Effect of catheter ablation on clinical outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation and significant functional mitral regurgitation

BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2021 Dec 7;21(1):587. doi: 10.1186/s12872-021-02397-5.

Abstract

Background: In patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and functional mitral regurgitation (MR), catheter ablation reduces the severity of MR and improves cardiac remodeling. However, its effects on prognosis are uncertain.

Methods: This retrospective study included 151 consecutive patients with AF and functional MR, 82 (54.3%) of whom were treated by catheter ablation (Ablation group) and 69 (45.7%) with drug therapy without ablation (Non-ablation group). Forty-three pairs of these patients were propensity matched on the basis of age, CHA2DS2-VASc scores, and left ventricular ejection fraction. The primary outcome evaluated was severity of MR, cardiac remodeling and the combined incidence of subsequent heart failure-related hospitalization and strokes/transient ischemic attacks.

Results: Patients in the Ablation group showed a significant decrease in the severity of MR (p < 0.001), a significant decrease in the left atrial diameter (p = 0.010), and significant improvement in the left ventricular ejection fraction (p = 0.015). However, patients in the Non-ablation group showed only a significant decrease in the severity of MR (p = 0.004). The annual incidence of the studied events was 4.9% in the Ablation group and 16.7% in the Non-ablation group, the incidence being significantly lower in the ablation than Non-ablation group (p = 0.026) according to Kaplan-Meier curve analyses. According to multivariate Cox regression analysis, catheter ablation therapy (hazard ratio [HR] 0.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.09-0.84; p = 0.024) and heart failure at baseline (HR 3.84, 95% CI 1.07-13.74; p = 0.038) were independent predictors of the incidence of the studied events.

Conclusions: Among patients with AF and functional MR, catheter ablation was associated with a significantly lower combined risk of heart failure-related hospitalization and stroke than in a matched cohort of patients receiving drug therapy alone.

Keywords: Atrial fibrillation; Catheter ablation; Drug therapy; Functional mitral regurgitation.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Observational Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Action Potentials
  • Aged
  • Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / adverse effects
  • Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Atrial Fibrillation / complications
  • Atrial Fibrillation / diagnosis
  • Atrial Fibrillation / physiopathology
  • Atrial Fibrillation / therapy*
  • Catheter Ablation* / adverse effects
  • Female
  • Heart Failure / etiology
  • Heart Failure / physiopathology
  • Heart Failure / therapy
  • Heart Rate
  • Humans
  • Ischemic Attack, Transient / etiology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mitral Valve / diagnostic imaging
  • Mitral Valve / physiopathology*
  • Mitral Valve Insufficiency / complications
  • Mitral Valve Insufficiency / diagnostic imaging
  • Mitral Valve Insufficiency / physiopathology*
  • Recovery of Function
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Stroke / etiology
  • Time Factors
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Anti-Arrhythmia Agents