title: Does the E/e' index predict the maintenance of sinus rhythm after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The role of left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction in recurrent atrial fibrillation (AF) after catheter ablation remains unknown. We investigated LV diastolic function using the ratio of early transmitral flow velocity (E) to early diastolic mitral annular velocity (e') and evaluated its predictive value for AF recurrence.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred three AF patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography before ablation and during 3 months of follow-up. Clinical and echocardiographic parameters of patients with maintained sinus rhythm were compared with those with recurrent AF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 103 patients, 26 had recurrent AF during follow-up. The E/e' index was the best independent predictor of AF recurrence in a multivariate logistic regression model. A cutoff value of 11.2 for the E/e' measured before ablation was associated with a sensitivity of 80.8% and specificity of 81.8% (area under ROC curve, 0.840; 95% CI, 0.754-0.926) for AF recurrence. E/e' measured in sinus rhythm after ablation had an even better predictive power (area under ROC curve, 0.917; 95% CI, 0.850-0.983).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LV diastolic function was closely associated with AF recurrence after catheter ablation. The E/e' index can be used as an incremental predictor for AF recurrence after catheter ablation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xunshi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Juqian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Can
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rao
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*