Does the presence of low-voltage areas (atrial cardiomyopathy) predict poor long-term composite endpoints of death, heart failure, and stroke in patients following atrial fibrillation ablation?
The presence and extent of low-voltage areas (atrial cardiomyopathy) independently predict poor long-term outcomes including death, heart failure, and stroke after AF ablation, regardless of AF recurrence.
Composite endpoints developed in 105 of 1488 patients (7.1%), and AF recurrence occurred in 410 (27.6%). Composite endpoints developed more frequently in the order of patients with extensive LVAs (19.1%), small LVAs (10.8%), and no LVAs (5.1%) (P for trend <.0001). Multivariable analysis revealed that LVA presence was independently associated with higher incidence of composite endpoints, irrespective of AF recurrence (modified hazard ratio 1.73; 95% confidence interval 1.13-2.64; P = .011) CONCLUSION: LVA presence and its extent both were associated with poor long-term composite endpoints of death, heart failure, and stroke, irrespective of AF recurrence or other confounders. Underlying atrial cardiomyopathy seems to define a poor prognosis after AF ablation.
Masuda et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
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