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Background: Although successful atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation can maintain sinus rhythm and reduce the left atrial (LA) dimension, blunted LA reverse remodeling can be observed in patients with atrial myopathy. We explored the potential mechanisms and long-term outcomes in patients with blunted LA reverse remodeling after successful AF catheter ablation., Methods and Results: We included 1685 patients who underwent baseline and 1-year follow-up echocardiograms, had a baseline LA dimension ≥40 mm, and did not have a recurrence of AF within a year. The patients were divided into tertile groups according to the delta value of the change in LA dimension on the preprocedure and 1-year postprocedure echocardiography. After propensity score matching for age, sex, AF type, and LA dimension, 1272 patients were finally included in the analyses (424 in each group; the least/blunted, moderate, and the most reverse remodeling group). The patients in the T1 group (blunted LA reverse remodeling) were independently associated with higher left ventricular mass index (odds ratio [OR], 1.014 [95% CI, 1.005-1.022], P =0.001), change in ΔH 2 FPEF score (heavy, hypertensive, atrial fibrillation, pulmonary hypertension, elder, filling pressure) score (OR, 1.445 [95% CI, 1.121-1.861], P =0.004), ventricular epicardial adipose tissue volume (OR, 1.010 [95% CI, 1.003-1.017], P =0.003), thinner LA wall thickness (OR, 0.461 [95% CI, 0.271-0.785], P =0.004), lower LA voltage (OR, 0.670 [95% CI, 0.499-0.899], P =0.008), and showed higher long-term AF recurrence (log-rank P <0.001) than other groups., Conclusions: Blunted LA reverse remodeling after AF catheter ablation, which is suggestive of atrial myopathy, was independently associated with a larger ventricular epicardial adipose tissue volume and worsening of H 2 FPEF score. Blunted LA reverse remodeling after AF catheter ablation was also an independent predictor for higher recurrences of AF post-1-year AF catheter ablation.

Aims: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a chronic progressive disease that continuously recurs even after successful AF catheter ablation (AFCA). We explored the mechanism of long-term recurrence by comparing patient characteristics and redo-ablation findings., Methods and Results: Among the 4248 patients who underwent a de novo AFCA and protocol-based rhythm follow-up at a single centre, we enrolled 1417 patients [71.7% male, aged 60.0 (52.0-67.0) years, 57.9% paroxysmal AF] who experienced clinical recurrences (CRs), and divided them according to the period of recurrence: within one year (n = 645), 1-2 years (n = 339), 2-5 years (n = 308), and after 5 years (CR>5 yr, n = 125). We also compared the redo-mapping and ablation outcomes of 198 patients. In patients with CR>5 yr, the proportion of paroxysmal AF was higher (P = 0.031); however, the left atrial (LA) volume (quantified by computed tomography, P = 0.003), LA voltage (P = 0.003), frequency of early recurrence (P < 0.001), and use of post-procedure anti-arrhythmic drugs (P < 0.001) were lower. A CR>5 yr was independently associated with a low LA volume [odds ratio (OR) 0.99 (0.98-1.00), P = 0.035], low LA voltage [OR 0.61 (0.38-0.94), P = 0.032], and lower early recurrence [OR 0.40 (0.23-0.67), P < 0.001]. Extra-pulmonary vein triggers during repeat procedures were significantly greater in patients with a CR>5 yr, despite no difference in the de novo protocol (P for trend 0.003). The rhythm outcomes of repeat ablation procedures did not differ according to the timing of the CR (log-rank P = 0.330)., Conclusions: Patients with a later CR exhibited a smaller LA volume, lower LA voltage, and higher extra-pulmonary vein triggers during the repeat procedure, suggesting AF progression., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: None declared., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Objective: The risk of recurrence after atrial fibrillation (AF) catheter ablation (AFCA) is higher in women than in men. However, it is unknown whether a sex difference exists in antiarrhythmic drug (AAD) responsiveness among patients with recurrence., Methods: Among 2999 consecutive patients (26.5% women, 58.3±10.9 years old, 68.1% paroxysmal AF) who underwent de novo AFCA, we compared and evaluated the sex differences in rhythm outcome in 1094 patients with recurrence and in 788 patients who subsequently underwent rhythm control with AAD., Results: During a follow-up of 48.2±34.9 months, 1094 patients (36.5%) had AF recurrence after AFCA, and 508 of 788 patients (64.5%) had AF recurrence under AAD. Although the rhythm outcome of a de novo AFCA was worse (log-rank p=0.041, HR 1.28, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.59), p=0.031) in women, AAD response after postprocedural recurrences was better in women than in men (log-rank p=0.003, HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.59 to 0.95, p=0.022), especially in women older than 60 years old (log-rank p=0.003). In 249 patients who underwent repeat procedure after AAD use, the pulmonary vein (PV) reconnection rate (62.7% vs 76.8%, p=0.048) was lower in women than in men but not the existence of extra-PV trigger (37.8% vs 25.4%, p=0.169)., Conclusions: Although women showed worse rhythm outcomes than men after AFCA, the post-AFCA AAD response was better in elderly women than in men., Trial Registration Number: NCT02138695., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

SGLT-2 inhibitor, traditionally used for glycemic control, has several beneficial effects that can help manage heart failure (HF). SGLT-2 inhibitors reduce the risk of cardiovascular mortality in patients with HF. As atrial fibrillation (AF) is closely associated with HF and diabetes mellitus (DM) is a risk factor for AF, we assume that SGLT-2 inhibitors will also show therapeutic benefits regarding AF, especially for rhythm control. This trial has a multicenter, prospective, open, blinded endpoint design. It is a 1:1 randomized and controlled study. A total of 716 patients who are newly diagnosed of AF and DM within 1 year will be enrolled from 7 tertiary medical centers. The trial is designed to compare the effects of SGLT-2 inhibitors and other oral hypoglycemic agents on atrial rhythm control in patients with AF and DM. The primary outcome is the recurrence of AF within a year (including post-antiarrhythmic drugs (AAD) or ablation). The secondary outcomes are the ablation rate within a year, change in AF burden, size of the left atrium, NT-proBNP, the AF symptom score, and the quality of life. This trial will prospectively evaluate the effect and safety of SGLT-2 inhibitors on AF rhythm control in patients with DM. It will provide an invaluable dataset on rhythm control in AF with DM for future studies and offer novel information to assist in clinical decisions. (BEYOND trial, ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT05029115. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05029115)., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Lee et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Introduction: This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) and right ventricular (RV) dysfunction, and the effects of radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) on RV function., Methods: A total of 110 patients (age, 50.8 ± 14.4 years; 30 men) without structural heart disease who had undergone RFCA for RV outflow tract (RVOT) PVCs were retrospectively included. RV function was assessed using fractional area change (FAC) and global longitudinal strain (GLS) before and after RFCA. Clinical data were compared between the RV dysfunction (n = 63) and preserved RV function (n = 47) groups. The relationship between PVC burden and RV function was analyzed. Change in RV function before and after RFCA was compared between patients with successful and failed RFCA., Results: PVC burden was significantly higher in the RV dysfunction group than in the preserved RV function group (p < .001). FAC and GLS were significantly worse in proportion to PVC burden (p < .001 and p < .001, respectively). The risk factor associated with RV dysfunction was PVC burden [odds ratio (95% confidence interval), 1.092 (1.052-1.134); p < .001]. Improvement in FAC (13.0 ± 8.7% and -2.5 ± 5.6%, respectively; p < .001) and GLS (-6.8 ± 5.7% and 2.1 ± 4.2%, respectively; p < .001) was significant in the patients with successful RFCA, compared to the patients in whom RFCA failed., Conclusions: Frequent RVOT PVCs are associated with RV dysfunction. RV dysfunction is reversible by successful RFCA., (© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objectives: This study investigated whether additional electrical posterior box isolation (POBI) may improve the rhythm outcome of repeat ablation in atrial fibrillation (AF)., Background: Although electrically reconnected pulmonary veins (PVs) are the main mechanism of AF recurrence, it is unclear whether linear ablation in addition to circumferential PV isolation (CPVI) improves rhythm outcomes after repeat ablation., Methods: The authors prospectively randomized 150 patients with PV reconnection undergoing redo procedures to either a CPVI-alone group (n = 75) or an additional POBI group (n = 75). The primary endpoint was AF recurrence after a single procedure, and the secondary endpoints were recurrence pattern, cardioversion rate, and response to antiarrhythmic drugs., Results: After a median follow-up of 17 months, the clinical recurrence rate did not significantly differ between the CPVI-alone and additional-POBI groups (30.7% vs 30.7%; log-rank P =0.828). Of the 46 patients with clinical recurrence, the recurrences as atrial tachycardia (8.7% vs 30.4%; P =0.137) and cardioversion rates (21.7% vs 47.8%; P =0.122) were not significantly different between the CPVI-alone and additional-POBI groups. Major complication rates did not differ between the 2 groups (1.3% vs 5.3%; P = 0.363), but the total ablation time was significantly longer in the additional-POBI group than in the CPVI-alone group (median: 1,084 [IQR: 704-1,664] vs 1,595 [IQR: 1,244-2,302] seconds; P < 0.001)., Conclusions: Among patients undergoing redo AF ablation with reconnected PVs, the addition of POBI to CPVI did not improve rhythm outcomes or influence overall safety, whereas leading to a longer ablation time than that with CPVI alone. (Comparison of Circumferential Pulmonary Vein Isolation and Complex Pulmonary Vein Isolation Additional Linear Ablation for Recurred Atrial Fibrillation After Previous Catheter Ablation: Prospective Randomized Trial [RILI Trial]; NCT02747498)., Competing Interests: Funding Support and Author Disclosures This work was supported by a grant [HI21C0011] from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and a grant [NRF-2020R1A2B5B01001695] from the Basic Science Research Program run by the National Research Foundation of Korea, which is funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning. The authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background The purpose of the RAFAS (Risk and Benefits of Urgent Rhythm Control of Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With Acute Stroke) trial was to explore the risks and benefits of early rhythm control in patients with newly documented atrial fibrillation (AF) during an acute ischemic stroke (IS). Method and Results An open-label, randomized, multicenter trial design was used. If AF was diagnosed, the patients in the early rhythm control group started rhythm control within 2 months after the occurrence of an IS, unlikely the usual care. The primary end points were recurrent IS within 3 and 12 months. The secondary end points were a composite of all deaths, unplanned hospitalizations from any cause, and adverse arrhythmia events. Patients (n=300) with AF and an acute IS (63.0% men, aged 69.6±8.5 years; 51.2% with paroxysmal AF) were randomized 2:1 to early rhythm control (n=194) or usual care (n=106). A total of 273 patients excluding those lost to follow-up (n=27) were analyzed. The IS recurrences did not differ between the groups within 3 months of the index stroke (2 [1.1%] versus 4 [4.2%]; hazard ratio [HR], 0.257 [log-rank P =0.091]) but were significantly lower in the early rhythm control group at 12 months (3 [1.7%] versus 6 [6.3%]; HR, 0.251 [log-rank P =0.034]). Although the rates of overall mortality, any cause of hospitalizations (25 [14.0%] versus 16 [16.8%]; HR, 0.808 [log-rank P =0.504]), and arrhythmia-related adverse events (5 [2.8%] versus 1 [1.1%]; HR, 2.565 [log-rank P =0.372]) did not differ, the proportion of sustained AF was lower in the early rhythm control group than the usual care group (60 [34.1%] versus 59 [62.8%], P <0.001) in 12 months. Conclusions The early rhythm control strategy of an acute IS decreased the sustained AF and recurrent IS within 12 months without an increase in the composite adverse outcomes. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02285387.

Objective: The risk of procedure-related complications and rhythm outcomes differ between men and women after atrial fibrillation catheter ablation (AFCA). We evaluated whether consistent sex differences existed in mapping and rhythm outcomes in repeat ablation procedures., Methods: Among 3282 patients in the registry, we analysed 443 consecutive patients (24.6% female, 58.5±10.3 years old, 61.5% with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation) who underwent a second AFCA. We compared the clinical factors, mapping, left atrial (LA) pressure, complications and long-term clinical recurrences after propensity score matching., Results: LA volume index (43.1±18.6 vs 35.8±11.6 mL/m 2 , p<0.001) was higher, but LA dimension (40.0±6.8 vs 41.6±6.3 mm, p=0.018), LA voltage (0.94±0.55 vs 1.20±0.68 mV, p=0.002) and pericardial fat volume (89.5±43.1 vs 122.1±53.9 cm 3 , p<0.001) were lower in women with repeat ablation than in their male counterparts. Pulmonary vein (PV) reconnections were lower (58.7% vs 74.9%, p=0.001), but the proportion of extra-PV triggers (27.5% vs 17.0%, p=0.026) and elevated LA pulse pressures (79.7% vs 63.7%, p=0.019) was significantly higher in women than in men. There was no significant sex difference in the rate of procedure-related complications (4.6% vs 4.2%, p=0.791). During a 31-month (8-60) median follow-up, clinical recurrences were significantly higher in women after both the de novo procedure (log-rank p=0.039, antiarrhythmic drug (AAD)-free log-rank p<0.001) and the second procedure (log-rank p=0.006, AAD-free log-rank p=0.093). Female sex (HR 1.51, 95% CI 1.06 to 2.15, p=0.023), non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (HR 1.78, 95% CI 1.30 to 2.34, p<0.010) and extra-PV triggers (HR 1.88, 95% CI 1.28 to 2.75, p=0.001) were independently associated with clinical recurrences after repeat procedures., Conclusions: During repeat AFCA procedures, PV reconnections were lower in women than in men, and the existence of extra-PV triggers and an LA pressure elevation were more significant, which resulted in poor rhythm outcomes., Trial Registration Number: NCT02138695., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

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Background: Catheter ablation is more effective than antiarrhythmic drug therapy alone in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, there are limited data on the outcomes of AF ablation according to sex. The purpose of this study was to evaluate gender differences in the actual outcomes after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation., Methods: Of 801,710 patients with AF in the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, we identified 9175 patients without valvular heart disease who underwent AF ablation between 2006 and 2015 and assessed 30-day safety and one-year effectiveness outcomes according to sex., Results: Of the 9175 patients who underwent AF ablation, 2206 (24%) were female. Women, compared to men, were older (60.8 ± 10.2 vs. 56.0 ± 10.5 years), had higher CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc (3.5 ± 1.7 vs. 2.0 ± 1.6), higher HAS-BLED (2.6 ± 1.3 vs. 2.4 ± 1.2), and higher Charlson comorbidity index scores (3.8 ± 2.6 vs. 3.1 ± 2.5) (p < 0.001 for all). Following ablation, there was no significant difference in the risk of 30-day complications, including hemorrhage and tamponade, between women and men. In multivariable analyses, there were no significant differences in all-cause hospitalization (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.91-1.22, p = 0.489) and AF rehospitalization (adjusted HR 1.16, 95% CI 0.96-1.40, p = 0.135). Women were less likely to undergo cardioversion (adjusted HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.62-0.84, p < 0.001) but were more likely to be re-hospitalized for heart failure (adjusted HR 1.86, 95% CI 1.11-3.11, p = 0.019)., Conclusion: Women who underwent AF ablation did not differ from men in terms of the risk of complications and all-cause hospitalization in this study. The small increased risk in women reported in previous studies may be related to residual confounding, particularly from insufficient control for age and comorbidities., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: It is unclear whether catheter ablation is beneficial for frail elderly patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). This study evaluated the effect of ablation on outcomes in frail elderly patients with AF.Methods and Results:From the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, 194,928 newly diagnosed AF patients were treated with ablation or medical therapy (rhythm or rate control) between 2005 and 2015. Among these patients, the study included 1,818 (ablation; n=119) frail and 1,907 (ablation; n=230) non-frail elderly (≥75 years) patients. Propensity score matching was used to correct for differences between groups. During 28 months (median) follow up, the risk of all-cause death, composite outcome (all-cause death, heart failure admission, stroke/systemic embolism, and sudden cardiac arrest), and each outcome did not change after ablation in frail elderly patients. However, in non-frail elderly patients, ablation was associated with a lower risk of all-cause death (3.5 and 6.2 per 100 person-years; hazard ratio [HR] 0.48; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.30-0.79; P=0.004), and composite outcome (6.9 and 11.2 per 100 person-years; HR 0.54; 95% CI 0.38-0.75; P<0.001)., Conclusions: Ablation may be associated with a lower risk of death and composite outcome in non-frail elderly, but the beneficial effect of ablation was not significant in frail elderly patients with AF. The effect of frailty on the outcome of ablation should be evaluated in further studies.

Aims: Although atrial fibrillation (AF) catheter ablation (AFCA) is an effective rhythm control strategy, there is limited data on whether ischaemic stroke (IS) or intracranial haemorrhage (ICH) decreases after AFCA compared with medical therapy or non-AF population. We explored the IS and ICH risk after AFCA or medical therapy in the AF population and matched non-AF population., Methods and Results: We compared 1629 patients with AFCA (Yonsei AF ablation cohort), 3258 with medical therapy [Korean National Health Insurance (NHIS) database], and 3258 non-AF subjects (NHIS database) following a 1:2:2 propensity score matching. All AFCA patients underwent regular rhythm follow-ups for 51 ± 29 months. Among the AFCA group, the incidence rate ratio (IRR) of ISs was significantly higher in patients with sustained AF recurrences after the last ablation (0.87%) than in those remaining in sinus rhythm (0.24%, P = 0.017; log rank P = 0.003). The IRR of ISs was significantly higher in the medical therapy (1.09%) than AFCA (0.30%, P < 0.001, log rank P < 0.001 vs. medical therapy) or non-AF groups (0.34%, P < 0.001, log rank P < 0.001 vs. medical therapy; P = 0.673, log rank P = 0.874 vs. AFCA). The IRR of ICHs was 0.17% in the medical therapy, 0.06% in the AFCA (P = 0.023, log rank P = 0.042 vs. medical therapy), and 0.12% in the non-AF group (P = 0.226, log rank P = 0.241 vs. medical therapy; P = 0.172, log rank P = 0.193 vs. AFCA)., Conclusion: Post-procedural AF control influences the risk of ISs. Atrial fibrillation catheter ablation significantly reduces the risk of both ISs and ICHs to the extent of the non-AF population compared to the medical therapy., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2020. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: We have previously reported that unilateral groin-single transseptal (ST) ablation in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) was safe and significantly reduced patient discomfort compared with bilateral groin-double transseptal (DT) ablation., Hypothesis: In the present study, we hypothesized that ST ablation would be as effective and safe as DT ablation in real-world practice like previous study. Among the 1765 consecutive patients in the Yonsei AF ablation cohort from October 2015 to January 2020, 1144 patients who underwent radiofrequency ablation were included for the analysis. Among them, 450 underwent ST ablation and 694 underwent DT ablation., Results: The total procedure time, ablation time, and fluoroscopy time were longer in the ST group than in the DT group (p < .05 for all). The hospital stay after catheter ablation was 1.3 ± 1.1 days which was longer in DT group than ST group (p = .001). No significant difference was observed in the complication rate (p = .263) and AF-free survival rate (log-rank p = .19) between the groups. However, after excluding patients who used antiarrhythmic drugs when AF recurred, the AF-free survival rates were lower in the DT group than in the ST group before and after propensity score matching (log-rank p = .026 and .047, respectively)., Conclusion: Although the ST approach increases the procedure time compared with the DT approach owing to the need for more frequent catheter exchanges, the ST approach is a feasible and safe strategy for AF ablation in terms of rhythm outcomes and risk of complications., (© 2021 The Authors. Clinical Cardiology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Whether catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) improves survival and affects other outcomes in real-world heart failure (HF) patients is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate whether ablation reduces death, and other outcomes in real-world AF patients with HF. Among 834,735 patients with AF from 2006 to 2015 in the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, 3173 HF patients underwent AF ablation. Propensity score weighting was used to correct for differences between the groups. During median 54 months follow-up, the risk of all-cause death in ablated patients was less than half of that in patients with medical therapy (2.8 vs. 6.2 per 100 person-years; hazard ratio [HR] 0.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.27-0.65, p < 0.001). Ablation was related with lower risk of cardiovascular death (HR 0.38, 95% CI 0.32-0.62, p < 0.001), HF admission (HR 0.39, 95% CI 0.33-0.46, p < 0.001) and stroke/systemic embolism (HR 0.44, 95% CI 0.37-0.53, p < 0.001). In subgroup analysis, the risk of all-cause death was reduced in most subgroups except in the elderly (≥ 75 years) and strictly anticoagulated patients. Ablation may be associated with reduced risk of all-cause death and cardiovascular death in real-world AF patients with HF, supporting the role of AF ablation in patients with HF.

Aims: Accumulating evidence shows that atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with an increased risk of dementia. Catheter ablation for AF prolongs the duration of sinus rhythm, thereby improving the quality of life. We investigated the association of catheter ablation for AF with the occurrence of dementia., Methods and Results: Using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, among 194 928 adults with AF treated with ablation or medical therapy (antiarrhythmic or rate control drugs) between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2015, we studied 9119 patients undergoing ablation and 17 978 patients managed with medical therapy. The time-at-risk was counted from the first medical therapy, and ablation was analysed as a time-varying exposure. Propensity score-matching was used to correct for differences between the groups. During a median follow-up of 52 months, compared with patients with medical therapy, ablated patients showed lower incidence and risk of overall dementia (8.1 and 5.6 per 1000 person-years, respectively; hazard ratio 0.73, 95% confidence interval 0.58-0.93). The associations between ablation and dementia risk were consistently observed after additionally censoring for incident stroke (hazard ratio 0.76, 95% confidence interval 0.61-0.95) and more pronounced in cases of ablation success whereas no significant differences observed in cases of ablation failure. Ablation was associated with lower risks of dementia subtypes including Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia., Conclusion: In this nationwide cohort of AF patients treated with catheter ablation or medical therapy, ablation was associated with decreased dementia risk. This relationship was evident after censoring for stroke and adjusting for clinical confounders., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2020. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

A prolonged PR interval predicts atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after catheter ablation. We investigated the causal association between the PR interval and AF clinical recurrence by a Mendelian randomization. We prospectively included 1722 patients with AF (73.2% male, 58.6 ± 10.8 years old, 71.3% paroxysmal AF) who underwent catheter ablation into a genome-wide association study (GWAS). We searched for the genetic associations between the PR interval and AF recurrence by analyzing 44 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) already known to be associated with the PR interval, and investigated the Mendelian randomization. Based on the quartile analysis, the highest quartile of the PR interval was associated with an increased risk of AF recurrence compared with the lowest quartile (Hazard ratio (HR) = 1.91, 95% CI = 1.51-2.42, P = 8.41 × 10 -8 ) during 35.7 ± 28.5 months of follow-up. Among 44 SNPs known to be associated with the PR interval, two SNPs had significant associations with the PR interval (P < 0.001 for each SNP). CAV1 (HR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.02-1.31, P = 0.024) was associated with clinical recurrence of AF. A Mendelian randomization analysis demonstrated a significant association with CAV1 (HR = 1.04, 95% CI = 1.01-1.07, P = 0.006). A prolonged PR interval was a risk factor for an AF recurrence, and the PR interval had a potentially causal association with an AF clinical recurrence after catheter ablation at the genetic level.

Background: Persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) can change to paroxysmal AF after antiarrhythmic drug medication and cardioversion. We investigated whether electrical posterior box isolation (POBI) may improve rhythm outcome of catheter ablation in those patient groups., Methods: We prospectively randomized 114 patients with persistent AF to paroxysmal AF (men, 75%; 59.8±9.9 years old) to circumferential pulmonary vein isolation (CPVI) alone group (n=57) and additional POBI group (n=57). Primary end point was AF recurrence after a single procedure, and secondary end points were recurrence pattern, cardioversion rate, and response to antiarrhythmic drugs., Results: After a mean follow-up of 23.8±10.2 months, the clinical recurrence rate did not significantly differ between the CPVI alone and additional POBI group (31.6% versus 28.1%; P =0.682; log-rank P =0.729). The recurrences as atrial tachycardias (5.3% versus 12.3%; P =0.134) and cardioversion rates (5.3% versus 10.5%; P =0.250) were not significantly different between the CPVI and POBI groups. At the final follow-up, sinus rhythm was maintained without antiarrhythmic drug in 52.6% of CPVI group and 59.6% of POBI group ( P =0.450). No significant difference was found in major complication rates between the two groups (5.3% versus 1.8%; P =0.618), but the total ablation time was significantly longer in the POBI group (4187±952 versus 5337±1517 s; P <0.001)., Conclusions: In patients with persistent AF converted to paroxysmal AF by antiarrhythmic drug, the addition of POBI to CPVI did not improve the rhythm outcome of catheter ablation or influence overall safety, while leading to longer ablation time. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02176616.

Objectives: This study explored the potential mechanisms of long-term recurrence (LTR) of atrial fibrillation (AF) 3 years after AF catheter ablation (AFCA)., Background: AF is a progressive disease, and the mechanism underlying long-term recurrence after AFCA is unclear., Methods: Among 2,209 consecutive patients who underwent AFCA, 1,325 (age 59 ± 11 years, 72.5% male) who underwent regular rhythm follow-ups for >3 years were enrolled. Among them, 659 patients remained in sinus rhythm (SR), 327 recurred after 3 to 12 months (short-term recurrence [STR]), 235 after 1 to 3 years (mid-term recurrence [MTR]), and 104 after 3 years (long-term recurrence [LTR]). Two hundred-eighteen recurrent patients underwent repeat procedures: 112, 80, and 26 in the STR, MTR, and LTR groups, respectively., Results: The pre-ablation left-atrial (LA) dimensions were larger in the STR (p < 0.001) and MTR groups (p < 0.001) but not in the LTR group compared with the SR group. Low LA voltages were independently associated with an LTR (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 0.57 [0.36 to 0.92]; p = 0.022). Upon the redo mapping, the number of reconnected pulmonary veins (PVs) was 2.0 (interquartile range [IQR]: 0 to 3), 1.5 (IQR: 0 to 3), and 1.0 (IQR: 0 to 2) in the STR, MTR, and LTR groups, respectively (p = 0.030). Post-ablation extra PV triggers were more commonly found in the LTR than STR or MTR groups (LTR 40.9% to STR 19.2%; p = 0.014) during the second procedure., Conclusions: The LTR group had a similar baseline LA size and significantly lower LA voltage than the SR group. In the repeat procedures, the LTR group had fewer reconnected PVs, but extra PV triggers were more common than in the STR and MTR groups., (Copyright © 2020 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background It is still controversial whether catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) improves survival and other outcomes in patients with AF. This study evaluated whether ablation reduces death and other events in nationwide real-world Asian patients with AF. Methods and Results From the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, 194 928 adult patients (aged ≥18 years) with newly diagnosed AF were treated with ablation or medical therapy (antiarrhythmic or rate control drugs) between January 1, 2005, and December 1, 2015. Among these patients, this study included 9185 with ablation and 18 770 with medical therapy. The time at risk was counted from the first medical therapy, and ablation was analyzed as a time-varying covariate. Inverse probability of treatment weighting was used to correct for differences between the groups. After weighting, the 2 cohorts had similar background characteristics. During a median (25th, 75th percentiles) follow-up of 43 (19, 81) months, ablation of AF was associated with lower incidence and risk of composite outcome, including death, heart failure admission, and stroke/systemic embolism (2.5 and 6.4 per 100 person-years, respectively; hazard ratio [HR], 0.47; 95% CI, 0.43-0.52; P <0.001), all-cause death (1.0 and 3.6 per 100 person-years; HR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.36-0.47; P <0.001), heart failure admission (0.7 and 1.9 per 100 person-years; HR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.37-0.50), and ischemic stroke/systemic embolism (1.1 and 2.8 per 100 person-years; HR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.34-0.44) than medical therapy. Conclusions Ablation may be associated with lower risk of death, heart failure admission, and ischemic stroke/systemic embolism in real-world Asian patients with AF.

Introduction: Mesh-type flexible tip (MFT) catheters allow clinicians to safely generate large radiofrequency lesions during catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF), while contact force (CF) catheters provide better catheter-tissue contact. We compared the clinical outcomes of catheter ablation of AF using MFT and CF catheters in a prospective, nonrandomized manner., Methods: We prospectively assigned 217 patients with AF (paroxysmal AF 73.5%; male 69.1%; 59.9 ± 10.7 years old) at a 1:1 ratio to ablation with MFT catheters (FlexAbility) or CF catheters (TactiCath). The primary endpoint was AF recurrence after a single procedure; the secondary endpoint was a response to antiarrhythmic drugs., Results: After a mean follow-up of 22.3 ± 4.4 months, the clinical recurrence rate did not significantly differ between the two study groups (29.7% vs 30.2%; P = .941) (log-rank P = .838). The recurrence rate for atrial tachycardias (30.3% vs 9.7%; P = .035) and cardioversion rates (8.1% vs 1.9%; P = .024) were higher in the MFT group than CF group. At the final follow-up, sinus rhythm was maintained without antiarrhythmic drugs in 57.7% of the MFT group and 40.6% of the CF group (P = .010). No significant difference was found in the major complication rates between the two groups (0.9% vs 5.7%), although the ablation time was significantly longer in the MFT group (4192.1 ± 1080.2  vs 3583.8 ± 977.2 seconds; P < .001)., Conclusion: MFT and CF catheters had similar effectiveness in achieving AF rhythm control during catheter ablation, and there was no significant difference between the two catheters with regard to overall safety., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

We previously reported the feasibility and efficacy of a simulation-guided clinical catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) in an in-silico AF model. We developed a highly efficient realistic AF model reflecting the patient endocardial voltage and local conduction and tested its clinical feasibility. We acquired > 500 endocardial bipolar electrograms during right atrial pacing at the beginning of the AF ablation procedures. Based on the clinical bipolar electrograms, we generated simulated voltage maps by applying fibrosis and local activation maps adjusted for the fiber orientation. The software's accuracy (CUVIA2.5) was retrospectively tested in 17 patients and feasibility prospectively in 10 during clinical AF ablation. Results: We found excellent correlations between the clinical and simulated voltage maps (R = 0.933, p < 0.001) and clinical and virtual local conduction (R = 0.958, p < 0.001). The proportion of virtual local fibrosis was 15.4, 22.2, and 36.9% in the paroxysmal AF, persistent AF, and post-pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) states, respectively. The reconstructed virtual bipolar electrogram exhibited a relatively good similarities of morphology to the local clinical bipolar electrogram (R = 0.60 ± 0.08, p < 0.001). Feasibility testing revealed an in situ procedural computing time from the clinical data acquisition to wave-dynamics analyses of 48.2 ± 4.9 min. All virtual analyses were successfully achieved during clinical PVI procedures. We developed a highly efficient, realistic, in situ procedural simulation model reflective of individual anatomy, fiber orientation, fibrosis, and electrophysiology that can be applied during AF ablation.

Instruction: Longer atrial fibrillation (AF) durations have higher recurrence rates after rhythm control. However, there is limited data on the effect of the AF duration on recurrence after atrial fibrillation catheter ablation (AFCA). In the present study, we investigated the rhythm outcome of AFCA according to the AF duration based on the first electrocardiogram (ECG) diagnosis., Methods and Results: We included 1005 patients with AF (75% male, 59 ± 11 years old) who underwent AFCA and whose first ECG diagnosis time point was evident. The clinical characteristics and rhythm outcomes were compared based on the AF duration (≤3 years, n = 537; >3 years, n = 468) and AF burden (paroxysmal atrial fibrillation [PAF], n = 387; persistent atrial fibrillation [PeAF], n = 618). Longer AF durations were associated with older age (P = .020), larger left atrial size (P = .009) and a higher number of patients with hypertension (P < .001) or PeAF (P < .001). During 24 ± 22 months of follow-up, the postablation clinical recurrence rate was higher in patients with a longer AF duration (logrank P = .002). The AF recurrence rate was significantly higher in PeAF patients with an AF duration >3 years (logrank P = 0.009), but not in subjects with PAF (logrank P = .939). In a multivariate Cox regression analysis, a longer AF duration was significantly associated with a higher clinical recurrence rate after AFCA in PeAF patients (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.06; range, 1.03-0.10; P = 0.001), but not PAF., Conclusion: Although longer AF duration was associated with higher clinical recurrence rates after AFCA, the rate was significant in patients with PeAF lasting >3 years, but not in PAF patients., (© 2020 The Authors. Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background We previously reported the benefit of linear ablation from the superior vena cava to the right atrial septum (SVC-L) within a year after circumferential pulmonary vein isolation (CPVI) in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). We explored the long-term effects of SVC-L and its potential related mechanisms. Methods and Results Among 2140 consecutive patients with AF ablation, we included 614 patients (73.3% male, aged 57.8±10.7 years, 13.7% with persistent AF) who did not undergo an extra-pulmonary vein left atrial ablation after propensity score matching; of those, 307 had additional SVC-L and 307 had CPVI alone. We evaluated the heart rate variability and computational modeling study to explore mechanisms. Although the procedure time was longer in the SVC-L group than the CPVI group ( P <0.001), the complication rates did not differ ( P =0.560). During 40.5±24.4 months of follow-up, the rhythm outcome was significantly better in the SVC-L group than the CPVI group (log rank, P <0.001). At 2-year follow-up of heart rate variability, a significantly higher mean heart rate ( P =0.018) and a lower ratio of low/high-frequency components ( P =0.011) were found with SVC-L than CPVI alone. In realistic in silico biatrial modeling, which reflected the electroanatomies of 10 patients, SVC-L significantly reduced biatrial dominant frequency compared with CPVI alone ( P <0.001) and increased AF termination and defragmentation rates ( P =0.033). Conclusions SVC-L ablation in addition to CPVI significantly improved the long-term rhythm outcome over 2 years after AF catheter ablation by mechanisms involving autonomic modulation and AF organization.

Objectives: This study explored whether complete electrical isolation of the left atrial (LA) posterior wall improves the rhythm outcome of catheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF)., Background: Although the STAR AF2 (Substrate and Trigger Ablation for Reduction of Atrial Fibrillation Trial Part II) proved no additional benefit of empirical extra-pulmonary vein (PV) LA ablation, the long-term recurrence rate after circumferential PV isolation (CPVI) alone remains high., Methods: We randomly assigned 217 patients with persistent AF (83.1% men, age 58.7 ± 10.8 years, 73.3% long-standing persistent AF) to ablation with CPVI alone (CPVI group) or CPVI with a POsterior wall Box Isolation (POBI group). The endpoint of the POBI group was the elimination of the posterior atrial potentials by roof and posterior inferior lines and touch-up focal ablation., Results: After a mean follow-up of 16.2 ± 8.8 months, the clinical recurrence rate did not significantly differ between the 2 groups (23.8% vs. 26.5%; p = 0.779) in the CPVI and POBI groups. The recurrence rate for atrial tachycardias (16.0% vs. 11.1%; p = 0.913) and cardioversion rates (6.7% vs. 13.7%; p = 0.093) to control clinical recurrences also did not significantly differ between the 2 groups. At the final follow-up, sinus rhythm was maintained without antiarrhythmic drug in 50.5% and 55.9% in the CPVI and POBI groups, respectively (p = 0.522). No significant difference was found in the major complication rates between the 2 groups, but the total ablation time was significantly longer in the POBI group (4,289 ± 1,837 s vs. 5,365 ± 2,358 s; p < 0.001)., Conclusions: In patients with persistent AF, an empirical complete POBI did not improve the rhythm outcome of catheter ablation or influence the type of recurrent atrial arrhythmia. (Comparison of Circumferential Pulmonary Vein Isolation Alone Versus Linear Ablation in Addition to Circumferential Pulmonary Vein Isolation for Catheter Ablation in Persistent Atrial Fibrillation: Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial; NCT02721121)., (Copyright © 2019 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background Although it has been reported that renal function can improve after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF), long-term changes in renal function and its relationship to rhythm outcomes have not yet been evaluated. We explored the 5-year change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in AF patients depending on medical therapy and catheter ablation. Methods and Results Among 1963 patients who underwent AF catheter ablation and 14 056 with AF under medical therapy in the National Health Insurance Service database, we compared 571 with AF catheter ablation (59±10 years old, 72.3% male, and 66.5% paroxysmal AF) and 1713 with medical therapy after 1:3 propensity-score matching. All participants had 5 years of serial eGFR data (Chronic Kidney Disease-Epidemiology Collaboration [CKD-EPI] method). Catheter ablation improved eGFR 5 yrs (P<0.001), but medical therapy did not. In 2284 matched patients, age (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.98 [0.97-0.99]; P<0.001) and AF catheter ablation (adjusted OR, 2.02 [1.67-2.46]; P<0.001) were independently associated with an improved eGFR 5 yrs . Among 571 patients who underwent AF ablation, freedom from AF/atrial tachycardia recurrence after the last AF ablation procedure was independently associated with an improved eGFR 5 yrs (adjusted OR, 1.44 [1.01-2.04]; P=0.043), especially in patients without diabetes mellitus (adjusted OR, 1.78 [1.21-2.63]; P=0.003, P for interaction=0.012). Although underlying renal dysfunction (<60 mL/min/1.73m 2 ) was associated with atrial structural remodeling (adjusted OR, 1.05 [1.00-1.11]; P=0.046), it did not affect the AF ablation rhythm outcome. Conclusions AF catheter ablation significantly improved renal function over a 5-year follow-up, especially in patients maintaining sinus rhythm without preexisting diabetes mellitus.

Background: Although atrial fibrillation (AF) has a risk of cognitive dysfunction, it is not clear whether AF catheter ablation improves or worsens cognitive function. This prospective case-control study sought to assess the 1-year serial changes in the cognitive function with or without AF catheter ablation., Methods: We evaluated the Montreal Cognitive Assessment score in 308 patients (71.4% male, 60.6±9.1 years of age, 34.1% persistent AF) who underwent AF ablation (ablation group) and 50 AF patients on medical therapy who met the same indication for AF ablation (control group), at baseline and 3 and 12 months after enrollment. Cognitive impairment was defined as a published cutoff score of <23 points. To exclude any learning effects, we used the practice-adjusted reliable change index for assessing the cognitive changes., Results: Preablation cognitive impairment was detected in 18.5% (57/308). The Montreal Cognitive Assessment score significantly improved 1 year after radiofrequency catheter ablation in both overall ablation group (24.9±2.9-26.4±2.5; P<0.001) and the propensity-matched ablation group (25.4±2.4-26.5±2.3; P<0.001), but not in the control group (25.4±2.5-24.8±2.5; P=0.012). Preablation cognitive impairment (odds ratio, 13.70; 95% CI, 4.83-38.87; P<0.001) was independently associated with an improvement in the 1-year post-ablation cognitive function. In the reliable change index analyses, 94.7% of propensity-matched ablation group showed an improved/stable cognitive function at the 1-year follow-up., Conclusions: Catheter ablation of AF, at least, does not deteriorate the cognitive function, but rather improves the performance on 1-year follow-up neurocognitive tests, especially in patients with a preablation cognitive impairment.

Background: Although the hemodynamic burden and structural substrate contribute to valvular atrial fibrillation (VAF) mechanisms, the role of catheter ablation has rarely been reported. We investigated the clinical characteristics, mapping findings, and long-term rhythm outcomes after catheter ablation of hemodynamically corrected VAF., Methods: We compared 77 patients with VAF (46.8% male, 52.7±8.8 years old, 46.8% paroxysmal AF, 24.7% with maze procedures) and 2244 patients with non-VAF (NVAF) who underwent catheter ablation. Among the VAF patients, 44 (57.1%) had mechanical valve AF (MV-AF) and 33 (42.9%) underwent a prior mitral valvuloplasty (MVP-AF). We analyzed the catheter ablation rhythm outcomes for MV-AF and MVP-AF., Results: The left atrial (LA) diameter was greater (p<0.001), LA voltage lower (p<0.001), and procedure-related complication rate higher (mainly sinus node dysfunction, p=0.004) for VAF than NVAF. During 70.2±1.8 months of follow-up, the rhythm outcome of VAF did not significantly differ from that of NVAF after catheter ablation (log rank p=0.399), even after excluding patients with maze procedures (log rank p=0.629). The clinical recurrence rates did not differ between the MV-AF and MVP-AF groups (log rank p=0.244), or between patients with prior maze procedures and those without (log rank p=0.651). The main conduction recovery sites of previous maze procedures were the perimitral (84.2%) and cavotricuspid isthmus (84.2%) areas, and recurrence mechanisms were macroreentry (63.2%) and focal/microreentry (26.3%) at scar border zones., Conclusions: Although hemodynamically corrected VAF was associated with advanced LA remodeling, the rhythm outcome did not significantly differ from that of NVAF after catheter ablation., (Copyright © 2018 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Although a recent expert consensus statement has recommended periprocedural uninterrupted (UI) non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) during catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) as a Class I indication, there have been no clear randomized trials. We investigated the safety and efficacy of UI, procedure day single-dose skipped (SDS), and 24-hour skipped (24S) NOACs in patients undergoing AF ablation., Methods and Results: In this prospective, open-label, randomized multicentre trial, 326 patients (75% male, 58 ± 11 years old) scheduled for AF catheter ablation were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to UI, SDS, and 24S at three tertiary hospitals. Bridging with low molecular weight heparin was carried out in the patients with persistent AF who were assigned to the 24S group. Dabigatran, rivaroxaban, and apixaban were assigned in order after randomization. The primary endpoint was the incidence of bleeding events within 1 month after ablation. The secondary endpoints included thrombo-embolic and other procedure-related complications. The intra-procedural heparin requirement was higher in the 24S group than others (P < 0.001), and the mean activated clotting time was comparable among the groups (P = 0.139). The incidence of major bleeding up to 1 month after ablation and a post-procedural reduction in the haemoglobin levels did not significantly differ among the treatment groups and different NOACs (P > 0.05). There were no fatal events or thrombo-embolic complications in all the three groups., Conclusion: In patients undergoing AF ablation, UI NOACs and SDS or double dose skipped NOACs had a comparable efficacy and safety, regardless of the type of NOAC., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2018. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Purpose: Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) requires heavy anticoagulation and uncomfortable post-procedural hemostasis. We compared patient satisfaction with and the safety of unilateral groin (UG) puncture-single trans-septal (ST) ablation with conventional bilateral groin (BG) puncture-double trans-septal (DT) ablation in paroxysmal AF patients., Materials and Methods: We enrolled 222 patients with paroxysmal AF (59.4±10.7 years old) who were randomized in a 2:1 manner into UG-ST ablation (n=148) and BG-DT ablation (n=74) groups. If circumferential pulmonary vein isolation could not be achieved after three attempts of touch-up ablation in the UG-ST group, the patient was crossed over to BG-DT by performing a left groin puncture., Results: Ten patients in the UG-ST group (6.8%) required crossover to the BG-DT approach. There were no significant differences in procedure time ( p =0.144) and major complications rate ( p >0.999) between the UG-ST and BG-DT groups. Access site pain ( p =0.014), back pain ( p =0.023), and total pain ( p =0.015) scores were significantly lower for the UG-ST than BG-DT group as assessed by the Visual Analog Scale. Over 20.2±8.7 months of follow up, there was no difference in AF recurrence free-survival rates between the two groups (Log rank, p =0.984)., Conclusion: UG-ST AF ablation is feasible and safe, and was found to significantly reduce post-procedural hemostasis-related discomfort, compared to the conventional DT approach, in patients with paroxysmal AF., Competing Interests: The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose., (© Copyright: Yonsei University College of Medicine 2019.)

Incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) is high in patients with congenial heart disease. However, management of AF is challenging in these patients. Although radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) is effective therapeutic option for AF, RFCA for AF is not common in patients who underwent Fontan operation. We present a 24-year-old woman with paroxysmal AF, who underwent lateral tunnel Fontan operation for functional single ventricle. Circumferential pulmonary vein isolation was successfully performed. However, significant pulmonary vein stenosis developed after RFCA. Pulmonary vein stenosis was successfully treated by transcatheter intervention., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: The Substrate and Trigger Ablation for Reduction of Atrial Fibrillation Trial Part II (STAR-AF2) emphasized the importance of circumferential pulmonary vein isolation (CPVI) during AF ablation. Methods and Results: This study involved 2,297 consecutive patients (mean age, 58±11 years; 73.1% male, 70.1% paroxysmal AF) undergoing AF ablation from 2009 to 2017. We investigated the ablation lesion set, ablation time, catheter type, and clinical outcomes. Over the 9 years, the extra-pulmonary vein (PV) left atrial (LA) ablation rate (76.8% to 19.4%, P<0.001 for trend) and ablation time (P<0.001 for trend) decreased dramatically, whereas the 1-year recurrence rates decreased (21.8% to 14.1%, P=0.04 for trend). In persistent AF patients, the extra-PV LA ablation rate (91.4% to 55.3%, P<0.001) and ablation time (P<0.001) decreased after the STAR-AF2 report, but the 1-year recurrence rates remained similar (22.1% to 17.9%, P=0.281). A mesh-type flexible tip (MFT) catheter with a moderately increased radiofrequency power was used since 2012, and the MFT catheter was independently associated with a lower clinical recurrence compared to other irrigated-tip catheters (HR, 0.670; 95% CI: 0.559-0.803, P<0.001; log rank P=0.002) without increasing the procedure-related complications (OR, 1.434; 95% CI: 0.937-2.194, P=0.097)., Conclusions: Over the 9 years the extra-PV LA ablation and 1-year recurrence rates in the AF ablation cohort decreased, in part due to improved catheter technology.

Introduction: The objective of the current study was to elucidate the effects of the accessory pathways (APs) on the left ventricular (LV) wall motion and radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) on AP-related regional wall motion abnormality (RWMA) in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome., Methods and Results: We included 348 consecutive patients (age, 37.6 ± 17.3 years; men, 58.3%) with WPW syndrome who underwent RFCA for AP. We analyzed electrocardiographic data, the AP location, LV ejection fraction (LVEF), and RWMA patterns and their changes after RFCA. The locations of APs were right, septal, and left in 78, 94, and 176 patients, respectively. RWMA at the AP location (44.9%, 51.1%, and 17.6%, respectively; P < 0.001), decreased LVEF (10.3%, 6.4%, and 1.1%, respectively; P = 0.004), and dyskinesia (16.7%, 16.0%, and 1.1%, respectively; P < 0.001) were significantly more frequent in patients with a right or septal AP than in those with a left AP. In 31 of 50 patients with RWMA who underwent post-RFCA echocardiography (62.0%), RWMA was completely improved after RFCA. Right AP (odds ratio [OR], 22.084; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.628-134.420; P = 0.001) and dyskinesia (OR, 6.275; 95% CI, 1.186-33.213; P = 0.031) were significantly associated with the absence of RWMA improvement after RFCA., Conclusions: AP-related RWMA is frequent in patients with right or septal APs. A substantial number of patients with right AP or dyskinesia may show no improvement in RWMA after RFCA., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: The electrophysiological features and roles of persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) in supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) are not known., Objective: The purpose of this study was to elucidate the electrophysiological features and roles of PLSVC in patients with SVT., Methods: We included 37 patients with PLSVC (mean age 43.5 ± 17.1 years; 35.1% men) and 510 patients without PLSVC (mean age 43.9 ± 18.8 years; 48.2% men) who underwent an electrophysiology study for SVT. The number of induced tachycardias, location of the slow pathway (SP) or accessory pathway (AP), and radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) outcomes were compared between patients with and without PLSVC. During RFCA of the left AP, a coronary sinus (CS) catheter was placed into the left superior vena cava (left superior vena cava group) or the great cardiac vein (great cardiac vein group). The RFCA outcomes were compared between the groups., Results: In patients with PLSVC, 40 tachycardias were induced: atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) (n = 19), atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia (n = 17), and focal atrial tachycardia (n = 4). Among patients with AVNRT, an SP in the CS was significantly more frequent in patients with PLSVC than in those without PLSVC (47.4% vs 3.8%; P < .001). In patients with the left AP, the number of RFCA attempts and recurrence were lower in the great cardiac vein group than in the left superior vena cava group., Conclusion: An SP in the CS is prevalent in patients with AVNRT and PLSVC. It is useful to place a CS catheter into the great cardiac vein in patients with a left AP and PLSVC., (Copyright © 2018 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Catheter ablation is a good treatment option for atrial fibrillation (AF) in young symptomatic patients. However, there is little information on the efficacy of catheter ablation of early-onset AF between sexes. Methods and Results: This study included 1,060 patients under the age 60 years old (837 men, 49.8±7.7 years old, 70.8% paroxysmal AF) who underwent catheter ablation for AF. Sex differences in clinical presentation and ablation outcomes were compared with and without propensity score-matching. During 24.5±18.9 months of follow-up, women showed significantly higher clinical recurrence of AF than men (log-rank, P=0.002). Female sex was independently associated with post-ablation clinical recurrence of AF (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 2.58 [1.06-6.30], P=0.037). Women had a higher proportion of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (E/Em, P<0.001), higher prevalence of heart failure (P=0.017), greater left atrial (LA) volume index (P=0.001), lower LA endocardial voltage (P<0.001), and higher parasympathetic nervous activity (root-mean square of differences, P<0.001; high-frequency (HF), P=0.010) than men. After a second ablation procedure (n=111), women still showed a higher clinical recurrence rate than men (log-rank, P=0.003) during 22.9±15.0 months of follow-up., Conclusions: Among patients with early-onset AF who underwent catheter ablation, women showed poorer clinical outcomes than men after de novo and second procedures. Left ventricular dysfunction, LA remodeling, and autonomic nervous function may be potential mechanisms underlying sex differences in catheter ablation outcomes of early-onset AF.

Aims: Circulating adiponectin is known to have anti-diabetic, anti-atherogenic, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the predictive value of adiponectin in cardiovascular disease has been reported to be contradictory ('adiponectin paradox') and its relationship with atrial fibrillation (AF) is controversial. We hypothesized that pre-procedural plasma level of adiponectin would have prognostic value in patients who underwent AF catheter ablation., Methods and Results: This observational cohort study included 874 patients with paroxysmal AF (PAF) (73.0% male, mean age 57.6 ± 11.2 years) who underwent catheter ablation. Quartile analyses of plasma level of adiponectin were performed to determine AF-related clinical factors. Patients in the highest quartile of plasma adiponectin were more likely to be older (P < 0.001), female (P < 0.001), and have a higher CHA2DS2-VASc score (P < 0.001) than patients in the other three quartiles. Plasma level of adiponectin was independently associated with female gender (B 2.92 [1.84∼4.00], P < 0.001), older age (B 0.06 [0.03∼0.10], P < 0.001), lower body mass index (B - 0.22 [-0.42∼-0.03], P = 0.025), and greater LA volume index (B 0.05 [0.01∼0.08], P = 0.005). During the 29.9 ± 18.0 months of follow-up, plasma adiponectin level (HR 1.17 [1.02∼1.35], P = 0.022) was independently associated with clinical recurrence of AF, and the clinical recurrence rate was significantly higher in the highest quartile of adiponectin group than the others (log rank P = 0.029), especially in age <65 years (log rank P = 0.038), but not in age ≥65., Conclusion: High circulating adiponectin is independently associated with AF recurrence after catheter ablation for PAF, especially younger than 65 years old.

Purpose: Despite undergoing successful catheter ablation of typical atrial flutter (AFL), patients remain at increased risk for ischemic stroke. However, data on risk prediction tools for the development of stroke after AFL ablation are lacking. This study investigates whether CHA₂DS₂-VASc score is useful for predicting ischemic stroke after successful ablation of typical AFL., Materials and Methods: A total of 293 patients (236 men, mean age 56.1±13.5 years) who underwent successful radiofrequency catheter ablation for typical AFL were included in this study. The clinical end point was occurrence of ischemic stroke during follow-up after AFL ablation., Results: During the follow-up period (60.8±45.9 months), ischemic stroke occurred in 18 (6%) patients at a median of 34 months (interquartile range, 13-65 months). CHA₂DS₂-VASc score [hazard ratio 2.104; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.624-2.726; p<0.001] was an independent predictor for the occurrence of stroke after AFL ablation. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for CHA₂DS₂-VASc score was 0.798 (95% CI, 0.691-0.904). The CHA₂DS₂-VASc score could be used to stratify patients into two groups with different incidences of ischemic stroke (1.6% vs. 14.4%, p<0.001) at a cutoff value of 2., Conclusion: CHA₂DS₂-VASc score is useful in a prediction model for the risk of stroke after catheter ablation of typical AFL., Competing Interests: The authors have no financial conflicts of interest., (© Copyright: Yonsei University College of Medicine 2018)

Introduction: The ablation gaps have been known as the main mechanism of recurrence as atrial tachycardia (AT) rather than atrial fibrillation (AF) after AF catheter ablation. However, AF organization due to reduction of critical mass or focal trigger may also be the mechanism of AT recurrence. We sought to find out the main clinical factors of recurrence as AT rather than AF after AF ablation in the absence of antiarrhythmic drug effect., Methods: We analyzed 521 patients (70.8% men, 64.1% paroxysmal AF) who experienced AT or AF recurrence without antiarrhythmic drug effect during 44.7 ± 25.4 months follow-up., Results: Among 521 patients with recurrence, 42.0% (219 of 521) recurred with AT. The proportion of AT recurrence was not different between the pulmonary vein isolation only group and additional linear ablation group (45.1% vs. 38.1%, p = 0.128). The absence of hypertension (odds ratio [OR] 0.49, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.29-0.83, p = 0.007), small left atrial (LA) volume index (OR 0.89 per 10 mL/m2, 95% CI 0.79-1.00, p = 0.049), and high mean LA bipolar voltage (OR 2.03 per 1 mV, 95% CI 1.30-3.16, p = 0.002) were independently associated with AT recurrence, whereas additional linear ablation was not. Among 90 patients who underwent repeat ablation procedure, rates of PV reconnection (p = 0.358) and gap in prior linear ablations (p = 0.269) were not significantly different between AT recurrence group and AF recurrence group., Conclusion: The degree of LA remodeling is significantly associated with recurrence as AT after AF ablation, irrespective of potential ablation gap in linear lesion.

Aims: Although atrial fibrillation (AF) catheter ablation increases sinus heart rate (HR), its mechanism and prognosis have not yet been clearly elucidated. We hypothesize that post-AF ablation high sinus HR (PA-HSR) is associated with a better clinical outcome of AF ablation without adverse cardiac effects., Methods and Results: We studied 991 AF patients (75% male, 58 ± 11 years old, 70% paroxysmal AF) with HR variability (HRV) at 3 months and 1 year after catheter ablation, and pre- and post-1-year echocardiograms. Post-AF ablation high sinus HR was defined as an average HR greater than 2 SD (≥92 bpm) as measured by 24 h Holter. (1) Average HR increased significantly (P< 0.001), and PA-HSR was observed in 28 patients (2.8%) 3 months after AF ablation. At 1 year after catheter ablation, 21% were taking β-blockers and 36% maintained an average HR of ≥92 bpm. (2) Post-AF ablation high sinus HR was independently associated with pre-procedural high average HR (OR 1.097; 95% CI 1.029-1.169, P= 0.005), high left atrium (LA) electrogram voltage (OR 3.545; 95% CI 1.183-10.618, P= 0.024), and reduced root mean square of differences between successive NN intervals (rMSSD) at 3 months HRV (OR 0.959; 95% CI 0.919-0.999, P= 0.047). (3) At 1 year echocardiography, size reduction of LA (P= 0.055) or LV (P= 0.372) and the improvement in ejection fraction (P= 0.529) were not significantly different between patients with PA-HSR and those without. (4) Throughout 27 ± 17 months of follow-up, patients with PA-HSR showed significantly lower clinical recurrence than those without (log rank, P= 0.020)., Conclusion: Post-AF ablation high sinus HR was observed in patients with smaller LA size and higher LA electrogram voltage and significant vagal modulation without adverse cardiac effects. Post-AF ablation high sinus HR was associated with a significantly lower clinical recurrence of AF after catheter ablation., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2016. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Aims: Although electrically reconnected pulmonary veins (PV) are the main mechanism of atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence, PV isolation (PVI) is well-preserved in certain patients who undergo a repeat procedure. We explored the association between PV reconnection and clinical outcomes after a second ablation., Methods and Results: This observational cohort study included 143 patients (79.0% male, 56.1 ± 10.0 years old, 65.0% paroxysmal AF) who underwent a second procedure. Pulmonary vein isolation was well-maintained in 52 patients (PVP- group, 36.4%), although the remaining 91 patients showed PV reconnection (PVP+ group). After confirming PVI, we mapped non-PV triggers and conducted trigger ablation or additional linear ablation at redo-procedures. The proportion of females was higher (P = 0.030), and redo-ablation timing after the de novo procedure was later (P = 0.039) in the PVP- group than in the PVP+ group. Additional linear ablations were more likely to be performed in the PVP- group (90.4 vs. 61.5%, P < 0.001). During the 18.4 ± 10.2 month follow-up after the redo-ablation, the PVP+ group showed a lower clinical recurrence rate than the PVP- group (log-rank P = 0.011). The number of reconnected PVs was independently associated with a lower recurrence of AF after the redo-ablation in the total study population (HR 0.56, 95% CI 0.34-0.95, P = 0.032), particularly for patients with paroxysmal AF (HR 0.41, 95% CI 0.19-0.87, P = 0.021)., Conclusion: Among patients who underwent redo-AF ablation, those with more PV reconnections showed better clinical outcomes than those with fewer PV reconnections. The mechanism of AF recurrence might be different in patients with lower numbers of PV reconnections during redo-procedures., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2016. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) type can vary depending on condition and timing, and some patients who initially present with persistent AF may be changed to paroxysmal AF after antiarrhythmic drug medication and cardioversion. We investigated whether circumferential pulmonary vein isolation (CPVI) alone is an effective rhythm control strategy in patients with persistent AF to paroxysmal AF., Methods and Results: We enrolled 113 patients with persistent AF to paroxysmal AF (male 75%, 60.4±10.1 years old) who underwent catheter ablation for nonvalvular AF at 3 tertiary hospitals. The participants were randomly assigned to 2 groups: CPVI alone (n=59) or CPVI plus linear ablation (CPVI+Line; posterior box+anterior line, n=54). Compared with the CPVI+Line, CPVI alone required shorter procedure (187.2±58.0 versus 211.2±63.9 min; P =0.043) and ablation times (4922.1±1110.5 versus 6205.7±1425.2 s; P <0.001) without difference in procedure-related major complication (3% versus 2%; P =0.611). Antiarrhythmic drug utility rates after ablation were not different between the 2 groups (22% versus 30%; P =0.356). Overall, AF-free survival (log-rank; P =0.206) and AF and antiarrhythmic drug-free survival (log-rank; P =0.321) were not different between groups., Conclusions: CPVI alone is an effective rhythm control strategy with a shorter procedure time in persistent AF patients converted to paroxysmal AF compared with CPVI with linear ablation., Clinical Trial Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02176616., (© 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Background: Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) for long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation (L-PeAF) is challenging and has a relatively high recurrence rate. We explored clinical and genetic characteristics associated with being good responders (no early or clinical recurrence within 12 months in the absence of anti-arrhythmic drugs) to RFCA among patients with L-PeAF., Methods: Of 1319 patients in the Yonsei AF Ablation Cohort, this study included 141 consecutive patients with L-PeAF (80.9% male, age 57.8±9.7 years) who were followed >12 months after RFCA., Results: During 25 (19-35) months follow-up, the recurrence rate was 39%, and 38 patients (27%) were categorized as good responders, those had a shorter AF duration (p=0.010), and smaller left atrial (LA) size (p=0.033) than others. The rs2106216 (16q22/ZFHX3) genetic polymorphism was independently associated with being a good responder in multivariate analysis (adjusted OR=2.70, 95% CI 1.41-5.14, p=0.003), after adjusting for LA size and AF duration. The rs2106261 had predictive value for clinical recurrence of AF after RFCA among patients with an AF duration 12-65 months (log rank, p=0.025)., Conclusions: Despite a relatively high recurrence rate after RFCA for L-PeAF, patients with a shorter AF duration and smaller LA size showed a more favorable outcome. The rs2106216 polymorphism (ZFHX3) was independently associated with being good responders to RFCA for L-PeAF, especially with AF duration 12-65 months., (Copyright © 2016 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Although circumferential pulmonary vein isolation (CPVI) catheter ablation may not be sufficient for long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation (L-PeAF), it is not clear which ablation strategy is beneficial in addition to CPVI. We sought to investigate whether additional complex fractionated atrial electrogram (CFAE)-guided ablation improves clinical outcomes in L-PeAF patients who exhibit continuous atrial fibrillation (AF) after CPVI and linear ablation (Line)., Methods and Results: This study enrolled 137 L-PeAF patients (71.4% male, 61.6±10.9 years old) who underwent radiofrequency catheter ablation. We conducted CPVI+Line based on the Dallas lesion set (posterior box+anterior line) after baseline CFAE mapping in all patients. If AF was defragmented (terminated or changed to atrial tachycardia), the procedure was stopped (AF-Defrag group, n=29). If AF was maintained after CPVI+Line, we mapped the CFAE again and randomly assigned the patient to the CPVI+Line group (n=54) or the additional CFAE ablation group (CPVI+Line+CFAE group, n=54). L-PeAF was defragmented during CPVI+Line in 21.2% of patients (29/137, AF-Defrag group). The mean CFAE cycle length was prolonged (P<0.001), and CFAE area (CFAE cycle length <120 milliseconds) was reduced (P<0.001) after CPVI+Line in the remaining patients. Procedure time was longer in the CPVI+Line+CFAE group than the CPVI+Line group (P=0.023), but procedure-related complication rates did not vary. During 22.3±13.2 months of follow-up, the clinical recurrence rates were 17.2% in the AF-Defrag group, 18.5% in the CPVI+Line group, and 32.1% in the CPVI+Line+CFAE group (log rank, P=0.166)., Conclusions: Although CPVI+Line reduces and localizes CFAE area, additional CFAE ablation after CPVI+Line does not improve the clinical outcomes of catheter ablation in patients with L-PeAF., (© 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.)

Background: The minimal energy requirement (E min ) for electrical cardioversion (ECV) reflects the atrial substrate in patients with long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation (L-PeAF), but the relationship between E min ECV and radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) has not yet been studied. We hypothesize that E min ECV before ablation (E min ECVpre) predicts clinical outcome of RFCA, and that catheter ablation reduces E min ECVpost., Methods: We included 172 patients with L-PeAF who underwent RFCA (79.7% males, 57.5±10.0 years) due to AF recurrence after ECV with an anti-arrhythmic drug (AAD). ECV began with 70J (patch electrode on anterior-posterior position) and was serially increased to 100, 150, 200, and 250J until sinus rhythm was achieved, at an average 5.0±5.6 months before RFCA. After RFCA, ECV was repeated (ECVpost) in 42 patients with recurrent AF that was not controlled by AAD., Results: (1) During 34.8±20.0 months of follow-up after RFCA, 103 patients (59.9%) showed clinical recurrence of AF after RFCA. E min ECVpre was significantly higher in patients with recurrent AF (129.0±58.6J) than those who remained in sinus rhythm (94.2±39.4J, p<0.001). (2) E min ECVpre ≥150J (HR=3.31, 95% CI 2.18-5.03, p<0.001) and left atrial volume index (HR=1.02, 95% CI 1.00-1.04, p=0.021) were significantly associated with post-RFCA recurrence. (3) Shorter post-RFCA recurrence timing was also independently related to E min ECVpre (β=-0.147, 95% CI -0.20 to -0.09, p<0.001). (4) Among 103 patients with recurrent AF after RFCA, 42 AAD-resistant AF patients underwent ECVpost. E min ECVpost (100.9±50.8J) was significantly lower than E min ECVpre (130.0±66.1J, p=0.006)., Conclusions: Higher E min ECVpre was independently associated with clinical recurrence and earlier recurrence timing of AF after catheter ablation among patients with AAD-resistant L-PeAF. Catheter ablation for L-PeAF significantly reduces E min ECV., (Copyright © 2016 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Whether delayed clinical recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) 2years after radiofrequency catheter ablation (CR >2-years ) is related to AF progression remains unclear., Objective: We hypothesized that metabolic factors are associated with CL >2-years ., Methods: Among 1825 patients who underwent catheter ablation, the study included 523 patients with AF recurrence (27.2% women, mean age 57±11years, 58.3% paroxysmal AF) 3months after the ablation procedure. They were divided into the clinical recurrence within 2-years (CL ≤2-years : AF recurrence at 3-24months) and CL >2-years (AF recurrence >24months) groups. Clinical and imaging parameters and polysomnograms were compared., Results: Over 42±19months of follow-up, 409 (78.2%) and 114 (21.8%) patients formed the CL ≤2-years and CL >2-years groups, respectively. The CL >2-years group had higher proportions of overweight (p=0.004), hypertension (p=0.049), diabetes mellitus (p=0.037), dyslipidemia (p=0.009), high sensitivity C-reactive protein >8mg/L (p=0.049), and metabolic syndrome (p=0.011) than the CL ≤2-years group. Despite no significant difference between the apnea and hypopnea indices in the CL ≤2-years (n=97) and CL >2-years (n=28) groups, the minimum peripheral oxygen saturation was significantly lower in the latter than the former (p=0.032). In the multivariate analysis, overweight (odds ratio [OR] 1.756, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.146-2.693, p=0.010), dyslipidemia (OR 1.587, 95% CI 1.033-2.438, p=0.035), and metabolic syndrome (OR 1.972, 95% CI 1.158-3.356, p=0.012) were independently associated with CL >2-years ., Conclusions: Overweight, dyslipidemia, and metabolic syndrome are independent predictors of CL >2-years for AF after catheter ablation. CL >2-years seems to be affected by metabolic factors and can be related to AF progression., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is closely associated with metabolic syndrome, and the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) pathway is involved in insulin resistance and cardiac remodelling. We hypothesized that plasma level of soluble RAGE (sRAGE) would predict clinical outcome after radiofrequency catheter ablation for AF., Methods and Results: We measured pre-procedural plasma level of sRAGE in 496 patients who underwent AF ablation (142 patients with diabetes, 354 patients without diabetes selected by matching them with diabetic patients according to age, sex, and AF type). (i) Plasma level of sRAGE was significantly higher in diabetic patients than in non-diabetics (580.0 ± 576.4 vs. 435.8 ± 280.7 pg/mL, P = 0.005), but there was no difference in sRAGE levels between patients with clinical recurrence of AF and those without. (ii) During 24.5 ± 18.0 months of follow-up, the recurrence of AF was significantly lower in the diabetic patient group with high sRAGE (≥418 pg/mL based on the median value) than the diabetic patient group with low sRAGE (log-rank P = 0.045). This was especially pronounced in patients with paroxysmal AF and diabetes (log-rank P = 0.016), but no association was found in non-diabetics. (iii) In multivariate Cox regression analysis, high sRAGE (HR 0.395, 95% CI 0.175-0.894, P = 0.026) and paroxysmal AF (HR 0.387, 95% CI 0.179-0.835, P = 0.016) were independently associated with the favourable clinical outcome of rhythm control after AF ablation in diabetic patients., Conclusion: High plasma level of sRAGE was independently associated with low AF recurrence after catheter ablation in diabetic patients, especially those with paroxysmal AF., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2016. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: It is not clear whether bidirectional block (BDB) of linear ablations reduces atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after radiofrequency catheter ablation. We hypothesized that BDB of linear ablation has prognostic significance after radiofrequency catheter ablation for persistent AF., Methods and Results: Among 1793 consecutive patients in the Yonsei AF ablation cohort, this observational cohort study included 398 patients with persistent AF (75.6% male; age, 59.8±10.3 years) who underwent catheter ablation with a consistent ablation protocol of the Dallas lesion set: circumferential pulmonary vein isolation; cavotricuspid isthmus ablation (CTI); roof line (RL); posterior-inferior line (PIL); and anterior line (AL). BDB rates of de novo ablation lines were 100% in circumferential pulmonary vein isolation, 100% in CTI, 84.7% in RL, 44.7% in PIL, and 63.6% in AL. During 29.0±18.4 months of follow-up, 31.7% (126/398) of the patients showed clinical recurrence. Left atrial posterior wall (LAPW) isolation (BDBs of RL and PIL) was independently associated with lower clinical AF/atrial tachycardia recurrence (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.47-0.98; P=0.041; log-rank, P=0.017), whereas BDBs of RL or AL were not (log-rank, P=0.178 for RL; P=0.764 for AL). Among 52 patients who underwent repeat procedures (23.0±16.1 months after de novo procedure), the BDB maintenance rates for CTI, RL, PIL, and AL were 94.2% (49 of 52), 63.5% (33 of 47), 62.1% (18 of 29), and 61.8% (21 of 34), respectively., Conclusions: Although PIL crosses the esophageal contact area, LAPW isolation is important for better clinical outcome in catheter ablation with a linear ablation strategy for patients with persistent AF., (© 2016 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.)

Purpose: Compared with warfarin, novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are convenient to use, although they require a blanking period immediately before radiofrequency catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF). We compared NOACs and uninterrupted warfarin in the peri-procedural period of AF ablation., Materials and Methods: We compared 141 patients treated with peri-procedural NOACs (72% men; 58 ± 11 years old; 71% with paroxysmal AF) and 281 age-, sex-, AF type-, and history of stroke-matched patients treated with uninterrupted warfarin. NOACs were stopped 24 hours before the procedure and restarted on the same procedure day after hemostasis was achieved., Results: We found no difference in the CHA₂DS₂-VASc (p=0.376) and HAS-BLED scores (p=0.175) between the groups. The preprocedural anticoagulation duration was significantly shorter in the NOAC group (76.3 ± 110.7 days) than in the warfarin group (274.7 ± 582.7 days, p<0.001). The intra-procedural total heparin requirement was higher (p<0.001), although mean activated clotting time was shorter (350.0 ± 25.0 s vs. 367.4 ± 42.9 s, p<0.001), in the NOAC group than in the warfarin group. There was no significant difference in thromboembolic events (1.4% vs. 0%, p=0.111) or major bleeding (1.4% vs. 3.9%, p=0.235) between the NOAC and warfarin groups. Minor stroke occurred in two cases within 10 hours of the procedure (underlying CHA₂DS₂-VASc scores 0 and 1) in the NOAC group., Conclusion: Pre-procedural anticoagulation duration was shorter and intra-procedural heparin requirement was higher with NOAC than with uninterrupted warfarin during AF ablation. Although the peri-procedural thromboembolism and bleeding incidences did not differ, minor stroke occurred in two cases in the NOAC group.