Outcomes following cardioversion for patients with cardiac amyloidosis and atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter

Abstract

Atrial arrhythmias commonly occur in patients with cardiac amyloidosis (CA), but there is limited data on safety or efficacy of cardioversion (DCCV) for management of these rhythms in CA. We identified 25 patients with CA (20 with transthyretin (TTR) and 5 with light-chain (AL) amyloidosis) at Duke University who underwent DCCV for atrial arrhythmias and documented procedural success, complications, and long-term morbidity and mortality. While DCCV successfully restored sinus rhythm in 96% of patients, 36% of patients experienced immediate procedural complications (primarily bradycardia and hypotension), 80% had recurrence of atrial arrhythmias at 1 year, and 52% died at 3 years, highlighting short-term safety concerns, long-term inefficacy, and poor prognosis associated with symptomatic atrial arrhythmias requiring DCCV in CA.