Catheter Ablation Of Non-valvular Atrial Fibrillation Research Articles

Impact of frailty in patients with non‐valvular atrial fibrillation undergoing catheter ablation

AbstractBackgroundThe relationships between frailty and clinical outcomes in elderly Japanese patients with non‐valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) after catheter ablation (CA) have not been established. We evaluated the frailty rate of patients undergoing CA for NVAF, examined whether CA for NVAF improves frailty, and analyzed the CA outcomes of patients with and without frailty.MethodsElderly Japanese patients (≥65 years; mean age: 72.8 years) who participated in the real‐world ablation therapy with anti‐coagulants in management of atrial fibrillation registry and who responded to the frailty screening index survey were included (n = 213). Frailty and AF recurrence were assessed preoperatively and at 3 and 6 months after CA.ResultsTwenty‐six patients (12.8%) were frail, 109 (53.7%) were pre‐frail, and 68 (33.5%) were robust. Cardiovascular (frailty: 0.5%/person‐year; pre‐frailty: 0.1%/person‐year; robust: 0.1%/person‐year) and cardiac (frailty: 0.5%/person‐year; pre‐frailty: 0.1%/person‐year; robust: 0.1%/person‐year) events, as well as major bleeding (frailty: 0.3%/person‐year; pre‐frailty: 0.1%/person‐year; robust: 0.1%/person‐year), were numerically more frequent in the frailty group. No deaths from cardiovascular or stroke/systemic thromboembolic events occurred. A large proportion of patients did not experience 3‐month (frailty: 96.2%; pre‐frailty: 96.3%; robust: 88.2%) or 6‐month (frailty: 88.5%; pre‐frailty: 91.7%; robust: 86.8%) AF recurrence after CA. Weight loss, walking speed, and fatigue improved in the frailty and pre‐frailty groups after CA.ConclusionJapanese patients aged ≥65 years with frailty or pre‐frailty had improved frailty screening index components, such as weight loss, walking speed and fatigue, after CA. Therefore, elderly patients with frailty or pre‐frailty may benefit from CA for NVAF.

Comparison of anticoagulation with left atrial appendage closure after atrial fibrillation ablation: Rationale and design of the OPTION randomized trial

For patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF), physicians typically offer AF ablation for symptom relief; however, patients often anticipate/expect a life free from anticoagulation. This belief puts patients at increased risk of stroke due to the potential for asymptomatic AF postablation if anticoagulation is ceased contrary to clinical guidelines. Although the WATCHMAN device has been FDA-approved to decrease the risk of thromboembolism from the left atrial appendage (LAA) in patients with an appropriate rationale to avoid oral anticoagulation, it has not been well-studied following AF ablation. Additionally, there are limited data comparing the WATCHMAN device to direct oral anticoagulants. The OPTION study will investigate whether LAA closure with the WATCHMAN FLX device is a reasonable alternative to oral anticoagulation following percutaneous catheter ablation for nonvalvular AF. OPTION is a multinational, multicenter, prospective randomized clinical trial. Patients with a CHA2DS2-VASc of ≥2 in men or ≥3 in women and who underwent a AF catheter ablation procedure between 90 and 180 days prior to randomization (sequential) or are planning to have catheter ablation within 10 days of randomization (concomitant) will be randomized in a 1:1 allocation of WATCHMAN FLX vs control. Control patients will start or continue market-approved oral anticoagulation for the duration of the trial. A total of 1600 patients were randomized from 130 global investigational sites. Follow-up for both device and control patients will occur at 3, 12, 24, and 36 months. The primary effectiveness noninferiority endpoint is stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic), all-cause death, or systemic embolism at 36 months. The primary safety superiority endpoint is nonprocedural bleeding through 36 months (International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis [ISTH] major bleeding or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding). The secondary noninferiority endpoint is ISTH major bleeding through 36 months (including procedural bleeding). This trial will assess the safety and efficacy of WATCHMAN FLX in a postablation contemporary clinical AF patient population at risk of stroke.

Anticoagulant treatment status and outcomes of elderly non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients with a history of catheter ablation in Japan: subanalysis of the ANAFIE registry

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Private company. Main funding source(s): Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. OnBehalf ANAFIE Registry Group Backgrounds Benefits of catheter ablation (CA) have been shown for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, data in elderly patients aged ≥75 years who have undergone CA for non-valvular AF (NVAF) are insufficient. Purpose The All Nippon Atrial Fibrillation In the Elderly (ANAFIE) Registry is a prospective, multicenter, observational study, which was designed to collect the real-world data on the clinical status and prognosis in 30,000 over Japanese patients (aged ≥75 years) with NVAF. This cross-sectional subanalysis of the ANAFIE registry assessed the 2-year outcomes and anticoagulant treatment in elderly NVAF patients with a history of CA. Methods A total of the 32,275 patients from the ANAFIE registry were divided into two groups by a history of CA: the CA and No-CA groups. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate the annualized incidences of stroke/systemic embolic event (SEE), major bleeding, intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), heart failure requiring hospitalization (HF), and all-cause mortality. Hazard ratio (HR) for each event was analyzed using the Cox proportional-hazards model. Results Of all patients, 2,970 patients (9.2%) were included in the CA group and 29,305 (90.8%) were included in the No-CA group. The CA group had lower age (mean 78.9 vs 81.7 years), higher prevalence of paroxysmal AF (73.0 vs 39.0%), higher creatinine clearance (mean 53.1 vs 47.9 mL/min) and lower CHA2DS2-VASc (mean 4.2 vs 4.5) and HAS-BLED scores (mean 1.8 vs 1.9) than the No-CA group. Oral anticoagulants (OACs) were administered in 87.3% of the CA group (warfarin, 16.8%; direct OAC, 70.5%) and 92.9% of the No-CA group (warfarin, 26.4%; direct OAC, 66.5%). Compared with the No-CA group, the CA group had lower the annualized incidences (/100 patient-year [95%confidence intervals]) of stroke/SEE (0.74 [0.52, 0.96] vs 1.72 [1.61, 1.83]), major bleeding (0.63 [0.43, 0.84] vs 1.12 [1.03, 1.21]), ICH (0.49 [0.31, 0.67] vs 0.78 [0.71, 0.86]), HF (2.54 [2.12, 2.96] vs 4.44 [4.26, 4.62]), and all-cause mortality (1.45 [1.14, 1.77] vs 3.95 [3.78, 4.11]). Conclusions Elderly NVAF patients with a history of CA had lower adverse incidences compared with patients without a history of CA. A more optimal OAC therapy for elderly NVAF patients with a history of CA should be examined in the future.

Safety of catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation in cancer survivors.

In patients with cancer, the safety of catheter ablation for non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) has not been evaluated, yet. The aim of this study was to assess the safety of AF ablation in cancer survivors. Consecutively recruited patients undergoing catheter ablation of non-valvular AF at our center between March 2015 and March 2017 were evaluated. The primary outcome of the study was clinically relevant bleedings occurred within 30 ± 5days after the procedure. Patients with cancer were propensity matched to patients without cancer in a 1:3 and 1:6 ratio after stratification by baseline clinical features. Overall, 184 patients were included in the study. Of them, 21 (11%) were cancer survivors. Cancer site was more frequently gastrointestinal (36%), breast (23%), and genitourinary (18%). At 30 ± 5days, clinically relevant bleedings occurred in 14 patients. Crude odds ratio (OR) for clinically relevant bleedings was 3.60 (95% CI 1.02-12.7) higher in cancer than in non-cancer patients. This trend remained after propensity score-matched population (OR 3.48, 95% CI 0.76-15.90 for matched 1:3, OR 4.95, 95% CI 1.2-20.2 for matched 1:6). Type of anticoagulation was not associated with bleedings. Preliminary results suggest that clinically relevant bleeding after catheter ablation for AF is more frequent in cancer survivors than in patients without cancer. Further studies are required to confirm the present data.

Predictive value of noninducibility after catheter ablation for paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation.

BackgroundIt is unclear whether pacing maneuver at the end of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) predicts recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmia postintervention.ObjectiveTo investigate whether the predictive value of incremental pacing maneuver after catheter ablation for AF depends on the pacing cycle length and type of AF.MethodsThis study included 298 consecutive patients who underwent initial catheter ablation for nonvalvular AF (61% paroxysmal AF [PAF], 39% persistent AF [PeAF]). Rapid atrial pacing was performed at the end of the procedure. We analyzed minimum coupling interval (CI) of pacing, arrhythmia‐inducibility, and atrial tachyarrhythmia recurrence in patients with PAF and PeAF.ResultsPatients were divided into the following three groups according to their response to pacing maneuver: AF‐inducible (inducible group; n = 86), noninducible at CI ≥200 ms (non‐CI ≥200 group; n = 100), and noninducible at CI <200 ms (non‐CI <200 group; n = 112). Kaplan‐Meier analysis showed that response to pacing maneuver was significantly associated with recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmias (P = .028). Cox‐regression analysis showed that non‐CI <200 was an independent predictor when the inducible group was used as a reference (hazard ratio 0.60, 95% confidence interval 0.40‐0.96, P = .031). However, when PAF and PeAF were analyzed separately, non‐CI <200 was an independent predictor only in PeAF.ConclusionNoninducibility with shorter CI predicted atrial tachyarrhythmia recurrence only for PeAF. Pacing CI and type of AF could influence the predictive value of atrial tachyarrhythmia recurrence.

A Prospective Randomized Trial ofApixaban Dosing During AtrialFibrillationAblation: TheAEIOU Trial.

This study sought to determine whether uninterrupted apixaban would have similar rates of bleeding and thromboembolic events as does minimally interrupted apixaban at the time of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation and to compare those results with rates in historical patients treated with uninterrupted warfarin. The safety, efficacy, and optimal dosing regimen for apixaban at the time of AF ablation are uncertain. This prospective, multicenter clinical trial enrolled 306 patients undergoing catheter ablation for nonvalvular AF and randomized 300 to uninterrupted versus minimally interrupted (holding 1 dose) periprocedural apixaban. A retrospective cohort of patients treated with uninterrupted warfarin at the same centers was matched to the apixaban-treated subjects for comparison. Endpoints included clinically significant bleeding, major bleeding, and nonhemorrhagic stroke or systemic embolism (SE) from the time of ablation through 30 days. There were no stroke or SE events. Clinically significant bleeding occurred in 11.3% of 150 evaluable patients on uninterrupted apixaban and 9.7% of 145 evaluable patients on interrupted apixaban (risk difference: 1.7% [95% confidence interval: -5.5% to 8.8%]; p= NS). Rates of major bleeding were 1.3% with uninterrupted apixaban, and 2.1% with interrupted (risk difference: -0.7%; p= NS). The rates of clinically significant and major bleeding were similar for all apixaban patients combined (10.5% and 1.7%), compared with the matched warfarin group (9.8% and 1.4%). Both uninterrupted and minimally interrupted apixaban at the time of AF ablation were associated witha very low rate of thromboembolic events, and rates of both major (<2%) and clinically significant bleeding weresimilar to uninterrupted warfarin. (Apixaban Evaluation of Interrupted Or Uninterrupted Anticoagulation for AblationofAtrial Fibrillation [AEIOU]; NCT02608099).

Mitochondrial DNA 4977bp deletion mutation in peripheral blood reflects atrial remodeling in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

PurposeRecently, mitochondrial DNA 4977bp deletion (mtDNA4977-mut), a somatic mutation related to oxidative stress, has been shown to be associated with atrial fibrillation (AF). We hypothesized that patient age, as well as electroanatomical characteristics of fibrillating left atrial (LA), vary depending on the presence of mtDNA4977-mut in peripheral blood among patients with non-valvular AF.Materials and MethodsAnalyzing clinical and electroanatomical characteristics, we investigated the presence of the mtDNA4977-mut in peripheral blood of 212 patients (51.1±13.2 years old, 83.5% male) undergoing catheter ablation for non-valvular AF, as well as 212 age-matched control subjects.ResultsThe overall frequency of peripheral blood mtDNA4977-mut in patients with AF and controls was not significantly different (24.5% vs. 19.3%, p=0.197). When the AF patient group was stratified according to age, mtDNA4977-mut was more common (47.4% vs. 20.0%, p=0.019) in AF patients older than 65 years than their age-matched controls. Among AF patients, those with mtDNA4977-mut were older (58.1±11.9 years old vs. 48.8±11.9 years old, p<0.001). AF patients positive for the mtDNA mutation had greater LA dimension (p=0.014), higher mitral inflow peak velocity (E)/diastolic mitral annular velocity (Em) ratio (p<0.001), as well as lower endocardial voltage (p=0.035), and slower conduction velocity (p=0.048) in the posterior LA than those without the mutation. In multivariate analysis, E/Em ratio was found to be significantly associated with the presence of mtDNA4977-mut in peripheral blood.ConclusionmtDNA4977-mut, an age-related somatic mutation detected in the peripheral blood, is associated with advanced age and electro-anatomical remodeling of the atrium in non-valvular AF.