EHRA classes, additional cardiovascular risk and quality of life in patients during the first six months of atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation radiofrequency

Abstract

The aim of our study was to evaluate EHRA, additional cardiovascular risk (ACVR) classes and quality of life in patients during the first six months of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of atrial fibrillation and flutter (AF, AFl). Materials and methods. 96 patients (54 men and 42 women) at the age of 59 ± 9 years who underwent RFA of AF and AFl were examined. The European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) classes on the arrhythmias symptoms score, ACVR classes and indicators of physical and mental health (PH and MH) components by the SF-36 questionnaire in the groups of AF, AFl and combined AF/AFl were evaluated before RFA, in the early postoperative period (on the 3–7 day) and 6 months after the procedure. Standard statistical procedures were performed for data processing using Microsoft Excel. Results. An increase in the frequency of the EHRA classes I and II at 6 months after RFA performing was observed the most in the isolated arrhythmia groups and less frequently in the context of a AF/ AFl combination. The ACVR classes 1 and 2 were observed more often by the 6 month after RFA, but only in the AF and AFl groups. In AF and AFl groups both PH and MH were increased in the postoperative period and six months after RFA, in the AF/AFl group - were increased in the early postoperative period, decreased by the 6 month not reaching the baseline values. MH across all three groups increased in the early postoperative period, remained unchanged up to the sixth month in the AF group, continued to increase in the AFl group, but decreased in the AF/AFl group altogether. Conclusions. The symptoms severity did not exceed the EHRA class I 6 months after RFA of AFl in most patients, after RFA of AF was by one third less frequently, and after RFA of combined AF/AFl was only in half of the patients. Decline of the ACVR levels 6 months after RFA was observed only in isolated AF and AFl groups. Quality of life PH and MH indicators increased in the early postoperative period after RFA in all patients, after 6 months - only in the isolated AFl group, decreasing in the combined AF/AFl group.