The Association between Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Device-Detected Atrial High Rate Episodes.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia and it is associated with a higher risk of mortality and morbidity. The goal of this study was to assess the correlation between physical activity (PA) and atrial high rate episodes (AHREs) detected by cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs). METHODS: We prospectively collected data from 81 patients from March 2017 to June 2019. Device-detected PA (hours per day) through an accelerometer and occurrence/burden of AHREs were determined at each outpatient clinic visit. Modest AHREs and long AHREs were defined as at least 1 episode of AHREs lasting ≥ 12 hours and 24 hours, respectively. The percentage of total AHREs in the follow-up period was defined as the burden of AHREs. Generalized estimating equations were used to explore the association between PA and occurrence/burden of AHREs to account for repeated measures within a participant. RESULTS: The patients had 336 follow-up visits (mean 4.1 visits each). The prevalence rates of device-detected modest AHREs and long AHREs were 4.8% and 3.9%, respectively. More PA (hours per day) was associated with a lower risk of modest AHREs [odds ratio (OR) 0.671, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.452-0.997, p = 0.048] and long AHREs (OR 0.536, 95% CI 0.348-0.824, p = 0.004) after adjusting for age, sex, and basic characteristics. More PA had a trend of association with fewer AHREs (ß -0.255, 95% CI -0.512 to 0.001, p = 0.051). CONCLUSIONS: More PA was associated with a lower risk of AHREs detected by CIEDs in older patients. PA may reduce the risk of AHREs.

High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein is a Predictor of Subsequent Atrial High-Rate Episodes in Patients with Pacemakers and Preserved Ejection Fraction.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with morbidity and mortality. Modern pacemakers can detect atrial high-rate episodes (AHREs) as a surrogate for AF. It remains controversial whether inflammation is a cause or a consequence of AF. This study investigated whether the inflammatory biomarker high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) can predict subsequent AHREs. This study gathered prospective data from patients with pacemakers and a left ventricle EF ≥ 50% between 2015 and 2019. The hs-CRP and other cardiac biomarkers at baseline and device-detected AHREs, defined as atrial rate ≥ 180 bpm and duration ≥ 6 min, were determined. Cox regression analysis was used to estimate the independent predictors for AHREs. A total of 171 consecutive patients were included. During the median follow-up of 614 days, 66 patients (39%) developed subsequent AHREs. In the univariate Cox regression analysis, sick sinus syndrome (p = 0.005), prior AF (p < 0.001), mitral A velocity (p = 0.008), and hs-CRP (p = 0.013) showed significant association with the increased risk of AHREs. In the multivariate Cox regression model, hs-CRP (HR = 1.121, 95% confidence interval = 1.015-1.238, p = 0.024) retained its significance. Our results suggest that elevated hs-CRP could predict subsequent AHREs and that inflammation could play a role in AF pathogenesis in patients with preserved EF.