Stroke and Cardiovascular Events after Ablation or Anti-Arrhythmic Drugs for Treatment of Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

Catheter ablation and anti-arrhythmic drugs (AADs) are the most common rhythm-control strategies for atrial fibrillation (AF). Data comparing the rate of stroke and cardiovascular events between the treatment strategies are limited. Therefore, this observational study uses claims data to compare rate of cardiovascular hospitalization and stroke for patients with AF treated with ablation or AADs. Patients in the MarketScan dataset with AF between January 2010 and December 2014 were categorized in the ablation group if an atrial catheter ablation was performed, or in the AAD group if a relevant AAD was prescribed for AF but no ablation was performed.
Source: The American Journal of Cardiology - Category: Cardiology Authors: Source Type: research