Sandeep Prabhu1, Andrew J Taylor2, Ben T Costello3, David M Kaye2, Alex J A McLellan1, Aleksandr Voskoboinik1, Hariharan Sugumar1, Siobhan M Lockwood4, Michael B Stokes4, Bhupesh Pathik5, Chrishan J Nalliah5, Geoff R Wong5, Sonia M Azzopardi3, Sarah J Gutman3, Geoffrey Lee6, Jamie Layland7, Justin A Mariani8, Liang-Han Ling8, Jonathan M Kalman5, Peter M Kistler9. 1. The Baker Heart & Diabetes Institute, Clinical Electrophysiology Research, Melbourne, Australia; The Heart Centre, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Cardiology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. 2. The Baker Heart & Diabetes Institute, Clinical Electrophysiology Research, Melbourne, Australia; The Heart Centre, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. 3. The Baker Heart & Diabetes Institute, Clinical Electrophysiology Research, Melbourne, Australia; The Heart Centre, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. 4. MonashHeart, Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne, Australia. 5. Department of Cardiology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. 6. Department of Cardiology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. 7. Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. 8. The Baker Heart & Diabetes Institute, Clinical Electrophysiology Research, Melbourne, Australia; The Heart Centre, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. 9. The Baker Heart & Diabetes Institute, Clinical Electrophysiology Research, Melbourne, Australia; The Heart Centre, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address: peter.kistler@baker.edu.au.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:Atrial fibrillation (AF) and left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) frequently co-exist despite adequate rate control. Existing randomized studies of AF and LVSD of varying etiologies have reported modest benefits with a rhythm control strategy. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to determine whether catheter ablation (CA) for AF could improve LVSD compared with medical rate control (MRC) where the etiology of the LVSD was unexplained, apart from the presence of AF. METHODS: This multicenter, randomized clinical trial enrolled patients with persistent AF and idiopathic cardiomyopathy (left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] ≤45%). After optimization of rate control, patients underwent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) to assess LVEF and late gadolinium enhancement, indicative of ventricular fibrosis, before randomization to either CA or ongoing MRC. CA included pulmonary vein isolation and posterior wall isolation. AF burden post-CA was assessed by using an implanted loop recorder, and adequacy of MRC was assessed by using serial Holter monitoring. The primary endpoint was change in LVEF on repeat CMR at 6 months. RESULTS: A total of 301 patients were screened; 68 patients were enrolled between November 2013 and October 2016 and randomized with 33 in each arm (accounting for 2 dropouts). The average AF burden post-CA was 1.6 ± 5.0% at 6 months. In the intention-to-treat analysis, absolute LVEF improved by 18 ± 13% in the CA group compared with 4.4 ± 13% in the MRC group (p < 0.0001) and normalized (LVEF ≥50%) in 58% versus 9% (p = 0.0002). In those undergoing CA, the absence of late gadolinium enhancement predicted greater improvements in absolute LVEF (10.7%; p = 0.0069) and normalization at 6 months (73% vs. 29%; p = 0.0093). CONCLUSIONS: AF is an underappreciated reversible cause of LVSD in this population despite adequate rate control. The restoration of sinus rhythm with CA results in significant improvements in ventricular function, particularly in the absence of ventricular fibrosis on CMR. This outcome challenges the current treatment paradigm that rate control is the appropriate strategy in patients with AF and LVSD. (Catheter Ablation Versus Medical Rate Control in Atrial Fibrillation and Systolic Dysfunction [CAMERA-MRI]; ACTRN12613000880741).
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND:Atrial fibrillation (AF) and left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) frequently co-exist despite adequate rate control. Existing randomized studies of AF and LVSD of varying etiologies have reported modest benefits with a rhythm control strategy. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to determine whether catheter ablation (CA) for AF could improve LVSD compared with medical rate control (MRC) where the etiology of the LVSD was unexplained, apart from the presence of AF. METHODS: This multicenter, randomized clinical trial enrolled patients with persistent AF and idiopathic cardiomyopathy (left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] ≤45%). After optimization of rate control, patients underwent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) to assess LVEF and late gadolinium enhancement, indicative of ventricular fibrosis, before randomization to either CA or ongoing MRC. CA included pulmonary vein isolation and posterior wall isolation. AF burden post-CA was assessed by using an implanted loop recorder, and adequacy of MRC was assessed by using serial Holter monitoring. The primary endpoint was change in LVEF on repeat CMR at 6 months. RESULTS: A total of 301 patients were screened; 68 patients were enrolled between November 2013 and October 2016 and randomized with 33 in each arm (accounting for 2 dropouts). The average AF burden post-CA was 1.6 ± 5.0% at 6 months. In the intention-to-treat analysis, absolute LVEF improved by 18 ± 13% in the CA group compared with 4.4 ± 13% in the MRC group (p < 0.0001) and normalized (LVEF ≥50%) in 58% versus 9% (p = 0.0002). In those undergoing CA, the absence of late gadolinium enhancement predicted greater improvements in absolute LVEF (10.7%; p = 0.0069) and normalization at 6 months (73% vs. 29%; p = 0.0093). CONCLUSIONS:AF is an underappreciated reversible cause of LVSD in this population despite adequate rate control. The restoration of sinus rhythm with CA results in significant improvements in ventricular function, particularly in the absence of ventricular fibrosis on CMR. This outcome challenges the current treatment paradigm that rate control is the appropriate strategy in patients with AF and LVSD. (Catheter Ablation Versus Medical Rate Control in Atrial Fibrillation and Systolic Dysfunction [CAMERA-MRI]; ACTRN12613000880741).
Authors: David F Briceño; Timothy M Markman; Florentino Lupercio; Jorge Romero; Jackson J Liang; Pedro A Villablanca; Edo Y Birati; Fermin C Garcia; Luigi Di Biase; Andrea Natale; Francis E Marchlinski; Pasquale Santangeli Journal: J Interv Card Electrophysiol Date: 2018-07-31 Impact factor: 1.900
Authors: Fabiana G Marcondes-Braga; Lídia Ana Zytynski Moura; Victor Sarli Issa; Jefferson Luis Vieira; Luis Eduardo Rohde; Marcus Vinícius Simões; Miguel Morita Fernandes-Silva; Salvador Rassi; Silvia Marinho Martins Alves; Denilson Campos de Albuquerque; Dirceu Rodrigues de Almeida; Edimar Alcides Bocchi; Felix José Alvarez Ramires; Fernando Bacal; João Manoel Rossi Neto; Luiz Claudio Danzmann; Marcelo Westerlund Montera; Mucio Tavares de Oliveira Junior; Nadine Clausell; Odilson Marcos Silvestre; Reinaldo Bulgarelli Bestetti; Sabrina Bernadez-Pereira; Aguinaldo F Freitas; Andréia Biolo; Antonio Carlos Pereira Barretto; Antônio José Lagoeiro Jorge; Bruno Biselli; Carlos Eduardo Lucena Montenegro; Edval Gomes Dos Santos Júnior; Estêvão Lanna Figueiredo; Fábio Fernandes; Fabio Serra Silveira; Fernando Antibas Atik; Flávio de Souza Brito; Germano Emílio Conceição Souza; Gustavo Calado de Aguiar Ribeiro; Humberto Villacorta; João David de Souza Neto; Livia Adams Goldraich; Luís Beck-da-Silva; Manoel Fernandes Canesin; Marcelo Imbroinise Bittencourt; Marcely Gimenes Bonatto; Maria da Consolação Vieira Moreira; Mônica Samuel Avila; Otavio Rizzi Coelho Filho; Pedro Vellosa Schwartzmann; Ricardo Mourilhe-Rocha; Sandrigo Mangini; Silvia Moreira Ayub Ferreira; José Albuquerque de Figueiredo Neto; Evandro Tinoco Mesquita Journal: Arq Bras Cardiol Date: 2021-06 Impact factor: 2.000