Heart rhythm : the official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society
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Pulmonary vein isolation by cryoballoon ablation is an accepted method of treating atrial fibrillation. Little data exist regarding factors affecting late electrical reconnection of pulmonary veins following cryoballoon ablation. ⋯ Balloon warming time, vein occlusion score, and pulmonary vein size predict pulmonary vein reconnection. Balloon warming time was the most important predictive factor, and the manipulation of balloon warming may be a novel therapeutic strategy for improving outcomes of cryoballoon ablation for atrial fibrillation.
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Prolongation of the PR interval has been associated with an increased risk of incident atrial fibrillation (AF). ⋯ In this large ECG study, we found an increased risk of AF for longer PR intervals for both women and men. With respect to short PR intervals, we also observed an increased risk of AF for women.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Ganglionated plexus ablation vs linear ablation in patients undergoing pulmonary vein isolation for persistent/long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation: a randomized comparison.
The optimal ablation technique for persistent and long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) is unclear. Both linear lesion (LL) and ganglionated plexus (GP) ablation have been used in addition to pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), but no direct comparison of the 2 methods exists. ⋯ PVI+GP ablation confers superior clinical results with less ablation-related left atrial flutter and reduced AF recurrence compared to PVI+LL ablation at 3 years of follow-up.
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Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a leading cause of total and fatal ischemic stroke. Stroke risk after AF ablation appears to be favorably affected; however, it is largely unknown whether the benefit extends to all stroke CHADS2 risk profiles of AF patients. ⋯ In our study populations, AF ablation patients have a significantly lower risk of stroke compared to AF patients who do not undergo ablation independent of baseline stroke risk score.
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Successful termination of atrial fibrillation (AF) during catheter ablation (CA) is associated with arrhythmia-free follow-up. Preablation factors such as mean atrial fibrillation cycle length (AFCL) predict the likelihood of AF termination during ablation but recurring patterns and AFCL stability have not been evaluated. ⋯ AFCL recurrence and stability indices could be used in selecting patients more likely to benefit from CA.