Conclusions
In younger atrial fibrillation patients, there is a lower major
complication rate and a comparable efficacy rate, with a greater chance
of being AF free without antiarrhythmic drugs. These findings suggest
that it may be appropriate to consider ablative therapy as first-line
therapy in this age group.
Key words :atrial fibrillation; catheter ablation;
complications;young patients
AF is associated with increased mortality and morbidity, with stroke and
thromboembolic events being major
complications[1]. Antiarrhythmic drug therapy is
ineffective and toxic[2]. Catheter ablation is now
considered as a first line treatment in patients with AF and is
routinely performed in patients with drug refractory
AF[3].
The prevalence and incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) rise with age,
while the number of people aged 65 years and older has exceeded
20%[4]. AF can also be seen in young people with
or without structural heart disease[5]. In
addition, the pathogenesis of AF may differ between young and old AF
patients[6]. Optimizing the effectiveness and
safety of catheter ablation requires patient stratification and
individualized therapy[7]. However, there is a
scarcity of data from a large cohort study of younger AF patients on the
effectiveness and safety of catheter ablation. As a result, we conducted
a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the clinical outcomes
of AF catheter ablation in younger AF patients.