Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation in the elderly

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) catheter ablation has emerged as a promising treatment strategy for AF, but has not been widely adopted in the elderly population. The present study aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of AF catheter ablation in the elderly population. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study population consisted of 316 patients with paroxysmal AF who underwent left atrial ablation. Ninety-five patients were ≥ 65 years (48 males, mean age 68.9 ± 3.0 years old) and 221 patients were < 65 years old (130 males, mean age 52.5 ± 10.4 years old). After a mean follow-up period of 34.0 ± 15.1 months, 55 (57.9%) patients in the elderly group were free from arrhythmia recurrence compared with 149 (67.4%) patients in the younger group (P = 0.169). Procedural complications were uncommon in both study groups. In logistic regression analysis, left atrial diameter (P = 0.003), hypertension (P = 0.001), dyslipidemia (P = 0.039), and coronary artery disease (P = 0.018) were independent predictors of AF recurrence in the elderly population. CONCLUSIONS: Catheter ablation of AF is safe and effective in older patients. Invasive strategies should be considered as an alternative choice in symptomatic elderly patients with AF.