Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42579004›Full record

ArticleClinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society2026

Impact of early catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction-real-world evidence.

Maximilian Moersdorf, Michel Abou-Khalil, Carlo El Khoury, Qussay Marashly, Alex El Darzi, Christian Massad, Yara Menassa, Han Feng, Mohammad Montaser Atasi, Rodolfo Montiel and 4 more

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Maximilian MoersdorfTulane Research Innovation for Arrhythmia Discovery, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-0148-0080
Michel Abou-KhalilTulane Research Innovation for Arrhythmia Discovery, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Carlo El KhouryTulane Research Innovation for Arrhythmia Discovery, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Qussay MarashlyTulane Research Innovation for Arrhythmia Discovery, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Alex El DarziTulane Research Innovation for Arrhythmia Discovery, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Christian MassadTulane Research Innovation for Arrhythmia Discovery, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Yara MenassaTulane Research Innovation for Arrhythmia Discovery, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Han FengTulane Research Innovation for Arrhythmia Discovery, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Mohammad Montaser AtasiTulane Research Innovation for Arrhythmia Discovery, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Rodolfo MontielTulane Research Innovation for Arrhythmia Discovery, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Philipp SommerDepartment of Electrophysiology, Heart and Diabetes Center NRW, Ruhr University Bochum, Med. Fakulty OWL (University Bielefeld), Bad Oeynhausen, Germany.
Amitabh C PandeyTulane Research Innovation for Arrhythmia Discovery, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Christian SohnsDepartment of Electrophysiology, Heart and Diabetes Center NRW, Ruhr University Bochum, Med. Fakulty OWL (University Bielefeld), Bad Oeynhausen, Germany.
Nassir MarroucheTulane Research Innovation for Arrhythmia Discovery, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA. nmarrouche@tulane.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionCatheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) has been shown to reduce mortality and heart failure (HF) progression in patients with AF and HF with reduced ejection fraction; however, outcomes in HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), especially the optimal timing of ablation, remain uncertain.

objectivesTo evaluate long-term outcomes of catheter ablation in patients with AF and HFpEF based on the temporal correlation between the AF diagnosis and the ablation procedure utilizing real-world data.

methodsIn this observational cohort study using the U.S. Collaborative Network in TriNetX, adults with AF and HFpEF between October 2018 and October 2024 were identified. After 1:1 propensity score matching, 5550 patients were included. The primary endpoint was a composite of cardioversion, new antiarrhythmic drug (AAD) therapy, or repeat AF ablation after a 3-month blanking period. Secondary endpoints included hospitalization, mortality, HF exacerbation, and AAD use up to 4 years of follow-up. Outcomes were compared between patients undergoing ablation within 1 year of AF diagnosis and those having ablation after 1 year.

resultsOver a mean follow-up of 742 ± 489 days, early AF ablation was associated with lower risks of the primary endpoint (hazard ratio (HR) 0.81, 95% CI 0.76-0.87, p < 0.001), reduced hospitalization (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.70-0.87, p < 0.001), and lower AAD Class I or III use (HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.77-0.88, p < 0.001). No significant differences were observed in HF exacerbations (HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.89-1.00, p = 0.950) or mortality (HR 1.18, 95% CI 0.91-1.53, p = 0.211).

conclusionEarly catheter ablation was associated with a decreased all-cause hospitalization and AF recurrence in HFpEF patients but did not reduce HF exacerbations or mortality.

Indexed as

All-cause hospitalizationAtrial fibrillationCatheter ablationHeart failureHFpEF

Identifiers

PMID42579004

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.