catheter ablation: its impact on predicting late atrial fibrillation recurrence

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to examine the reduction in the atrial conduction time during the follow-up phase of catheter ablation in persistent atrial fibrillation (PsAF) patients, which would suggest atrial reverse remodeling, and to investigate its impact on predicting AF recurrence.

METHODS

Fifty-seven PsAF patients underwent radiofrequency catheter ablation. The P-wave to left atrial appendage (LAA) conduction time was measured by transthoracic echocardiography using tissue Doppler imaging (P-LAA TDI), within 24 h and 6 months after ablation.

RESULTS

The accuracy of the P-LAA TDI was confirmed by measuring the actual electrophysiological data during the ablation (90 ± 13 ms, r = 0.754, p < 0.001). The P-LAA TDI was significantly reduced (170 ± 18 msec to 159 ± 19 msec, p < 0.001) at the 6-month follow-up. Sixteen patients (28%) had an AF recurrence by 12 months of follow-up. The no-AF recurrence group had a significantly reduced P-LAA TDI 6 months later (165 ± 15 msec to 155 ± 18 msec, p < 0.001), while there was no significance in the AF recurrence group (184 ± 21 msec to 174 ± 16 msec, p = 0.091). The P-LAA TDI was a predictive factor of AF recurrence after ablation with a cut-off value of >175 msec (sensitivity = 0.750, specificity = 0.780) when measured within 24 h after ablation and >166 msec (sensitivity = 0.750, specificity = 0.756) when calculated at 6 months of follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

In PsAF patients, a significant reduction in the P-LAA TDI was observed at 6 months of follow-up, which may have represented the occurrence of left atrial reverse remodeling. These findings suggested that the P-LAA TDI time in the follow-up was appropriate for predicting late AF recurrences.