Abstract
Background and aims Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent arrhythmia of the elderly, and electrical cardioversion (ECV) is a common procedure, although incidence of recurrences remains high. We evaluated the possible association between arterial stiffness (AS) and the persistence or recurrence of AF in elderly patients after ECV.MethodsWe enrolled all subjects undergoing ECV over a 9-month period. AS was evaluated with the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI). Patients were then visited at follow-up (on average at 6 months).ResultsThirty-one patients (age 78 ± 7 years; men 67.7 %; CHA2DS2-VASc 4.1 ± 1.6; AF length >2 months 51.6 %; CAVI 9.9 ± 1.6) underwent ECV. At follow-up, sinus rhythm was recorded in 16 (51.6 %) patients. At multivariate analysis, the presence of AF was directly associated with CHA2DS2-VASc score and CAVI. Amiodarone therapy reduced the risk of relapsed AF.ConclusionsIn elderly AF patients treated with ECV, AS at baseline seems to predict AF at follow-up.
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