AIMS: Endurance sports activities have been associated with the development of atrial fibrillation (AF). Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) by means of radiofrequency catheter ablation has been established as an effective treatment for AF. The aim of the present study was to analyse the efficacy of AF ablation in athletes. METHODS AND RESULTS: We compared procedural outcome and median term follow-up in 94 consecutive athletes (>3 h of sports/week for ≥ 10 years or ≥ 1500 h lifetime) who underwent PVI (94% men, 51 ± 8 years, 87% paroxysmal AF, left atrial (LA) diameter 40 ± 8 mm, mean follow-up 41 months), and 41 contemporary controls. Sixty-three per cent of athletes performed endurance sports (running, cycling, swimming, and rowing). Documented focal induction of AF and failed treatment with ≥ 1 anti-arrhythmic drug were pre-requisites for selection of ablation treatment. Patients with long-standing persistent or permanent AF or an LA diameter ≥ 55 mm were not considered for ablation. Median lifetime cumulative hours of sports was 8638 (4175-13 688) in athletes vs. 450 (280-600) in controls (P < 0.001). Other baseline characteristics except for gender (94 vs. 66% men, respectively, P < 0.001) were comparable between both groups, as was the total number of ablation procedures per patient (1.2 ± 0.5, P = 0.62). Survival analysis showed similar AF recurrence rate after a first ablation for controls and endurance athletes, though non-endurance athletes had a significantly higher AF recurrence rate (48 vs. 46 vs. 34% freedom from AF at 3 year follow-up after a single ablation, P= 0.04). Final outcome after all ablations was similar (87 vs. 84 vs. 85% freedom from AF at 3-year follow-up, P = 0.88). No other independent predictor for AF recurrence was identified. CONCLUSION: In patients with documented focal induction of non-permanent AF and absence of structural heart disease, PVI is as effective in endurance athletes as in other patients.
AIMS: Endurance sports activities have been associated with the development of atrial fibrillation (AF). Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) by means of radiofrequency catheter ablation has been established as an effective treatment for AF. The aim of the present study was to analyse the efficacy of AF ablation in athletes. METHODS AND RESULTS: We compared procedural outcome and median term follow-up in 94 consecutive athletes (>3 h of sports/week for ≥ 10 years or ≥ 1500 h lifetime) who underwent PVI (94% men, 51 ± 8 years, 87% paroxysmal AF, left atrial (LA) diameter 40 ± 8 mm, mean follow-up 41 months), and 41 contemporary controls. Sixty-three per cent of athletes performed endurance sports (running, cycling, swimming, and rowing). Documented focal induction of AF and failed treatment with ≥ 1 anti-arrhythmic drug were pre-requisites for selection of ablation treatment. Patients with long-standing persistent or permanent AF or an LA diameter ≥ 55 mm were not considered for ablation. Median lifetime cumulative hours of sports was 8638 (4175-13 688) in athletes vs. 450 (280-600) in controls (P < 0.001). Other baseline characteristics except for gender (94 vs. 66% men, respectively, P < 0.001) were comparable between both groups, as was the total number of ablation procedures per patient (1.2 ± 0.5, P = 0.62). Survival analysis showed similar AF recurrence rate after a first ablation for controls and endurance athletes, though non-endurance athletes had a significantly higher AF recurrence rate (48 vs. 46 vs. 34% freedom from AF at 3 year follow-up after a single ablation, P= 0.04). Final outcome after all ablations was similar (87 vs. 84 vs. 85% freedom from AF at 3-year follow-up, P = 0.88). No other independent predictor for AF recurrence was identified. CONCLUSION: In patients with documented focal induction of non-permanent AF and absence of structural heart disease, PVI is as effective in endurance athletes as in other patients.
Authors: Hugh Calkins; Gerhard Hindricks; Riccardo Cappato; Young-Hoon Kim; Eduardo B Saad; Luis Aguinaga; Joseph G Akar; Vinay Badhwar; Josep Brugada; John Camm; Peng-Sheng Chen; Shih-Ann Chen; Mina K Chung; Jens Cosedis Nielsen; Anne B Curtis; D Wyn Davies; John D Day; André d'Avila; N M S Natasja de Groot; Luigi Di Biase; Mattias Duytschaever; James R Edgerton; Kenneth A Ellenbogen; Patrick T Ellinor; Sabine Ernst; Guilherme Fenelon; Edward P Gerstenfeld; David E Haines; Michel Haissaguerre; Robert H Helm; Elaine Hylek; Warren M Jackman; Jose Jalife; Jonathan M Kalman; Josef Kautzner; Hans Kottkamp; Karl Heinz Kuck; Koichiro Kumagai; Richard Lee; Thorsten Lewalter; Bruce D Lindsay; Laurent Macle; Moussa Mansour; Francis E Marchlinski; Gregory F Michaud; Hiroshi Nakagawa; Andrea Natale; Stanley Nattel; Ken Okumura; Douglas Packer; Evgeny Pokushalov; Matthew R Reynolds; Prashanthan Sanders; Mauricio Scanavacca; Richard Schilling; Claudio Tondo; Hsuan-Ming Tsao; Atul Verma; David J Wilber; Teiichi Yamane Journal: Heart Rhythm Date: 2017-05-12 Impact factor: 6.343
Authors: Hugh Calkins; Karl Heinz Kuck; Riccardo Cappato; Josep Brugada; A John Camm; Shih-Ann Chen; Harry J G Crijns; Ralph J Damiano; D Wyn Davies; John DiMarco; James Edgerton; Kenneth Ellenbogen; Michael D Ezekowitz; David E Haines; Michel Haissaguerre; Gerhard Hindricks; Yoshito Iesaka; Warren Jackman; José Jalife; Pierre Jais; Jonathan Kalman; David Keane; Young-Hoon Kim; Paulus Kirchhof; George Klein; Hans Kottkamp; Koichiro Kumagai; Bruce D Lindsay; Moussa Mansour; Francis E Marchlinski; Patrick M McCarthy; J Lluis Mont; Fred Morady; Koonlawee Nademanee; Hiroshi Nakagawa; Andrea Natale; Stanley Nattel; Douglas L Packer; Carlo Pappone; Eric Prystowsky; Antonio Raviele; Vivek Reddy; Jeremy N Ruskin; Richard J Shemin; Hsuan-Ming Tsao; David Wilber Journal: Heart Rhythm Date: 2012-03-01 Impact factor: 6.343
Authors: Hugh Calkins; Gerhard Hindricks; Riccardo Cappato; Young-Hoon Kim; Eduardo B Saad; Luis Aguinaga; Joseph G Akar; Vinay Badhwar; Josep Brugada; John Camm; Peng-Sheng Chen; Shih-Ann Chen; Mina K Chung; Jens Cosedis Nielsen; Anne B Curtis; D Wyn Davies; John D Day; André d'Avila; N M S Natasja de Groot; Luigi Di Biase; Mattias Duytschaever; James R Edgerton; Kenneth A Ellenbogen; Patrick T Ellinor; Sabine Ernst; Guilherme Fenelon; Edward P Gerstenfeld; David E Haines; Michel Haissaguerre; Robert H Helm; Elaine Hylek; Warren M Jackman; Jose Jalife; Jonathan M Kalman; Josef Kautzner; Hans Kottkamp; Karl Heinz Kuck; Koichiro Kumagai; Richard Lee; Thorsten Lewalter; Bruce D Lindsay; Laurent Macle; Moussa Mansour; Francis E Marchlinski; Gregory F Michaud; Hiroshi Nakagawa; Andrea Natale; Stanley Nattel; Ken Okumura; Douglas Packer; Evgeny Pokushalov; Matthew R Reynolds; Prashanthan Sanders; Mauricio Scanavacca; Richard Schilling; Claudio Tondo; Hsuan-Ming Tsao; Atul Verma; David J Wilber; Teiichi Yamane Journal: Europace Date: 2018-01-01 Impact factor: 5.214
Authors: Hugh Calkins; Gerhard Hindricks; Riccardo Cappato; Young-Hoon Kim; Eduardo B Saad; Luis Aguinaga; Joseph G Akar; Vinay Badhwar; Josep Brugada; John Camm; Peng-Sheng Chen; Shih-Ann Chen; Mina K Chung; Jens Cosedis Nielsen; Anne B Curtis; D Wyn Davies; John D Day; André d'Avila; N M S Natasja de Groot; Luigi Di Biase; Mattias Duytschaever; James R Edgerton; Kenneth A Ellenbogen; Patrick T Ellinor; Sabine Ernst; Guilherme Fenelon; Edward P Gerstenfeld; David E Haines; Michel Haissaguerre; Robert H Helm; Elaine Hylek; Warren M Jackman; Jose Jalife; Jonathan M Kalman; Josef Kautzner; Hans Kottkamp; Karl Heinz Kuck; Koichiro Kumagai; Richard Lee; Thorsten Lewalter; Bruce D Lindsay; Laurent Macle; Moussa Mansour; Francis E Marchlinski; Gregory F Michaud; Hiroshi Nakagawa; Andrea Natale; Stanley Nattel; Ken Okumura; Douglas Packer; Evgeny Pokushalov; Matthew R Reynolds; Prashanthan Sanders; Mauricio Scanavacca; Richard Schilling; Claudio Tondo; Hsuan-Ming Tsao; Atul Verma; David J Wilber; Teiichi Yamane Journal: J Interv Card Electrophysiol Date: 2017-10 Impact factor: 1.900
Authors: Hugh Calkins; Gerhard Hindricks; Riccardo Cappato; Young-Hoon Kim; Eduardo B Saad; Luis Aguinaga; Joseph G Akar; Vinay Badhwar; Josep Brugada; John Camm; Peng-Sheng Chen; Shih-Ann Chen; Mina K Chung; Jens Cosedis Nielsen; Anne B Curtis; D Wyn Davies; John D Day; André d'Avila; N M S Natasja de Groot; Luigi Di Biase; Mattias Duytschaever; James R Edgerton; Kenneth A Ellenbogen; Patrick T Ellinor; Sabine Ernst; Guilherme Fenelon; Edward P Gerstenfeld; David E Haines; Michel Haissaguerre; Robert H Helm; Elaine Hylek; Warren M Jackman; Jose Jalife; Jonathan M Kalman; Josef Kautzner; Hans Kottkamp; Karl Heinz Kuck; Koichiro Kumagai; Richard Lee; Thorsten Lewalter; Bruce D Lindsay; Laurent Macle; Moussa Mansour; Francis E Marchlinski; Gregory F Michaud; Hiroshi Nakagawa; Andrea Natale; Stanley Nattel; Ken Okumura; Douglas Packer; Evgeny Pokushalov; Matthew R Reynolds; Prashanthan Sanders; Mauricio Scanavacca; Richard Schilling; Claudio Tondo; Hsuan-Ming Tsao; Atul Verma; David J Wilber; Teiichi Yamane Journal: J Arrhythm Date: 2017-09-15