Catheter Ablation as First-Line Therapy in Persistent Atrial Fibrillation: Patient Characteristics and Clinical Outcomes

Background In patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (PerAF), antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) are considered a first-line rhythm-control strategy, whereas catheter ablation is a reasonable alternative. Objectives This study sought to examine the prevalence, patient characteristics, and clinical outcomes of patients with PerAF who underwent catheter ablation as a first or second-line strategy. Methods This multicenter observational study included consecutive patients with PerAF who underwent first-time ablation between January 2020 and September 2021 in 9 medical centers in the United States. Patients were divided into those who underwent ablation as first-line therapy and those who had ablation as second-line therapy. Patient characteristics and clinical outcomes were compared between the groups. Results A total of 2,083 patients underwent first-time ablation for PerAF. Of these, 1,086 (52%) underwent ablation as a first-line rhythm-control treatment. Compared with patients treated with AADs as first-line therapy, these patients were predominantly male (72.6% vs 68.1%; P = 0.03), with a lower frequency of hypertension (64.0% vs 73.4%; P < 0.001) and heart failure (19.1% vs 30.5%; P < 0.001). During a mean follow-up of 325.9 ± 81.6 days, arrhythmia-free survival was similar between the groups (HR: 1.13; 95% CI: 0.92-1.41); however, patients in the second-line ablation strategy were more likely to continue receiving AAD therapy (41.5% vs 15.9%; P < 0.001). Conclusions A first-line ablation strategy for PerAF is prevalent in the United States, particularly in men with fewer comorbidities. More data are needed to identify patients with PerAF who derive benefit from an early intervention strategy.