Impact of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation in patients with heart failure and left ventricular systolic dysfunction

Introduction and Aims: Catheter ablation has been shown to improve left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (LVEF) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF). Our aim was to assess the impact of AF ablation on the outcome of patients with HF and LV systolic dysfunction. Methods: We performed a retrospective observational cohort study of all patients with HF and LVEF <50% and with no apparent cause for systolic dysfunction other than AF who underwent catheter ablation in a tertiary referral center between July 2016 and November 2018. The primary endpoint was a >= 5% improvement in LVEF. Secondary endpoints included improvement in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class and reduction in LV end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) and left atrial diameter (LAD). Results: Of 153 patients who underwent AF ablation in this period, 22 (77% male, median age 61 [IQR 54-64] years) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Median follow-up was 11.1 months (IQR 6.1-19.0). After ablation, median LVEF increased from 40% (IQR 33-41) to 58% (IQR 55-62) (p<0.01), mean NYHA class improved from 2.35 +/- 0.49 to 1.3 +/- 0.47 (p<0.001), and median LAD and LVEDD decreased from 48.0 (IQR 43.5-51.5) mm to 44 (IQR 40-49) mm (p<0.01) and from 61.0 (IQR 54.0-64.8) mm to 55.0 (52.2-58.0) mm (p<0.01), respectively. Conclusion: In patients with HF and LV systolic dysfunction, AF ablation is associated not only with improved functional status but also with favorable structural remodeling, including improvement in LVEF and decreases in LAD and LVEDD. (C) 2021 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U.

Automated summary

This observational study evaluated the impact of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation on patients with heart failure (HF) and left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction. The results showed that AF ablation not only improved LVEF, but also led to improvements in functional status and favorable structural remodeling of the heart.