Heart rate variability and early recurrence of atrial fibrillation after electrical cardioversion.
OBJECTIVE
The study evaluated the role of the autonomic nervous system in atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence.


BACKGROUND
Early recurrence of AF after cardioversion (CV) is attributed to electrical remodeling. The possibility that an abnormal autonomic modulation might contribute to this phenomenon has not yet been adequately tested.


METHODS
We analyzed short-term heart rate variability (HRV) in 93 patients with persistent AF and on chronic amiodarone treatment, after restoration of sinus rhythm by electrical CV.


RESULTS
Two weeks later, 25 patients presented with AF. Spectral analysis of HRV revealed that patients wi
Lombardi
F
F
Cardiologia, Dipartimento di Medicina, Chirurgia e Odontoiatria, Ospedale S. Paolo, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy. federico.lombardi@unimi.it
Colombo
A
A
Basilico
B
B
Ravaglia
R
R
Garbin
M
M
Vergani
D
D
Battezzati
P M
PM
Fiorentini
C
C
D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D004554:Electric Countershock; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted