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Heart rate variability and early recurrence of atrial fibrillation after electrical cardioversion
F Lombardi1, A Colombo, B Basilico
1Cardiologia, Dipartimento di Medicina, Chirurgia e Odontoiatria, Ospedale S. Paolo, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy. federico.lombardi@unimi.it
Objectives:
The study evaluated the role of the autonomic nervous system in atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence.
Background:
Early recurrence of AF after cardioversion (CV) is attributed to electrical remodeling. The possibility that an abnormal autonomic modulation might contribute to this phenomenon has not yet been adequately tested.
Methods:
We analyzed short-term heart rate variability (HRV) in 93 patients with persistent AF and on chronic amiodarone treatment, after restoration of sinus rhythm by electrical CV.
Results:
Two weeks later, 25 patients presented with AF. Spectral analysis of HRV revealed that patients wi