Pericardial Fat Is Associated With Atrial Fibrillation Severity and Ablation Outcome

Objectives The aim of this study was to characterize the relationship between pericardial fat and atrial fibrillation (AF). Background Obesity is an important risk factor for AF. Pericardial fat has been hypothesized to exert local pathogenic effects on nearby cardiac structures above and beyond that of systemic adiposity. Methods One hundred ten patients undergoing first-time AF ablation and 20 reference patients without AF underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging for the quantification of periatrial, periventricular, and total pericardial fat volumes using a previously validated technique. Together with body mass index and body surface area, these were examined in relation to the presence of AF, the severity of AF, left atrial volume, and long-term AF recurrence after ablation. Results Pericardial fat volumes were significantly associated with the presence of AF, AF chronicity, and AF symptom burden (all p values