Comparing outcomes after pulmonary vein isolation in patients with systolic and diastolic heart failure

The benefit of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is well established; its efficacy in patients with heart failure preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is less clear.

The objective of the study was to compare AF and heart failure (HF) rehospitalizations after PVI in patients with HFpEF vs HFrEF.

The IBM MarketScan Database was used to identify patients undergoing PVI for AF. Patients were categorized by HF status: absence of HF, presence of HFrEF, or presence of HFpEF. Primary outcomes were HF and arrhythmia hospitalizations after PVI.

A total of 32,524 patients were analyzed: 27,900 with no HF (86%), 2948 with HFrEF (9%), and 1676 with HFpEF (5%). Compared with those with no HF, both patients with HFrEF and HFpEF were more likely to be hospitalized for HF (hazard ratio [HR] 7.27; P < .01 for HFrEF and HR 9.46; P < .01 for HFpEF) and for AF (HR 1.17; P < .01 for HFrEF and HR 1.74; P < .01 for HFpEF) after PVI. In matched analysis, 23% of patients with HFrEF and 24% patients with HFpEF demonstrated a reduction in HF hospitalizations (P = .31) and approximately one-third demonstrated decreased arrhythmia rehospitalizations (P = .57) in the 6 months after PVI. Compared with those with HFrEF in longer-term follow-up (>1 year), patients with HFpEF were more likely to have HF (HR 1.30; P < .01) and arrhythmia (HR 1.19; P < .01) rehospitalizations.

Reductions in HF and arrhythmia hospitalizations are observed early after PVI across all patients with HF, but patients with HFpEF demonstrate higher HF rehospitalization and arrhythmia recurrence in longer-term follow-up than do patients with HFrEF.