Predictors and outcomes of tricuspid regurgitation improvement after radiofrequency catheter ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation

Introduction: Little has been reported on the predictors and outcomes of improvement of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) after radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) for persistent atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods: We enrolled 141 patients with persistent AF and moderate or severe TR assessed by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) who underwent an initial RFCA between February 2015 and August 2021. These patients underwent follow-up TTE at 12 months after the RFCA, and were categorized into two groups based on the improvement (defined as at least one-grade improvement of TR) and non-improvement of TR: IM group and Non-IM group, respectively. We compared the patient characteristics, ablation procedures, and recurrences after the RFCA between the two groups. In addition, we examined the major event (defined as admission for heart failure or all-cause death) more than 12 months after the RFCA.

Results: IM group consisted of 90 patients (64%). A multivariate analysis revealed that age <71 years old and absence of late recurrence (LR, defined as recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmia between 3 and 12 months after the RFCA) were independently associated with the improvement of TR after the RFCA. Furthermore, IM group had the higher incidence of major event-free survival than Non-IM group.

Conclusions: Relatively young age and absence of LR were good predictors of improvement of TR after the RFCA for persistent AF. In addition, the improvement of TR was related to better clinical outcomes.