Long-term outcomes of atrial antitachycardia pacing to prevent progression to permanent atrial fibrillation in patients implanted with pacemakers

Figures

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  Figure 1. Study flowchart. AF = atrial fibrillation; rATP = reactive antitachycardia pacing.

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  Figure 2. Summary report of the episodes and sequences treated with reactive antitachycardia pacing. A: Interval plots for 1 specific treated atrial tachyarrhythmia (ATA) episode successfully terminated by reactive antitachycardia pacing (rATP). B: Representative case of successful rATP. The first rATP therapy failed to terminate the ATA episode, which continued for approximately 1.1 hours. Finally, the ATA was terminated through rATP therapy. C: An example of the number of rATP sequences delivered in each subzone during a single ATA episode. D: The success rate was calculated as the number of episodes terminated by pacing divided by the total number of episodes that rATP had attempted to terminate. E: The number of treated episodes included multiple sequences owing to changes in cycle length. AF = atrial fibrillation; ATP = antitachycardia pacing.

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  Figure 3. Kaplan–Meier analyses of freedom from progression to permanent AF during the follow-up period. A–C: Reactive ATP significantly reduced the progression to permanent AF in all patients (A), patients with sick sinus syndrome (B), and patients with atrioventricular block (C). AF = atrial fibrillation; ATP = antitachycardia pacing; rATP = reactive antitachycardia pacing.

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  Figure 4. Kaplan–Meier analyses of freedom from cardiovascular events during the follow-up period. A: Kaplan–Meier analyses of freedom from cardiovascular hospitalization or cerebral infarction showed no significant differences. B: Kaplan–Meier analyses of freedom from cardiovascular hospitalization associated with ATAs or cardioembolic stroke. The incidence of cardiovascular hospitalization associated with ATAs or cardioembolic stroke was lower in the rATP group than in the control group; however, the differences were not significant. ATA = atrial tachyarrhythmia; rATP = reactive antitachycardia pacing.

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  Figure 5. Battery drainage. A: A moderate correlation between the number of aATP sequences per month and battery drainage was observed (r = 0.44; P < .001). B: Comparison of battery drainage per year based on the number of treated aATP sequences per month. Patients with 300–1499 aATP sequences per month showed significantly greater battery drainage than those with no treatment (P < .001). aATP = atrial antitachycardia pacing.