Long-Term Outcome of Left Heart Function after Catheter Ablation in Patients with Persistent Atrial Fibrillation Combined with Preserved Ejection Fraction Heart Failure

Objective. We aimed to examine the benefits of catheter ablation on left heart structure and function in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) accompanied by heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), in comparison with the benefits in patients with AF accompanied by HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) or patients with no HF. Methods. A total of 399 patients with nonvalvular persistent AF who underwent catheter ablation from 2015 to 2021 were retrospectively included sixty-seven patients with recurrence of AF within 1 year were excluded, as well as 53 patients who failed to be followed up at (12 ± 1) months after the procedure. Finally, 279 patients who fulfilled the criteria were included and divided into these groups: the HFpEF group (left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥50% and N-Terminal Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide (NT-proBNP) ≥125 pg/ml or E/e′ ≥15, n = 116), HFrEF group (LVEF <50%, n = 48), and no HF group (NT-proBNP <125 pg/ml, n = 115). The endpoints were changes in image-based functional status from baseline to 1 year, including echocardiogram and speckle-tracking echocardiography. Results. The left atrial structure of patients with HFpEF decreased significantly 1 year after catheter ablation (left atrial anteroposterior dimension: 41.48 ± 4.53 mm vs. 38.64 ± 4.40; left atrial mediolateral dimension: 41.99 ± 5.52 vs. 38.24 ± 4.63 mm; left atrial superoinferior dimension: 61.36 ± 6.73 vs. 56.44 ± 6.97 mm). The left atrial and left ventricular volumes were significantly reduced and the ejection fraction was increased in all three groups, with HFrEF patients benefiting more. In the speckle-tracking echocardiography indexes, significant improvements were observed in left atrial strain (16.83 ± 6.91 vs. 28.05 ± 9.92), left atrial storage function (0.97 ± 0.38 vs. 1.49 ± 0.58), and left atrial pump function (−1.15 ± 0.55 vs. −1.68 ± 0.75) among HFpEF patients after 1 year, with no changes in left atrial conduit function (−1.55 ± 0.62 vs. −1.50 ± 0.54). In addition to the above improvements in left atrial structure and function, there was no significant improvement in left ventricular diastolic function in patients with HFpEF (E/e′, 14.11 ± 5.52 vs. 14.30 ± 7.25, P = 0.85). Conclusion. Catheter ablation is beneficial in restoring sinus rhythm in patients with persistent AF with coexisting HFpEF, significantly decreasing the left atrial size, improving left atrial storage function and left atrial pump function, and increasing left atrial and left ventricular ejection fraction.