Impact of diabetes mellitus and poor glycemic control on the prevalence of left atrial low-voltage areas and rhythm outcome in patients with atrial fibrillation ablation

Introduction Left atrial low-voltage areas (LVAs) are known to be correlated with atrial scarring and atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after ablation. However, the association between LVAs and glycemic status before ablation has not been fully clarified. The purpose of this study was to investigate associations among the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM), glycemic control, and the prevalence of LVAs in patients with AF ablation. Methods In total, 912 (age, 68 +/- 10 years; female, 299 [33%]; persistent AF, 513 [56%]) consecutive patients who underwent initial AF ablation were included. A preprocedure glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) >= 7% was set as the cutoff for poor glycemic control in patients with DM. LVAs were defined as areas with a bipolar voltage of <0.5 mV covering >= 5 cm2 of left atrium. Results LVAs existed in 208 (23%) patients, and 168 (18%) patients had DM. LVAs were found more frequently in patients with DM and poor glycemic control. On multivariate analysis, DM with HbA1c >= 7% was an independent predictor of LVAs (odds ratio, 3.3; 95% confidence interval: 1.6-6.7; p = .001). In patients with LVAs, freedom from AF recurrence during the 24-month study period was significantly lower in patients who had DM with HbA1c >= 7% than in those without DM (37.9% vs. 54.7%, p = .02). Conclusion In patients with AF ablation, LVAs were found more frequently in patients with DM and poor glycemic control. DM with HbA1c >= 7% was an independent predictor of LVAs.