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Catheter Ablation in Combination With Left Atrial Appendage Closure for Atrial Fibrillation
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Clinical importance of atrial cardiomyopathy

Matthias Hammwöhner1, Alicia Bukowska2, Wisnu Mahardika3

  • 1Working Group of Molecular Electrophysiology, Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Medical Faculty, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany; Department of Cardiology and Intensive Care Medicine, St. Vincenz-Krankenhaus, Paderborn, Germany.

International Journal of Cardiology
|December 12, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Atrial fibrillation (AF) increases stroke risk, but current scoring systems overlook atrial cardiomyopathy (ACM). This review examines the clinical significance of different ACM types for better risk assessment.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Electrophysiology
  • Pathophysiology

Background:

  • Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a leading cause of thromboembolic events.
  • The CHA2DS2-VASc score estimates stroke risk but does not incorporate atrial cardiomyopathy (ACM).
  • Expert consensus acknowledges the role of ACM in AF pathophysiology and management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review existing data on the clinical importance of various atrial cardiomyopathy (ACM) classifications.
  • To highlight the potential of ACM assessment in refining thromboembolic risk stratification for AF patients.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies investigating atrial cardiomyopathy.
  • Analysis of data correlating ACM types with clinical outcomes in atrial fibrillation.
  • Synthesis of findings from expert consensus documents on ACM and AF ablation.

Main Results:

  • Current risk scores for AF-related thromboembolism do not account for underlying pathophysiological changes in ACM.
  • Different types of ACM, as classified in expert consensus, have distinct clinical implications.
  • Understanding ACM subtypes may offer a more nuanced approach to risk assessment.

Conclusions:

  • Atrial cardiomyopathy is a critical factor in AF-related thromboembolic risk that warrants further investigation.
  • Integrating ACM assessment into clinical practice could improve risk stratification and patient management.
  • Future research should focus on validating the clinical utility of ACM classification in predicting thromboembolic events.

Keywords:
AnticoagulationFibrillationStrokeTherapyThrombogenesis

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