Journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology
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J. Cardiovasc. Electrophysiol. · Aug 2011
Comparative StudyPatients treated with catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation have long-term rates of death, stroke, and dementia similar to patients without atrial fibrillation.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) adversely impacts mortality, stroke, heart failure, and dementia. AF ablation eliminates AF in most patients. We evaluated the long-term impact of AF ablation on mortality, heart failure (HF), stroke, and dementia in a large system-wide patient population. ⋯ AF ablation patients have a significantly lower risk of death, stroke, and dementia in comparison to AF patients without ablation. AF ablation may eliminate the increased risk of death and stroke associated with AF.