Responders and nonresponders after catheter ablation procedure and antiarrhythmic drug therapy in patients with paroxysmal af: data from implantable cardiac monitors

Aim. The aim of this study was to assess the number of responders and nonresponders after catheter ablation procedure and antiarrhythmic drug therapy (AAD) in patients with paroxysmal AF through implantable cardiac monitors (ICM). Methods. 92 patients with paroxysmal AF were randomized into two groups: 1) AAD + ICM implantation (group I; n=46), and 2) AF catheter ablation (CA) + ICM implantation (group II; n=46), and 2). Patients with an AF% 0.5% were classified as nonresponders. The follow up of this study was 24 months. Results. At the end of the follow-up period 13 (28.3%) patients in AAD group and 29 (63 %) patients in CA group were responders (log-rank test; р=0.0009; HR 2,6; 95% CI [1.44-4.69], р=0.001, Cox regression). According to multivariate logistic regression analysis data, AF burden>4.5% during the first two months after treatment (odds ratio [OR]=38,9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 6.2-245; P