Background: Accumulating data have shown that the autonomic nervous system is strongly implicated in the genesis of atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a single ablation procedure in patients with vagotonic, adrenergic and random type of paroxysmal AF.
Methods and results: The clinical records of consecutive patients with symptomatic, drug-refractory paroxysmal AF who underwent pulmonary vein antral isolation were analysed. The study population consisted of 104 patients (64 males, mean age 57.9 ± 10.9 years) with paroxysmal AF. Based on AF triggers, patients were classified in those with vagotonic (31.7%), adrenergic (17.3%) and random AF (51%). Subjects with adrenergic and random AF tended to be older (p: 0.104) and displayed a higher incidence of hypertension (p: 0.088) compared with those with vagotonic AF. Following a mean follow-up period of 14.7 ± 7.4 months, 74 patients were free from arrhythmia recurrence (71.2%). Late arrhythmia recurrence (>3 months from the index procedure) occurred in 33.3%, 16.7% and 30.2% of patients with vagotonic, adrenergic and random AF, respectively (p: 0.434). Cox regression analysis showed that early AF recurrence [hazard ratio (HR) 15.76; 95% confidence interval (CI) 5.456-45.566, p: <0.001], left atrial volume (HR 0.969; 95% CI 0.942-0.996, p: 0.025) and statin use (HR 6.828; 95% CI 2.078-22.437 p: 0.002) were independent predictors of late arrhythmia recurrence.
Conclusions: In this study cohort, the type of paroxysmal AF was not associated with arrhythmia recurrence following left atrial ablation.
Keywords: Adrenergic; Atrial fibrillation; Autonomic tone; Catheter ablation; Vagotonic.
© 2013.