Article
Persistent prehypertension may predict atrial arrhytmia recurrence after successful ablation therapy
Persisitierende hochnormale Blutdruckwerte als potentieller Risikofaktor atrialer Arrhythmierezidive nach Hochfrequenzstromablation
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Published: | August 8, 2006 |
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Background: Recent studies have identified structural heart disease, previous atrial fibrillation and hypertension as predictors of recurrent atrial arrhythmia. Little is known about interaction of persistent prehypertension and recurrence of atrial arrhythmia(AA)after ablation therapy. We investigated if prehypertensive individuals are at an increased risk for AA recurrence following successful radiofrequency ablation therapy compared to normotensive patients.
Methods: 30 consecutively screened patients presenting with symptomatic arrhythmia and without previously known or symptomatic arterial hypertension but verified prehypertensive blood pressure (group A, systolic values 120-139 mmHg or diastolic values 80-89 mmHg) were compared to continuously normotensive patients (group B) prior to ablation therapy of AA. There were no significant differences as to baseline values of age, sex, structural heart disease or antiarrhythmic therapy. Follow-up was performed for a mean period of 1.4±0.4 years. Recurrence or absence of AA were documented.
Results: Recurrence of AA after initially successful ablation was observed in 76 % of cases in group A (13 out of 17 patients) and in 31 % of cases in group B (4 out of 13 patients) documenting a significant dependence of AA recurrence on group membership (p = 0.033).
Conclusions: Prehypertensive individuals with systolic BP 120-139 mmHg or diastolic BP 80-89 mmHg may require health-promoting lifestyle modifications to prevent increased incidence of late atrial arrhythmia recurrence after successful ablation therapy.