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Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Catheter Ablation in Combination With Left Atrial Appendage Closure for Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: February 26, 2013
Risk factors, atrial fibrillation and thromboembolic events
G Novo1, P Mansueto, M L La Franca
1Unit of Cardiovascular Diseases and Division of Cardiology, P. Giaccone Polyclinic, Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular and Nephro-Urological Diseases, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy. pepenovo@hotmail.com
Aim:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation between risk factors for atrial fibrillation (AF) and thromboembolic complications.
Methods:
We studied 480 patients (mean age: 71.2+/-11.6 years): 240 with paroxysmal AF, 240 with permanent AF. The association between AF and the presence of risk factors, cardiac and systemic disease was observed and the correlation with the occurrence of complications analyzed.
Results:
Patients with AF had a high prevalence of the following conditions: hypertension, hypertensive heart disease (HHD), coronary artery disease, hyperthyroidism. Thromboembolism was observed in 26.6% of the patients. A correlation between the occurrence of a thromboembolic complication and the presence of one of the following risk factors for thromboembolism was observed: older age, diabetes mellitus, HHD and hyperfibrinogenemia. No correlation was detected between: female sex, arterial hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, smoking, and obesity. Exitus was observed in 7 patients with permanent AF.
Conclusion:
Older age, diabetes mellitus, HHD and hyperfibrinogenemia were strongly associated with the occurrence of thromboembolic complications. Patients with effectively pharmacologically controlled hypertension had not more frequently thromboembolic complications. A strict blood pressure control may prevent thromboembolic complications of AF.
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