Background: Catheter ablation is a widely accepted treatment for drug refractory atrial fibrillation (AF). The purpose of our study was to examine secular trends in the demographic profile of patients undergoing AF ablation.
Methods and results: Data for 792 patients who underwent catheter ablation for AF at Johns Hopkins Hospital between years 2001 and 2009 were systematically reviewed. There has been a steady increase in total number of procedures and repeat procedures. The majority of patients undergoing AF ablation at our institution are men (76.6%). Females accounted for 36.0% of patients in 2001 versus 19.6% in 2009. A total of 93.3% of patients undergoing AF ablation were Caucasian. The mean age of patients has increased over time (52 years in 2001 to 60 years in 2009, P = 0.015) and the number of antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) used prior to first ablation has decreased (2.3 to 1.2, P = 0.009). In addition, the mean duration of AF prior to first referral has decreased (7.8 years in 2001 vs 4.2 years in 2009).
Conclusion: There is a significant gender and racial disparity in patients undergoing AF ablation favoring Caucasian men that warrants further investigation. We also observed a significant increase in age of patients, decrease in number of AADs, and increase in number of repeat procedures. These results are important when interpreting outcomes of AF ablation and designing future trials.
© 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.