N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide level at long-term follow-up after atrial fibrillation ablation: a marker of reverse atrial remodelling and successful ablation

• Published in: Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology 2012-08, Vol.34 (2), p.129-136
• Main Authors: Solheim, Eivind, Off, Morten Kristian, Hoff, Per Ivar, De Bortoli, Alessandro, Schuster, Peter, Ohm, Ole-Jørgen, Chen, Jian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Atrial Fibrillation - blood; Atrial Fibrillation - diagnosis; Atrial Fibrillation - surgery; Biomarkers - blood; Cardiology; Catheter Ablation; Female; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain - blood; Peptide Fragments - blood; Sensitivity and Specificity; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 1383-875X; 1572-8595
• DOI: 10.1007/s10840-011-9629-2

Aims We investigated the relationship between arrhythmia burden, left atrial volume (LAV) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) at baseline and after long-term follow-up of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. Methods We studied 38 patients (23 paroxysmal, 6 women, mean age 56 ± 11) scheduled for AF ablation. LAV was calculated on the basis of computed tomography images at baseline and long-term follow-up, and arrhythmia burden was graded from self-reported frequency and duration of AF episodes. Results After a mean period of 22 ± 5 months, 28/38 patients (11/15 persistent) were free from AF recurrence. At baseline there were no differences in mean LAV (125 vs. 130 cm 3 , p  = 0.7) or median NT-pro-BNP (33.5 vs. 29.5 pmol/L, p  = 0.9) between patients whose ablation had been successful or otherwise. At long-term follow-up, there was a marked decrease in LAV (105 vs. 134 cm 3 , p