Obesity is associated with long-term outcome of catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation in patients with dilated...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Obesity Research
• Electrophysiology

Background:

• Atrial fibrillation (AF) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) commonly coexist, leading to cardiac dysfunction and poor prognosis.
• The specific impact of obesity on these patients remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of body mass index (BMI) on clinical outcomes in patients with both AF and DCM.
• To assess the relationship between weight status and cardiac function recovery after ablation.

Main Methods:

• Seventy-four patients with AF and DCM were categorized by BMI (normal, overweight, obese).
• Primary endpoints included cardiac death, recurrent AF, atrial tachyarrhythmia, and stroke.
• Secondary endpoints and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) recovery post-ablation were measured.

Main Results:

• Overweight and obese patients had significantly higher rates of recurrent AF and rehospitalization compared to normal-weight individuals.
• Five-year primary endpoint outcomes were worse in overweight and obese groups.
• Overweight patients demonstrated significantly greater LVEF improvement after ablation than normal-weight or obese patients.

Conclusions:

• Overweight and obesity are associated with worse long-term outcomes, specifically increased AF recurrence, in patients with AF and DCM.
• Despite poorer overall outcomes, overweight status may be linked to better cardiac function recovery following ablation procedures.