Clinical and epidemiological aspects of atrial fibrillation and/or atrial flutter in patients with diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional retrospective population-based study

Antiarrhythmic drugs have been reported to promote the conversion of atrial fibrillation to atrial flutter in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. However, information about the electrophysiologic mechanism and response to radiofrequency ablation of these drug-induced atrial flutters is limited. Furthermore, the determinants of the development of persistent atrial flutter in patients treated for atrial fibrillation with antiarrhythmic drugs are still unknown. Among the 136 patients treated for atrial fibrillation with amiodarone (n = 96) or propafenone (n = 40), 15 (11%, mean age 65.5 +/- 12.3 years) were identified to have subsequent development of persistent atrial flutter based on surface ECG characteristics during antiarrhythmic drug treatment. The mean interval between the beginning of drug treatment and the onset of atrial flutter was 5.0 +/- 5.5 months. Intracardiac mapping and entrainment studies revealed that 11 patients had counterclockwise typical atrial flutter, and 4 had clockwise typical atrial flutter. All 15 patients underwent successful ablation with creation of complete bidirectional isthmus conduction block. After a mean follow-up of 12.3 +/- 4.2 months, 14 (93%) of 15 patients who underwent successful ablation and continued taking antiarrhythmic drugs have remained in sinus rhythm. Univariate analysis of clinical variables demonstrated that only atrial enlargement was significantly related to the occurrence of persistent atrial flutter. In patients with atrial fibrillation, persistent typical atrial flutter might occur during antiarrhythmic drug treatment, and atrial enlargement was a risk factor for the development of such an arrhythmia. Radiofrequency ablation and continuation of pharmacologic therapy offered a safe and effective means of achieving and maintaining sinus rhythm.

Background: The CHADS-VASC score does not incorporate renal dysfunction in stroke risk assessment in patients with atrial fibrillation and the prevalence of atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) in patients with concurrent CHF and CKD is not well investigated. Objective: Evaluate the prevalence of history of stroke, atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter in patients with CHF and CKD. Methods: Data from the single institution Get With The Guidelines- Heart Failure (GWG-HF) cohort of 2938 consecutive inpatients with known GFR was utilized. CHADS-VASC score was calculated from the GWG-HF variables. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) was defined as GFR <60 ml/min. Results: An overwhelming majority (95%) of GWG-HF patients had elevated >1 CHADS-VASC score, which was also significantly more common in patients with CKD (97.6% vs. 91.7% in patients without CKD, p<0.0001). Average CHADS-VASC score was also significantly increased in patients with CKD (4+/-1.3 vs. 3.3+/-1.4, p<0.0001). Furthermore, CKD was associated with increased prevalence of atrial fibrillation and/or flutter (45.6% vs. 35.3%, p<0.0001) and stroke history (17.5% vs. 12.3%, p=0.002). When stroke and TIA histories were removed from the CHADS-VASC score ("CHAD-VASC score"), the remaining variables were strongly predictive of stroke or TIA (14.2% vs. 3.8%, p<0.0001). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, both CHAD-VASC score (OR 2.6, 95%CI 1.3-5.4, p=0.009) and CKD (OR 1.5, 95%CI 1.2-1.8, p=0.001) were associated significantly increased odds of prior stroke or TIA. Conclusions: In patients admitted with heart failure, CKD is associated with increased prevalence of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter as well as increased prevalence of CVA/TIA. Further prospective studies are warranted to examine whether CKD history should be included in stroke risk assessment in patients with atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter, in conjunction with existing risk assessment frameworks.

ObjectiveTo investigate the risk of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter in patients with periodontitis (PD) in comparison with individuals without PD.MethodsWe used the 1999–2010 Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database to identify cases of PD in the year 2000 matching (1:1) with persons without PD during 1999–2000 according to sex and individual age as the control group. Using Cox proportional regression analysis adjusting for potential confounders, including age, sex, and comorbidities at baseline, and average annual number of ambulatory visits and dental scaling frequency during the follow-up period, we estimated hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to examine the risk of atrial fibrillation or flutter in PD patients in comparison with the control group. Subgroup analyses according to age, gender, or comorbidities were conducted to study the robustness of the association and investigate possible interaction effects.ResultsWe enrolled 393,745 patients with PD and 393,745 non-PD individuals. The incidence rates of atrial fibrillation or flutter were 200 per 105 years among the PD group and 181 per 105 years in the non-PD group (incidence rate ratio, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.06–1.14). After adjusting for potential confounders, we found an increased risk of atrial fibrillation or flutter in the PD group compared with the non-PD group (HR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.25–1.36). The greater risk of atrial fibrillation or flutter in the PD group remained significant across all disease subgroups except hyperthyroidism and sleep apnea.ConclusionThe present study results indicate an increased risk of atrial fibrillation or flutter in patients with PD. Lack of individual information about alcohol consumption, obesity, and tobacco use was a major limitation.

An appreciation of the article by Moreira et al in the current issue of Circulation 1 requires an understanding of the close interrelationship between atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter (AFL). These authors have understood this interrelationship and applied it to their data to advance the approach to both AF and AFL ablation. Key to this understanding is the recognition that cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI)–dependent AFL almost always develops from antecedent AF of variable duration.2–5 This is because in almost all instances, it is during the AF that a functional line of block (LoB) necessary for the development of AFL forms between the superior and inferior vena cavae. This LoB acts as a critical lateral boundary that prevents short-circuiting of the AFL reentrant circuit. Thus, in the vast majority of instances, without preceding AF, there can be no AFL. The most recent additional support of this concept comes from the report by Ellis et al,6 which found that of 363 patients who presented with only CTI-dependent AFL and who underwent CTI ablation, long-term follow-up (mean of 39±11 months) demonstrated newly recognized AF in 82%. It also should be noted that, as Moreira et al1 recognize, in some patients, a LoB between the vena cavae may be fixed (ie, anatomic) rather than functional. In such patients, AF may not be required for AFL to develop. Article p 2786 As Moreira et al1 further recognize, their report does not answer all the questions about the interrelationships of AF and AFL as they relate to AF ablation, …

Screening of coexistent typical atrial flutter (AFL) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is sometimes challenging. This study investigated whether a prolonged right atrial conduction time (RACT) estimated by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) predicts patients with concomitant AFL and AF. We retrospectively analyzed 398 patients (mean age: 61.6 years, 73.4% men) undergoing catheter ablation of paroxysmal AF. The patients were classified into two groups according to whether they had evidence of AFL (N = 122, 30.7%) determined by a clinical observation (N = 68), induction during procedures (N = 33), or AFL recurrence after procedures (N = 21) or not (N = 276, 69.3%). The preoperative RACT, defined as a longer duration between the onset of the P-wave and peak A'-wave on the right atrial lateral wall or septal wall, and total atrial conduction time (TACT), defined as the same time duration on the left atrial lateral wall, were evaluated in all patients. Patients with evidence of AFL had a significantly longer RACT than those without AFL (p < .001). A multiple logistic regression and receiver operator characteristics curve analysis revealed the ratio of the RACT and TACT (RACT/TACT) was the independent and most superior accurate cofounder for predicting evidence of AFL (area under the curve: 0.867). When adding a discriminator of an RACT/TACT ≧ 93% into the conventional screening, 98.4% of the patients with evidence of AFL were estimated to be treated during the initial procedures. The estimated RACT/TACT using the TDI may be useful for predicting patients with concomitant AFL in patients with AF.

Objective: To explore the clinical features of atrial flutter (AFL) and evaluate the efficacy of radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) for AFL in children. Method: Data were collected and analyzed on 50 consecutive pediatric AFL patients (male 37/female 13) who underwent electrophysiology study and RFCA from February 2009 to November 2016 in a case observational study. The average age was (6.2±3.5) years and body weight was (23.7±13.5) kg. Heart structure was normal in 26 patients. Twenty-four patients had congenital heart disease (CHD) and among them 22 patients underwent repaired surgery before. Patients were followed-up for 1 month to 7 years after RFCA. Clinical features and the outcomes of RFCA in AFL patients were analyzed. Result: The average onset age was (4.2±3.3) years. Of these patients, 84% had persistent AFL and 16% paroxysmal AFL. AFL with sick sinus syndrome (SSS) occurred in 36% patients without statistically significant difference between the groups with and without CHD (38.9%(7/18) vs. 61.1%(11/18), respectively, P=0.239 5); 49 patients underwent RFCA except one case with atrial standstill during the procedure. The total acute success rate was 96%. The follow-up recurrence rate was 8%.No complication of the procedures was observed. The cavotricuspid isthmus-dependent AFL occurred in all patients without CHD. However, in the children with CHD after the repair surgery 10 (45%) cases were with cavotricuspid isthmus-dependent AFL, 4 (8%) with atrial scars-dependent AFL, and 8(16%) with both cavotricuspid isthmus and atrial scars-dependent AFL. Conclusion: RFCA was effective and safe for pediatric AFL. There is no difference on the acute success rate, the follow-up AFL recurrence rate, as well as occurrence of SSS between the groups with and without CHD. AFL patients with CHD included the cavotricuspid isthmus-dependent AFL, atrial scars-dependent AFL or both.

BackgroundThe presence of atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter (AFL) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) can exacerbate renal dysfunction, which in turn increases the onset of AF or AFL. Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) have been proven to have cardiac and renal protective effects. The meta-analysis was performed to investigate whether SGLT2i can reduce the risk of AF/AFL in patients with CKD.MethodsPubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Clinical Trials.gov were searched up to December 2024. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing of SGLT2i and placebo on AF/AFL in patients with CKD were included. Risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated in the overall population and selected subgroups.Results10 RCTs involving 28,712 patients were included. SGLT2i significantly reduced the risk of the composite events of AF and AFL in patients with CKD (0.65% vs. 0.91%; RR 0.73, 95% CI 0.56-0.95, P = 0.02) in overall population, but did not reduce the risk of AF (0.56% vs. 0.75%; RR 0.76, 95% CI 0.57-1.01, P = 0.06) or AFL (0.097% vs. 0.17%; RR 0.58, 95% CI 0.30–1.13, P = 0.11). Subgroup analysis based on sample size and follow-up duration showed that SGLT2i reduced the risk of AF in trials with sample size more than 1,000 and follow-up duration longer than 2 years (0.59% vs. 0.80%; RR 0.74, 95% CI 0.55–0.99, P = 0.04). Subgroup analysis based on different populations showed that SGLT2i reduced the risk of AF in patients with CKD (partial without diabetes) (0.48% vs. 0.90%; RR 0.53, 95% CI 0.33–0.85, P = 0.009), while had no effect on AF in patients with both diabetes and CKD. Subgroup analysis based on different types of SGLT2i showed that only empagliflozin reduced the risk of AF compared to placebo (0.51% vs. 0.94%; RR 0.55, 95% CI 0.31–0.96, P = 0.04).ConclusionSGLT2i could reduce the risk of the composite events of AF and AFL in patients with CKD, and also could reduce the risk of AF in trials with large sample size and long follow-up duration.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251053244.

POSTER PRESENTATIONS

Animal models and human studies of atrial activation mapping and entrainment have considerably enhanced our understanding of the anatomical substrate for atrial flutter and created the basis for a definite cure with radiofrequency catheter ablation. As atrial flutter has now become a curable arrhythmia, emphasis is shifting to understand the most common arrhythmia: atrial fibrillation. Furthermore, from clinical observation, it is apparent that there is a relationship between atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter in patients with atrial arrhythmias. Techniques that have informed our understanding of the anatomical basis of atrial flutter may also be useful in understanding the relationship between atrial fibrillation and flutter, including animal models, clinical endocardial mapping, and intracardiac anatomical imaging. Thus, atrial anatomy and its relationship to electrophysiological findings, and the role of partial or complete conduction barriers around which reentry can and cannot occur, may be of importance for atrial fibrillation as well. Ultimately, the relationship between atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter may inform our understanding of the mechanisms of atrial fibrillation itself, and help to develop new approaches to device, catheter-based, and pharmacological therapy for atrial fibrillation.

e23079 Background: Cardiac tachyarrhythmias are common in cancer patients. Much has been studied regarding atrial fibrillation, but the impact of atrial flutter (AFL) in different malignancies is under-studied. We aim to compare the occurrence of atrial flutter (AFL), its mortality, and readmission rates in cancer patients stratified by different types. Methods: The National Readmission Database (2016-2020) was queried to identify all-cause admissions for patients with active malignancy of any origin. The study population was divided into six subgroups based on the type of cancer (colorectal, renal, lung, breast, prostate, and hematological). Multivariate regression analysis was utilized for adjusted odds of mortality. A propensity score matching (PSM) model matched malignancy of interest with other malignancies to obtain incidence rates. Results: Among 10.6 million all-cause cancer-related hospitalizations, about 0.4% developed AFL. After propensity matching, when compared to other malignancies, AFL had the highest incidence in hospitalizations associated with lung malignancies (0.75%), followed by hematological (0.66%), prostrate (0.57%), renal (0.49%), colorectal (0.38%) and breast (0.31%) malignancies [p &lt; 0.05]. Moreover, cancer hospitalizations complicated by AFL were associated with higher mortality. AFL was associated with the highest odds of mortality in colorectal malignancies (aOR:2.80), followed by hematological (aOR:2.67), renal (aOR:2.66), lung (aOR:2.22), breast (aOR:2.12), &amp; prostate (aOR:1.76) malignancies [p &lt; 0.001]. AFL was also associated with frequent readmissions in cancer patients. The rates of 30-day AFL-related recurrent admission were highest in lung malignancies (18.3%), followed by hematological (18%), renal (16.6%), prostate (15.1%), colorectal (14.7%) &amp; breast (14.2%) malignancies [p &lt; 0.05]. Conclusions: The incidence of AFL in nationwide hospitalizations among cancer patients was ~ 0.4%. AFL was found to have the highest incidence and readmission rates in lung malignancies, while AFL-related mortality was highest in colorectal malignancies.

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Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter in patients with diabetes mellitus: Who benefits and who does not? Data from the German ablation registry

Clinical outcomes of solitary atrial flutter patients using anticoagulation therapy: a national cohort study.