title: Incidence of Atrial Fibrillation following Alcohol Septal Ablation for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) are at a fourfold to sixfold higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF) compared to the general population, though incidence rates among patients undergoing alcohol septal ablation (ASA) are not well characterized. The purpose of this study was to evaluate atrial fibrillation incidence following ASA.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 132 consecutive HCM patients without comorbid AF that underwent 154 ASA procedures. The incidence of AF in follow-up was assessed through chart abstraction including electrocardiography. Survival free of AF was estimated using Kaplan-Meier methodology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over a mean follow-up of 3.6 ± 2.7 years (maximum 11.3 years), 10 (7.6%) patients developed new-onset AF. Of those who developed AF, both resting and provoked left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) gradients had improved significantly (difference -79.78 mm Hg, P ≤ 0.005). Severity of mitral regurgitation improved in 7 (70%) patients. Survival free of AF was estimated to be 99.1%, 93.7%, and 91.7% at 1, 3, and 5 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite relieving LVOT obstruction and improving mitral regurgitation severity via ASA, new-onset AF remained a common complication of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA.
authors.forename: Travis J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Moss
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO.
authors.forename: Matthew M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Zipse
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO.|Cardiovascular Division, Denver Health Medical Center, Denver, CO.
authors.forename: Mori J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Krantz
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO.
authors.forename: William H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Sauer
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO.
authors.forename: Ernesto E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Salcedo
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO.|Cardiovascular Division, Denver Health Medical Center, Denver, CO.
authors.forename: Joseph L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Schuller
mesh_terms: D055011:Ablation Techniques; D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006346:Heart Septum / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol
keywords: alcohol septal ablation; atrial fibrillation; hypertrophic cardiomyopathy