title: Elevated Red Blood Cell Distribution Width Predicts Recurrence After Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With Heart Failure　- Comparison With Non-Heart Failure Patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Elevated red blood cell distribution width (RDW) predicts poor prognosis in patients with cardiovascular diseases. However, little is known about the association between RDW and outcomes after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 757 patients who underwent radiofrequency catheter ablation of AF were divided into heart failure (HF, n=79) and non-HF (n=678) groups; RDW was assessed as a predictor after catheter ablation in each. During a 22.3-month follow-up period, the baseline RDW in the HF group was greater in the recurrence group than in the non-recurrence group (14.5±2.0% vs. 13.5±0.9%, P=0.013). In contrast, no significant difference in RDW at baseline was found in the non-HF group between the recurrence and non-recurrence groups (13.3±0.8% vs. 13.2±0.8%, P=0.332, respectively). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that RDW (hazard ratio 1.20, 95% confidence interval 1.01-1.40, P=0.034) was an independent predictor of AF recurrence in the HF group. The cut-off values of RDW for the recurrence of AF and major adverse events in the HF group were 13.9% and 14.8%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High RDW is an independent predictor for the recurrence of AF and major adverse events in patients with HF after catheter ablation. RDW is a potential noninvasive marker in AF patients complicated with HF. (Circ J 2016; 80: 627-638).
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yanagisawa
authors.forename: Yasuya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inden
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Aya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miyoshi
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mizutani
authors.forename: Tadahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Yosuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kamikubo
authors.forename: Yasunori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kanzaki
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirai
authors.forename: Toyoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murohara
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies