The Role of Atrial Fibrillation Catheter Ablation in Patients with Congestive Heart Failure: "Burning"for a Cure

Arrhythmia-Induced Cardiomyopathy: Prevalent, Under-recognized, Reversible

Arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy (AIC) is a clinical condition in which a persistent tachyarrhythmia or frequent ectopy contribute to ventricular dysfunction leading to systolic heart failure. AIC can be partially or completely corrected with adequate treatment of the culprit arrhythmia. Several molecular and cellular alterations by which tachyarrhythmias lead to cardiomyopathy have been identified. AIC can affect children and adults, can be clinically silent in the form of asymptomatic tachycardia with cardiomyopathy, or can present with manifest heart failure. A high index of suspicion for AIC and aggressive treatment of the culprit arrhythmia can result in resolution of heart failure symptoms and improvement in cardiac function. Recurrent arrhythmia, following recovery from the index episode, can hasten the left ventricular dysfunction and result in HF, suggesting persistent adverse remodeling despite recovery of left ventricular function. Several aspects of AIC, such as predisposing factors, early diagnosis, preventive measures to avoid adverse remodeling, and long-term prognosis, remain unclear, and need further research.