Background Conventional right ventricular pacing (RVP) has been associated with an increased incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF). We sought to compare the occurrence of new-onset AF and assessed AF disease progression during long-term follow-up between His bundle pacing (HBP) and RVP. Methods and Results We included patients undergoing initial dual-chamber pacemaker implants at Rush University Medical Center between January 1, 2016, and June 30, 2019. A total of 360 patients were evaluated, and 225 patients (HBP, n=105; RVP, n=120) were included in the study. Among the 148 patients (HBP, n=72; RVP, n=76) with no history of AF, HBP demonstrated a lower risk of new-onset AF (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.53; 95% CI, 0.28-0.99; P=0.046) compared with traditional RVP. This benefit was observed with His or RVP burden exceeding 20% (HR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.13-0.64; P=0.002), ≥40% (HR, 0.31; P=0.007), ≥60% (HR, 0.35; P=0.015), and ≥80% (HR, 0.40; P=0.038). There was no difference with His or RV pacing burden <20% (HR, 0.613; 95% CI, 0.213-1.864; P=0.404). In patients with a prior history of AF, there was no difference in AF progression (P=0.715); however, in a subgroup of patients with a pacing burden ≥40%, HBP demonstrated a trend toward a lower risk of AF progression (HR, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.03-1.16; P=0.072). Conclusions HBP demonstrated a lower risk of new-onset AF compared with RVP, which was primarily observed at a higher pacing burden.
Keywords: Atrial fibrillation; atrial fibrillation progression; his bundle pacing; new‐onset atrial fibrillation; right ventricular pacing.