Overview
The goal of this observational study is to analyze the characteristics of left atrial electroanatomical maps in patients without a history of atrial fibrillation but with a high clinical risk of developing it, as indicated by the presence of structural heart disease or a CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥ 2 points. The study cohort will be compared to a historical cohort of patients with diagnosed atrial fibrillation in a propensity-matched fashion.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Are the left atrial electroanatomical changes a consequence or a precursor to the development of atrial fibrillation?
- Are the left atrial electroanatomical findings different between patients with atrial fibrillation and those at high risk of developing it?
- What is the prognostic impact of left atrial pathologic changes in patients without diagnosed atrial fibrillation in terms of cardiovascular outcomes?
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Absence of a prior history of atrial fibrillation or flutter.
- Patients presenting for ablation of any ventricular tachycardia related to structural heart disease or any ventricular arrhythmia with a CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥ 2.
Exclusion criteria:
- Presence of thrombus in the left atrial appendage.
- Complications related to the index procedure.
- Insufficient quality of the left atrial electroanatomical map.