Key result
Epicardial adipose tissue thickness linked to ~271% higher early AF recurrence risk after catheter ablation.
Why the study?
Early recurrence after catheter ablation for AF remains a common and challenging issue, prompting investigation into whether combining EAT thickness with the CAAP-AF score improves predictive accuracy.
Does the combination of CAAP-AF score and epicardial adipose tissue thickness predict early recurrence after catheter ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation?
Cohort (n=56)
No
Does the combination of CAAP-AF score and epicardial adipose tissue thickness predict early recurrence after catheter ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation?
Combining the CAAP-AF score with ultrasound-measured epicardial adipose tissue thickness provides high predictive accuracy for early atrial fibrillation recurrence following catheter ablation.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
May refine pre-ablation risk stratification; hypothesis-generating and requires prospective validation before practice change.
Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia globally, associated with a significant burden of stroke, heart failure, and reduced quality of life. Early recurrence after catheter ablation for AF remains a common and challenging issue. Objective Our aim was to investigate the correlation between epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness and early recurrence after catheter ablation in patients with AF, and to evaluate the incremental predictive value of EAT thickness when combined with the CAAP-AF score. Methods A total of 56 AF patients who underwent catheter ablation between March 2023 and November 2023 at Zhangzhou Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University were included in this study. The CAAP-AF score was calculated, and EAT thickness was measured for each patient. Patients were divided into two groups based on follow-up outcomes: early recurrence and no recurrence. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the predictive value of the CAAP-AF score, EAT thickness, and their combination for early recurrence after catheter ablation. Results Early recurrence occurred in 13 patients, while 43 patients had no recurrence. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that both the CAAP-AF score (OR = 2.10, 95% CI: 1.09–4.05, p = 0.027, β =0.74) and EAT thickness (OR = 3.71, 95% CI: 1.33–10.34, p = 0.012, β =1.31) were independent predictors of early recurrence. The AUC values for the CAAP-AF score, EAT thickness, and their combination in predicting early recurrence were 0.871, 0.800, and 0.914, respectively. Furthermore, intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) and Bland-Altman analysis demonstrated excellent reproducibility of EAT thickness measurements via ultrasound. Conclusion Both the CAAP-AF score and EAT thickness are independent risk factors for early recurrence after catheter ablation in AF patients. Combining these two parameters enhances the predictive accuracy for early recurrence.
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Lin et al. (2026) conducted a cohort in Atrial fibrillation (n=56). Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness was evaluated on Early recurrence of atrial arrhythmias within 3 months post-ablation (OR 3.71, 95% CI 1.33-10.34, p=0.012). Epicardial adipose tissue thickness and the CAAP-AF score independently predicted early recurrence of atrial fibrillation within 3 months after catheter ablation.
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