Key result
AF ablation shows ~96% AF control in young military personnel but efficacy drops with age.
Why the study?
There is currently limited literature reviewing the role, efficacy, and safety of AF catheter ablation in active duty military personnel.
Does atrial fibrillation catheter ablation provide effective AF control and safety in active duty military personnel?
Cohort (n=104)
Does atrial fibrillation catheter ablation provide effective AF control and safety in active duty military personnel?
Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation is safe and highly effective in younger active duty military personnel, with efficacy decreasing with advancing age.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
AF ablation success may be age-dependent in military cohorts; leaves open generalizability and need for randomized trials.
INTRODUCTION: There is currently limited literature reviewing the role of atrial fibrillation (AF) catheter ablation in service members. This study aims to describe the efficacy and safety of AF catheter ablation in the active duty military population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Military personnel with symptomatic AF who underwent ablation from 2004 to 2019 were analyzed in 4 age groups (group 1, n = 26, 18-27 years; group 2, n = 38, 28-37 years; group 3, n = 28, 38-49 years; group 4, n = 12, greater than or equal to 50 years). Primary endpoints were (1) AF control defined as no or rare AF recurrence (≤6 episodes) 3 months after last pulmonary vein isolation, and (2) procedure-related adverse events and complications. RESULTS: A total of 104 personnel underwent 142 AF ablations with mean follow up of 55.8 ± 47 months. AF control was attained in 96.2% of group 1, 78.9% of group 2, 75.0% of group 3, and 66.7% of group 4 (P = .004). AF freedom was observed in 80.3% of group 1, 55.3% of group 2, 46.4% of group 3, 41.7% of group 4 (P = .02). Four (3.8%) complications occurred with none in the youngest group. CONCLUSIONS: AF catheter ablation is safe and most effective in younger military personnel and prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.
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Wilson et al. (2025) conducted a cohort in symptomatic atrial fibrillation (n=104). Atrial fibrillation catheter ablation (pulmonary vein isolation) vs. Comparison across age groups was evaluated on AF control defined as no or rare AF recurrence (≤6 episodes) 3 months after last pulmonary vein isolation, and procedure-related adverse events and complications (p=.004). Atrial fibrillation catheter ablation in active duty military personnel achieved AF control in 96.2% of patients aged 18-27 years, with efficacy decreasing to 66.7% in those ≥50 years (P=0.004).
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