Antithrombotic treatment in chronic heart failure and sinus rhythm: Systematic review

AIM: To assess the efficacy and safety of antithrombotic drugs(antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs) compared to no antithrombotic treatment or placebo in patients with heart failure(HF) and sinus rhythm. METHODS: We searched Medline and Cochrane Library for randomized controlled trials evaluating antithrombotic treatment and no antithrombotic treatment in patients with HF and sinus rhythm. Risk ratio(RR) and 95%CIs were estimated performing meta-analysis with random effects method. RESULTS: Two studies met the inclusion criteria: Heart failure Long-term Antithrombotic Study and Warfarin/Aspirin Study in Heart failure, with 336 patients and mean follow-up 1.8-2.25 years. Stroke risk was not reduced by acetylsalicylic acid(RR = 1.18, 95%CI: 0.17-8.15), oral anticoagulation(RR = 0.30, 95%CI: 0.03-2.65) or overall antithrombotic drugs(RR = 0.52, 95%CI: 0.10-2.74). Acetylsalicylic acid showed a significant increased risk of worsening HF(RR = 1.78, 95%CI: 1.08-2.92), while oral anticoagulation had no impact in this outcome(RR = 1.03, 95%CI: 0.61-1.75). Overall antithrombotic drugs showed a significant risk increase of major bleeding(RR = 6.99, 95%CI: 0.89-54.64). CONCLUSION: Best available evidence does not support the routine use of antithrombotic drugs in patients with HF and sinus rhythm. These drugs, particularly oral anti-coagulation has the hazard of increase significantly major bleeding risk.

Impact of different termination modes on atrial fibrillation termination in catheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation

Background The optimal endpoint for catheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation （AF） remains ambiguous. This study investigated the impact of AF termination as a procedural endpoint and the termination mode on long-term clinical outcome. Methods Two hundred and ninety-three patients who underwent stepwise ablation for persistent AF were categorized into the AF termination by ablation group and into the electrical cardioversion （CV） group. Subgroups were also analyzed based on different termination modes. Follow-up assessment included early recurrence and sinus rhythm （SR） maintenance. Results During initial ablation, 33 patients （11.3%） were directly converted to SR, 166 patients （56.7%） were converted to atrial tachycardia （AT） that subsequently restored SR with further ablation in 98 patients （33.4%）, and a total of 162 patients （55.3%） underwent cardioversion due to persistent atrial arrhythmias. Comparison between termination by ablation and termination by cardioversion in patients exhibiting AF or AT revealed that no significant difference was observed in early recurrence （38.2% vs. 43.8%, P=0.328） and SR maintenance （67.2% vs. 59.8%, P=0.198） during the （23±7） months follow-up. Even after repeat ablation, the SR maintenance continued to exhibit no statistical difference in above two groups （72.5% vs. 70.4%, P=0.686）. Further analysis of subgroups, however, demonstrated that patients with AF terminated directly to SR experienced better clinical outcomes than other subgroups （P 〈0.05）. Furthermore, atrial arrhythmias present during ablation have been implicated in prediction of recurrence mode： AF or AT （P 〈0.05）. Conclusions Termination as a procedural endpoint is not associated with favorable long-term SR maintenance in persistent AF. AF methods that convert arrhythmia directly to SR have, however, been linked with improved clinical outcomes, although conversions to AT may not be correlated. Atrial arrhythmias observed during the ablation may be used to predict the recurrence mode.