MRI-quantified left atrial epicardial adipose tissue predicts atrial fibrillation recurrence following catheter ablation

Background Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) plays a significant role in promoting atrial fibrillation (AF) due to its proinflammatory properties and anatomic proximity to the myocardium. We sought to assess whether left atrial (LA) EAT volume is associated with AF recurrence following catheter ablation. Methods EAT was assessed via the 3D MRI Dixon sequence in 101 patients undergoing AF ablation. Patients were followed for arrhythmia recurrence. Results During an average follow-up period of 1 year, post-ablation AF recurrence occurred in 31 (30.7%) patients. LA EAT index was higher in those with compared to without recurrence (20.7 [16.9, 30.4] vs. 13.7 [10.5, 20.1] mL/m2, p < 0.001), and so was LA volume index (66 [52.6, 77.5] vs. 49.9 [37.7, 61.8] mL/m2, p = 0.001). Cox regression analysis showed LA EAT (HR = 1.089; 95% CI: [1.049–1.131], p < 0.001) to be an independent predictor of post-ablation AF recurrence. The ROC curve for LA EAT index in the prediction of AF recurrence had an AUC of 0.77 (95% CI 0.68–0.86, p < 0.001) and showed an optimal cutoff value of 14.29 mL/m2 to identify patients at risk of post-ablation AF recurrence. Integrating LA EAT with clinical risk factors improved prediction of AF recurrence (AUC increased from 0.65 to 0.79, DeLong test p = 0.044). Kaplan-Meier analysis for recurrence-free survival showed a significant difference between two groups of patients identified by the optimal LA EAT index cutoff of 14.29 mL/m2 (log rank = 14.79; p < 0.001). Conclusion EAT quantified using cardiac MRI, a reproducible and widely accessible imaging parameter, is a strong and independent predictor of post-ablation AF recurrence.