Healthcare utilization and quality of life for atrial fibrillation burden: the CIRCA-DOSE study

Atrial tachyarrhythmia recurrence ≥30 s remains the primary endpoint of clinical trials; however, this definition has not been correlated with clinical outcomes or pathophysiological processes. This study sought to determine the atrial tachyarrhythmia duration and burden associated with meaningful clinical outcomes.

The time and duration of every atrial tachyarrhythmia episode recorded on implantable cardiac monitor were evaluated. Healthcare utilization and quality of life in the year following ablation were prospectively collected. Three hundred and forty-six patients provided 126 110 monitoring days. One-year freedom from recurrence increased with arrhythmia duration thresholds, from 52.6 (182/346) to 93.3% (323/346; P < 0.0001). Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence limited to durations ≤1 h had rates of healthcare utilization comparable with patients free of recurrence, while patients with AF recurrences lasting >1 h had a relative risk for emergency department consultation of 3.2 [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.0-5.3], hospitalization of 5.3 (95% CI 2.9-9.6), and repeat ablation of 27.1 (95% CI 10.5-71.0). Patients with AF burden of ≤0.1% had rates of healthcare utilization comparable with patients free of recurrence, while patients with AF burden of >0.1% had a relative risk for emergency department consultation of 2.4 (95% CI 1.9-3.9), hospitalization of 6.8 (95% CI 3.6-13.0), cardioversion of 9.1 (95% CI 3.3-25.6), and repeat ablation of 21.8 (95% CI 9.2-52.2). Compared with patients free of recurrence, the disease-specific quality of life was significantly impaired with AF episode durations >24 h, or AF burdens >0.1%.

AF recurrence, as defined by 30 s of arrhythmia, lacks clinical relevance. AF episode durations >1 h or burdens >0.1% were associated with increased rates of healthcare utilization.