Key result
Atrial fibrosis, assessed via late gadolinium enhancement MRI, is an emerging independent risk factor for stroke in atrial fibrillation that is not currently utilized in standard risk stratification.
Why the study?
Does atrial fibrosis assessment improve stroke risk stratification and predict catheter ablation outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation?
Does atrial fibrosis assessment improve stroke risk stratification and predict catheter ablation outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation?
Atrial fibrosis, assessed via late gadolinium enhancement MRI, is a potential independent risk factor for stroke and predictor of catheter ablation outcomes in AF, though not currently included in standard risk stratification tools.
Does not yet support incorporating LGE-MRI fibrosis into AF stroke scores; leaves open prospective validation for risk stratification and ablation outcomes.
Atrial fibrillation (AF), especially persistent and long-standing persistent AF, may result in electro-anatomical changes in the left atrium, resulting in remodeling and deposition of fibrous tissue. There are emerging data that atrial substrate modification may increase the risk of thromboembolic complications, including stroke. Several studies have reported that atrial fibrosis is due to complex interactions among several cellular and neurohumoral mediators. Late gadolinium enhancement MRI has been reported to allow quantitative assessment of myocardial fibrosis in patients at risk of developing a stroke. Current stroke risk stratification criteria for AF do not utilize atrial fibrosis as an independent risk factor despite its association with AF and stroke. Further research is required in developing adequate risk stratification tools for predicting the stroke risk and catheter ablation outcomes in AF.
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Velagapudi et al. (2013) conducted a review in Atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrosis was evaluated. Atrial fibrosis, assessed via late gadolinium enhancement MRI, is an emerging independent risk factor for stroke in atrial fibrillation that is not currently utilized in standard risk stratification.
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