Renal function and outcomes in atrial fibrillation patients after catheter ablation.

BackgroundAtrial fibrillation (AF) and renal failure coexist and interact. However, scarce data about association between renal function and clinical outcomes in patients undergoing catheter ablation for AF are available. We sought to evaluate long-term renal function and clinical outcomes after AF ablation.MethodsWe enrolled 791 non-dialysis patients undergoing catheter ablation for AF, and evaluated the incidence of worsening renal function (WRF) after the procedure, defined as >30% decline in estimate glomerular filtration rate.ResultsMean follow-up duration was 5.1±2.5 years. Five hundreds and twenty-six patients (66.5%) were free from recurrent atrial arrhythmias without any antiarrhythmic drugs at the time of final follow-up. Cumulative incidence of WRF was 13.2% at 5-year after procedure, which was significantly higher in patients with recurrent AF compared to those without (21.6% versus 8.7%, PConclusionsIn AF patients undergoing catheter ablation for AF, arrhythmia recurrence was associated with WRF during follow-up, which was a strong predictor of adverse clinical outcomes.