title: Atrial fibrillation burden during the post-implant period after crt using device-based diagnostics.
abstract: AF Burden After CRT Implantation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is increasingly used in congestive heart failure (CHF) patients (with cardiac dyssynchrony). In addition to delivering therapy, CRT devices offer a variety of diagnostic tools for continuous long-term monitoring of clinically relevant information (i.e., occurrence and duration of arrhythmia episodes).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-four patients with drug-refractory CHF in NYHA-class II-IV received a CRT device. The response to CRT was assessed by determining NYHA class at baseline and at 3 months follow-up. Atrial fibrillation (AF) burden (defined as time of AF per day) was continuously measured by the device. A significant gradual reduction of AF burden (from 9.88 +/- 12.61 to 4.20 +/- 9.24 [hours/day]) and number of patients experiencing AF episodes (from 26 to 13) were observed during CRT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  (1) Diagnostic features for long-term monitoring of physiological variables provide useful information on the state and course of AF and may improve disease management. (2) AF burden reduces over time during the first 3 months after CRT implantation.
authors.affiliation: Arrhythmia Section, Division of Cardiology, Zentralklinik Bad Berka, Bad Berka, Germany. b.huegl.kar@zentralklinik-bad-berka.de
authors.forename: Burkhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hügl
authors.forename: Hans-Jürgen
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Bruns
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Unterberg-Buchwald
authors.forename: Anett
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grosse
authors.forename: Berthold
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stegemann
authors.forename: Bernward
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lauer
authors.forename: J Christoph
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Geller
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gasparini
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic