Outcomes of Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion Device Implantation in Patients with Rheumatic Atrial Fibrillation

Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) disease have a 17-fold increased risk of stroke, and in comparison, those with AF without RHD have a 5-fold increased risk of stroke (1). However, the contemporary trials of pharmaceutical and device therapies have systematically excluded patients with AF and RHD. While Vitamin K antagonist remains the favored approach to mitigate stroke risk in patients with RHD and AF, the optimal strategy for preventing stroke in patients with RHD-associated AF who cannot tolerate oral anticoagulation therapy remains unknown (1).

Source: Heart Rhythm - May 12, 2023 Category: Cardiology Authors: Siddharth Agarwal, Muhammad Bilal Munir, Agam Bansal, Christopher V. DeSimone, Abhishek Deshmukh, Mohamad Alkhouli, Zain Ul Abideen Asad Source Type: research