title: Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation in the elderly.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Atrial fibrillation (AF) catheter ablation has emerged as a promising treatment strategy for AF, but has not been widely adopted in the elderly population. The present study aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of AF catheter ablation in the elderly population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study population consisted of 316 patients with paroxysmal AF who underwent left atrial ablation. Ninety-five patients were ≥ 65 years (48 males, mean age 68.9 ± 3.0 years old) and 221 patients were < 65 years old (130 males, mean age 52.5 ± 10.4 years old). After a mean follow-up period of 34.0 ± 15.1 months, 55 (57.9%) patients in the elderly group were free from arrhythmia recurrence compared with 149 (67.4%) patients in the younger group (P = 0.169). Procedural complications were uncommon in both study groups. In logistic regression analysis, left atrial diameter (P = 0.003), hypertension (P = 0.001), dyslipidemia (P = 0.039), and coronary artery disease (P = 0.018) were independent predictors of AF recurrence in the elderly population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Catheter ablation of AF is safe and effective in older patients. Invasive strategies should be considered as an alternative choice in symptomatic elderly patients with AF.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Cardiology, Laboratory of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Evangelismos General Hospital of Athens, Athens 10676, Greece.
authors.forename: Louiza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lioni
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Cardiology, Laboratory of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Evangelismos General Hospital of Athens, Athens 10676, Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantinos P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Letsas
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Cardiology, Laboratory of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Evangelismos General Hospital of Athens, Athens 10676, Greece.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Efremidis
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Cardiology, Laboratory of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Evangelismos General Hospital of Athens, Athens 10676, Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vlachos
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, "G. Gennimatas" General Hospital of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giannopoulos
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Cardiology, Laboratory of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Evangelismos General Hospital of Athens, Athens 10676, Greece.
authors.forename: Vasileios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kareliotis
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, "G. Gennimatas" General Hospital of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Spyridon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Deftereos
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Cardiology, Laboratory of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Evangelismos General Hospital of Athens, Athens 10676, Greece.
authors.forename: Antonios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sideris
keywords: Ablation; Atrial fibrillation; The elderly