Key result
Insertable cardiac monitors reveal high two-year arrhythmia rates in HF patients, including ~60% with AF.
Why the study?
Cardiac bradyarrhythmias and tachyarrhythmias increase morbidity and mortality in CHF, but data on arrhythmia occurrence across the ejection fraction spectrum in patients not indicated for CIEDs were needed.
Observational (n=163)
Continuous ambulatory monitoring with insertable cardiac monitors reveals a high incidence of clinically significant arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation and bradycardia, in symptomatic heart failure patients across the ejection fraction spectrum.
May inform arrhythmia screening in HF; hypothesis-generating without outcome data to guide practice.
BACKGROUND: Cardiac bradyarrhythmias and tachyarrhythmias in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Insertable cardiac monitors provide a continuous, ambulatory, accurate monitoring strategy for patients with CHF who are not candidates for cardiac implantable electronic devices. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to assess the occurrence of cardiac arrhythmias (CAs) in patients with CHF across the ejection fraction (EF) spectrum and not indicated for cardiac implantable electronic devices. METHODS: Patients with recent heart failure events enrolled in LINQ-HF (Reveal LINQ Heart Failure) and Phase 1 ALLEVIATE-HF (Algorithm Using LINQ Sensors for Evaluation and Treatment of Heart Failure) studies were implanted with an insertable cardiac monitor. All CAs were adjudicated first using an artificial intelligence model, then manually verified, and grouped into 3 categories: atrial fibrillation (AF), ventricular tachycardia (VT) or fibrillation (VF), and bradycardia/pauses. RESULTS: In total, 163 patients (mean age 67.2 ± 11.2 years, 62.6% male, 49.1% EF ≥50%, 83.4% Class III, 55.2% history of AF) were followed for 17.2 ± 9.8 months. Occurrence of AF was 59.7% at 2 years, 53.1% in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) <50%, and 64.6% in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) ≥50%. Incidence of AF in patients without prior AF was 23.8%, 23.9% in HFrEF, and 27.6% in HFpEF. Incidence of bradycardia or pause was 37.2% overall, (37.5% in HFrEF and 39.8% in HFpEF; 30.3% during daytime vs 19.4% during nighttime). Incidence of VT/VF was 14.3% overall, 19.8% in HFrEF, and 10.4%, in HFpEF. CONCLUSIONS: In CHF patients undergoing ambulatory, continuous, accurate arrhythmia monitoring, the incidence of AF and bradycardia/pause events was high and similar in HFpEF vs HFrEF patients. VT/VF was lower in HFpEF than HFrEF, but clinically important.
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Kahwash et al. (2025) conducted an observational in Symptomatic Heart Failure (n=163). Insertable cardiac monitors was evaluated on Occurrence of cardiac arrhythmias (atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation, and bradycardia/pauses). Insertable cardiac monitors in heart failure patients detected a high 2-year occurrence of atrial fibrillation (59.7%), bradycardia/pauses (37.2%), and VT/VF (14.3%).
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