Catheter ablation for Atrial Fibrillation
This study is evaluating whether there is a relationship between the amount of inflammatory fat tissue and the success of AF ablation.
See full descriptionAbout the trial for Atrial Fibrillation
Treatment Groups
This trial involves 3 different treatments. Catheter Ablation is the primary treatment being studied. Participants will all receive the same treatment. Some patients will receive a placebo treatment. The treatments being tested are not being studied for commercial purposes.
About The Treatment
Eligibility
This trial is for patients born any sex aged 18 and older. There are 2 eligibility criteria to participate in this trial as listed below.
Approximate Timelines
Measurement Requirements
This trial is evaluating whether Catheter ablation will improve 1 primary outcome and 7 secondary outcomes in patients with Atrial Fibrillation. Measurement will happen over the course of 30 days.
Patient Q & A Section
What are common treatments for atrial fibrillation?
Treatment recommendations for atrial fibrillation are varied and the treatment is based on factors such as the patient's cardiovascular risk factors and their disease stage, patient preference and current medication.
What causes atrial fibrillation?
Atrial fibrillation is a common electrocardiac rhythm disturbance in the clinical setting. Causes of the condition include valvular disease, chronic alcoholism, drug usage, endocrine, nutritional and metabolic factors, infectious agents, immunologic disorders, and radiation.
What are the signs of atrial fibrillation?
Atrial fibrillation is marked by a loss of consciousness with a very high risk of stroke. Atrial fibrillation also causes irregularity in the heart’s electrical conduction that can cause abnormal cardiac rhythms, such as atrial flutter which can be life-threatening. A sudden drop in or rising in the blood pressure known as a shock due to fibrillation can cause death by cardiac arrest. Most people with atrial fibrillation have no heart disease symptoms. Atrial fibrillation is a very common arrhythmia in Europe and North America.
How many people get atrial fibrillation a year in the United States?
About 1.3 million adults may have AF annually in the United States. Men are affected about 10% more often than women. AF is common among those at the highest and the lowest age groups. The greatest numbers of cases may occur during middle age.
What is atrial fibrillation?
Atrial fibrillation is usually associated with heart disease, most often coronary artery disease. Atrial fibrillation may also trigger syncope and embolism. Although the prevalence of this arrhythmia increases with age from 5.9% in 20 years of age to 22.7% in 50 years of age, it is more common in younger age groups. There are genetic factors, lifestyle, and environmental determinants that contribute to the occurrence of AF.
Can atrial fibrillation be cured?
Currently, catheter-based ablative procedures performed under general anesthesia are not a cure for refractory AF. There is no evidence that catheter ablation is more successful in patients that experience a long-term symptom-free window of opportunity after the ablation procedure. Patients with a history of AF with severe symptoms could benefit from a trial of medical management with concomitant participation in a cardiac rehabilitation program.
Have there been any new discoveries for treating atrial fibrillation?
Although medical therapy continues to be the preferred treatment for atrial fibrillation, the use of anticoagulation has dramatically decreased since 1990, and the current paradigm of antiarrhythmic drug therapy to restore sinus rhythm appears to be suboptimal. Further research is needed to determine new medications that may be useful in the treatment of atrial fibrillation.
What are the common side effects of catheter ablation?
Atrial scar is common after catheter ablation. Atrial scar is a very good predictor for an atrial fibrillation recurrence. Atrial scar is linked to an increased risk of an atrial fibrillation recurrence, including atrial fibrillation inducibility, an increased duration of procedural success, and a higher incidence of cardioembolic stroke. Long term clinical followup is critical to determine the long term outcomes of the atrial fib.
What is the average age someone gets atrial fibrillation?
The proportion of males with atrial fibrillation decreases with age, most likely as a result of mortality associated with the disease. The proportion of females with atrial fibrillation increases with age. This may be due to the surviving females being more susceptible to atrial fibrillation than are the surviving males.
What are the latest developments in catheter ablation for therapeutic use?
Currently, catheter ablation is the preferred treatment modality for AF, when the goal of therapy involves long-term reduction of symptoms or prolongation of interval between events. As technology has improved, the rate of percutaneous procedures has increased. In addition to AF, the indications of catheter ablation has widened beyond the original indications to include treatment of other cardiac arrhythmias and non-cardiac conditions. However, further technological and clinical advances will be necessary to further refine the indications and broaden the indications for AF ablation.
What is the primary cause of atrial fibrillation?
The primary cause of atrial fibrillation is not in the right atrium (the upper chamber of the heart), as is the case for most arrhythmias, but in the left atrium (the lower chamber of the heart). If one considers the pathophysiologic basis of atrial fibrillation, as one does for other supraventricular arrhythmias, one must distinguish two types of electrical activation: propagating and non-propagating. In atrial fibrillation, non-propagating activity (the so-called ‘-ing impulse wave’) often predominates; propagating activity is (in contrast) seldom found.
Is catheter ablation safe for people?
Based on analysis of data collected during a single centre study over a 24-month period, a low-risk population exists who may wish to undergo AF ablation. Findings from a recent study shows a low risk of periprocedural complications. Therefore, AF ablation can be viewed as a minimal invasive treatment for AF. Further work will need to investigate the long-term recurrence rates of AF following catheter ablation.