Previous Catheter Ablation Predicts In-Hospital Restoration of Sinus Rhythm in Patients Presenting with Recent-Onset Atrial Fibrillation—The Retrospective HAMBURG-AF Study

Background and Objectives: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrythmia of the human heart. Patients mostly present highly symptomatic with dyspnea and tachycardia and have a disproportionate risk of developing heart failure or stroke events. We aimed to evaluate the determinants of early conversion into sinus rhythm during initial stay at the emergency department of a large tertiary care center. Materials and Methods: A total of 1384 subjects with recent-onset AF were recruited between October 2014 and April 2017. Patients with longstanding AF were excluded, resulting in a total of 935 patients for the present analysis. Results: In multivariate adjusted logistic regression analyses, previous catheter ablation therapy was a strong predictor of conversion in sinus rhythm during the stay in the emergency department, with an odds ratio (OR) of 3.87 (95% CI 2.40, 6.54; p < 0.001). In contrast, existing antiarrhythmic medication showed no association with facilitated conversion [OR 0.89 (95%CI 0.65, 1.20); p = 0.44]. Likewise, conventional cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes) were also not associated with conversion during hospital stay. Conclusion: This is the first report on the relevance of previous ablation therapy for early restoration of sinus rhythm in recent-onset AF. Although catheter ablation is associated with relevant risk of late recurrence of atrial fibrillation, it seems to have a large benefit for patients with recent-onset AF.