Although glucose metabolism and atrial fibrillation (AF) have complex interrelationships, the impact of catheter ablation of AF on glucose status has not been well evaluated. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) with a FreeStyle Libre Pro (Abbott) was performed for 48 h pre-procedure, during the procedure, and for 72 h post-procedure in 58 non-diabetes mellitus (DM) patients with symptomatic AF and 20 patients with supraventricular or ventricular arrhythmias as a control group. All ablation procedures including pulmonary vein isolation were performed successfully. Glucose levels during procedures consistently increased in the AF and control groups (83.1 ± 16.1 to 110.0 ± 20.5 mg/dL and 83.3 ± 14.7 to 98.6 ± 16.3 mg/dL, respectively, P < 0.001 for both), and Δ glucose levels (max minus min/procedure) were greater in the AF group than control group (P < 0.001). There was a trend toward higher mean glucose levels at 72 h after the procedures compared with those before the procedures in both the AF and control groups (from 103.4 ± 15.6 to 106.1 ± 13.0 mg/dL, P = 0.063 and from 100.2 ± 17.1 to 102.9 ± 16.9 mg/dL, P = 0.052). An acute increase in glucose level at the time of early AF recurrence (N = 9, 15.5%) could be detected by simultaneous CGM and ECG monitoring (89.7 ± 18.0 to 108.3 ± 30.5 mg/dL, P = 0.001). In conclusion, although AF ablation caused a statistically significant increase in the glucose levels during the procedures, it did not result in a pathologically significant change after ablation in non-DM patients. Simultaneous post-procedure CGM and ECG monitoring alerted us to possible acute increases in glucose levels at the onset of AF recurrence.
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