Background: Although several clinical variables are associated with the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) following catheter ablation, the influence of renal function remains to be determined.
Objective: To evaluate the association of renal function with the outcome of the paroxysmal AF ablation.
Methods: 224 patients underwent catheter ablation for paroxysmal AF. The relationship between the pre-procedural clinical valuables and ablation outcomes was evaluated.
Results: Over the course of 37.4±24.4 months of follow-up of catheter ablation procedures for AF (mean number of procedures 1.33±0.45), 91.1% of patients (204/224) became free from AF without antiarrhythmic drugs. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was lower in patients with recurrent AF than in those without recurrence (66.6±17.5 vs 78.4±16.8 ml/min/1.73 m(2), p=0.003). AF recurred more frequently in patients with low eGFR (<60 ml/min/1.73 m(2)) than in those with high eGFR (>60 ml/min/1.73 m(2); 24.3% vs 6.7%, p=0.006). Among the various clinical factors, low eGFR (p=0.02) and left atrium (LA) dilatation (p=0.002) independently predicted the clinical outcome of ablation in patients with paroxysmal AF.
Conclusion: Low eGFR and LA dilatation independently influence the outcome of catheter ablation for paroxysmal AF.