Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation in elderly patients: an updated meta-analysis of comparative studies.

BACKGROUND: Age is a relevant risk factor for the development of atrial fibrillation (AF) and is associated with increased recurrence rates in the setting of rhythm-control. Catheter ablation is increasingly advocated in elderly despite conflicting data regarding its efficacy and safety in this patient cohort. Therefore, we aimed to analyze currently available evidence regarding catheter ablation for AF in patients ≥75 years compared to younger patients. METHODS: We performed a systematic literature search and meta-analysis on efficacy and safety of catheter ablation in patients ≥75 years with AF. Primary efficacy and safety endpoints were: first recurrence of atrial arrhythmia following first-time ablation and occurrence of death, stroke, or any procedure-related complication. Secondary outcomes included procedure and fluoroscopy time. RESULTS: We identified 301 potentially relevant studies of which 39 underwent detailed analysis. A total of 19 studies (MINORS score ≥13) reporting on 108,419 patients (101,844 <75 years, 6,575 ≥75 years) undergoing first-time catheter ablation for AF were included. Risk of arrhythmia recurrence following catheter ablation (39% vs. 32%; RR [95% CI] 1.24 [1.09-1.41]; P=0.001) and occurrence of safety endpoints (10.8% vs. 8.5%; RR [95% CI] 1.64 [1.53-1.76], P<0.00001) were significantly higher in patients ≥ 75 years compared to younger patients. There was no difference concerning procedure (P=0.33) or fluoroscopy time (P=0.91) between younger and elderly patients. CONCLUSION: In patients ≥75 years of age catheter ablation for AF has higher risk of arrhythmia recurrence and is associated with an increased risk of procedure-related complications and safety endpoint occurrence compared to younger patients.

Pulmonary Vein Isolation or Pace & Ablate in Elderly Patients with Persistent Atrial Fibrillation (ABLATE versus PACE) - Rationale, Methods and Design.

Age is a major risk-factor for atrial fibrillation (AF) and associated hospitalizations. With increasing emphasis on rhythm-control, pulmonary-vein isolation (PVI) is often suggested, even to elderly patients (≥75 years). Efficacy of PVI aiming at rhythm-control is limited in persistent AF. Pacemaker implantation with atrioventricular-node ablation may represent a reasonable alternative, with the aim of controlling symptoms and improving quality-of-life in elderly patients. In this investigator-initiated, randomized, multicenter trial, we test the hypothesis that pacemaker-implantation and atrioventricular-node (AVN) ablation provides superior symptom-control over PVI in elderly patients with symptomatic persistent AF, without any increase in adverse-event profile. In the "ABLATE versus PACE" (NCT04906668) prospective, open-label superiority trial 196 elderly patients with normal ejection fraction and symptomatic persistent AF despite guideline-indicated medical therapy, will be randomized to either cryoballoon-PVI (ABLATE) or dual-chamber pacemaker implantation with subsequent AVN ablation (PACE), and followed for a minimum of 12 months. The primary efficacy outcome is a composite endpoint of rehospitalization for atrial arrhythmia or cardiac decompensation/ heart failure, (outpatient) electrical cardioversion or upgrade to cardiac resynchronization therapy due to worsening of left-ventricular ejection fraction ≤35%. Secondary endpoints include death from any cause, stroke, quality of life or procedure-related complications. Sample-size is designed to achieve 80% power for the primary endpoint (two-tailed alpha of 5%). "ABLATE versus PACE" will determine whether pacemaker implantation and AVN ablation can improve symptom-control in elderly patients with persistent AF over PVI without increasing safety endpoints.

Pulmonary Vein Isolation in Elderly Patients ≥ 75 Years: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis With Focus on Differences Among Atrial Fibrillation Types.

BACKGROUND: Age is a major risk factor for development of atrial fibrillation (AF) and associated with increased recurrence rates in the setting of rhythm control. Current data tend to support catheter ablation in elderly patients, but uncertainties exist regarding efficacy and safety of ablation in elderly patients. METHODS: This was a prospective single-centre observational study with propensity score matching (PSM) to investigate the influence of age on efficacy and safety of cryoballoon ablation (CBA) stratified by age (< 75 years vs ≥ 75 years) and AF phenotype (paroxysmal vs persistent). Primary efficacy endpoint was recurrence of atrial arrhythmia after a 90-day blanking period. Safety endpoints were death, stroke, or procedure-associated complications. RESULTS: Consecutive patients (n = 953) underwent CBA for first-time AF ablation. Median follow-up was 18 months. By means of PSM, 268 matches were formed. At 1 year, primary efficacy endpoint occurred in 22.4% of young vs 33.2% of elderly patients, including both AF phenotypes (hazard ratio [HR], 0.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.47-0.90; P = 0.01). AF relapse occurred in 19.7% of young vs 28.5% of elderly patients with paroxysmal (HR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.40-0.99; P = 0.046) compared with 25.9% (30 of 116, young) vs 38.8% (45 of 116, elderly) patients with persistent AF (HR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.39-0.97; P = 0.038). No difference was observed regarding the incidence of safety endpoints between young and elderly patients (P = 0.38). CONCLUSIONS: CBA is associated with higher recurrence rates in elderly (≥ 75 years) than in younger patients, with highest recurrence rates in elderly patients with persistent AF.

Angiotensin Receptor-Neprilysin Inhibitor Is Associated With Improved Cardiac Autonomic Function in Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction is associated with potentially deleterious imbalance of the cardiac autonomic nervous system. Sacubitril/valsartan (angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor [ARNI]) reduces cardiovascular mortality and hospitalization for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Whether ARNI affects the cardiac autonomic nervous system has not been studied. METHODS AND RESULTS: This investigator-initiated, prospective, single-center cohort study compared heart rate (HR) variability, HR, deceleration capacity, and periodic repolarization dynamics as noninvasive measures of the cardiac autonomic nervous system before and after initiation of ARNI therapy. Patients underwent standardized 12-lead Holter-ECG, echocardiography and laboratory testing before and 3 months after start of therapy. End points were changes in HR variability (SD of normal-to-normal intervals, mean square of differences between consecutive R-R intervals), HR, deceleration capacity, and periodic repolarization dynamics as well as ventricular function and NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide). Of 63 patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction enrolled, 48 (76.2%) patients were still on ARNI at follow-up. SD of normal-to-normal intervals increased from 25 to 36 milliseconds (P<0.001), mean square of differences between consecutive R-R intervals increased from 12 to 19 milliseconds (P<0.001), HR decreased from 73±9 bpm to 67±4 bpm, (P<0.001), and deceleration capacity increased from 2.1 to 4.4 milliseconds (P<0.001). A trend for periodic repolarization dynamics reduction was observed (5.6 deg2 versus 4.7 deg2, P=0.09). Autonomic changes were accompanied by increased left ventricular ejection fraction (29±6% versus 40±8%, P<0.001) and reduced NT-proBNP (3548 versus 685 ng/L, P<0.001). Correlation analysis showed a significant relationship between volume-unloading (as evidenced by NT-proBNP reduction) and autonomic improvement. CONCLUSIONS: Three months of ARNI therapy resulted in a significant increase in cardiac parasympathetic tone. The improvement in autonomic properties may be mediated by "volume unloading" and likely contributes to the beneficial effects of ARNI in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique Identifier: NCT04587947.

Evaluación multicéntrica del sobredimensionamiento de la prótesis transcatéter SAPIEN 3. Impacto en el fallo del dispositivo y nuevos implantes de marcapasos / Multicenter evaluation of prosthesis oversizing of the SAPIEN 3 transcatheter heart valve. Impact on device failure and new pacemaker implantations

Introducción y objetivos: Para lograr el éxito del dispositivo, se recomienda cierto sobredimensionamiento de la prótesis (SP) SAPIEN 3. Sin embargo, un aumento en el SP puede incrementar las tasas de implante de marcapasos definitivo (IMD). Por lo tanto, se investiga la influencia del SP en el fallo del dispositivo y el IMD. Métodos: Se trató con SAPIEN 3 a 804 pacientes en 3 centros. El SP, determinado mediante tomografía computarizada multicorte, se calculó y analizó como variable continua y categorizada en incrementos del 5%, con -4% a 0 como referencia. Resultados: Se produjo fallo del dispositivo en el 8,8% de los pacientes. La mediana de SP fue menor en los pacientes con fallo del dispositivo que en aquellos con éxito (el +4 frente al +8%; p=0,038). El SP mostró un patrón de riesgo no lineal, con una tasa de fallo del dispositivo significativamente reducida para valores entre el +4 y el +22%. No hubo ningún caso de fuga paravalvular II+ entre un +10 y un +20% de SP. La tasa general de IMD fue del 16,2% y la mediana de SP fue significativamente mayor en los pacientes con IMD (IMD, el +9% frente a no IMD, el +7%; p=0,025), mientras que la profundidad del implante no varió entre pacientes con y sin IMD (6,9+/-1,7 frente a 6,6+/-1,9mm; p=0,101). El riesgo de IMD aumentó con el aumento del SP y fue mayor en las 2 categorías más altas. Conclusiones: El incremento en el SP reduce el riesgo de fallo del dispositivo, pero aumenta el de IMD. No se halló un intervalo de SP ideal para minimizar los riesgos de fallo del dispositivo e IMD

Introduction and objectives: A certain degree of prosthesis oversizing (OS) is recommended for the SAPIEN 3 to achieve device success. However, an increase in OS may increase permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) rates. We therefore investigated the influence of OS on device failure and PPI. Methods: A total of 804 patients were treated with SAPIEN 3 at 3 centers. Multislice computed tomography-derived OS was calculated and analyzed both as a continuous variable and categorized in 5% increments with −4% to 0% as reference. Results: Device failure occurred in 8.8% of patients. Median OS was lower in patients with device failure vs those with device success (+4% vs +8%; P=.038). A nonlinear risk pattern was shown for OS with a significantly reduced device failure rate within 4% to +22% of OS. There was no case of paravalvular leakage II+ between +10% to +20% of OS. The overall PPI rate was 16.2% and the median OS was significantly larger in patients with PPI (PPI: +9% vs no PPI: +7%; P = .025), while implantation depth did not vary in patients with vs without PPI (6.9+/-1.7 mm vs 6.6+/-1.9 mm; P=.101). The risk of PPI increased with increasing OS and was highest in the 2 highest categories. Conclusions: An increase in OS reduces the risk for device failure but increases the risk for PPI. There was no ideal range of OS to minimize both device failure and PPI