Long-Term Renal Function after Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with the development and progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study evaluated the impact of long-term rhythm outcome after catheter ablation (CA) of AF on renal function. Methods and results: The study group included 169 consecutive patients (the mean age was 59.6 ± 10.1 years, 61.5% were males) who underwent their first CA of AF. Renal function was assessed by eGFR (using the CKD-EPI and MDRD formulas), and by creatinine clearance (using the Cockcroft-Gault formula) in each patient before and 5 years after index CA procedure. During the 5-year follow-up after CA, the late recurrence of atrial arrhythmia (LRAA) was documented in 62 patients (36.7%). The mean eGFR, regardless of which formula was used, significantly decreased at 5 years following CA in patients with LRAA (all p < 0.05). In the arrhythmia-free patients, the mean eGFR at 5 years post-CA remained stable (for the CKD-EPI formula: 78.7 ± 17.3 vs. 79.4 ± 17.4, p = 0.555) or even significantly improved (for the MDRD formula: 74.1 ± 17.0 vs. 77.4 ± 19.6, p = 0.029) compared with the baseline. In the multivariable analysis, the independent risk factors for rapid CKD progression (decline in eGFR > 5 mL/min/1.73 m² per year) were the post-ablation LRAA occurrence (hazard ratio 3.36 [95% CI: 1.25-9.06], p = 0.016), female sex (3.05 [1.13-8.20], p = 0.027), vitamin K antagonists (3.32 [1.28-8.58], p = 0.013), or mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists' use (3.28 [1.13-9.54], p = 0.029) after CA. Conclusions: LRAA after CA is associated with a significant decrease in eGFR, and it is an independent risk factor for rapid CKD progression. Conversely, eGFR in arrhythmia-free patients after CA remained stable or even improved significantly.