Atrial fibrillation, Radiofrequency catheter ablation, Recurrence, Gender, female, Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system, RC666-701

Abstract Background The impacts of gender on the outcome of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation have been studied previously with contradictory results. Given the heterogeneities in clinical and pathophysiological characteristics between paroxysmal and persistent AF, gender impacts on post-ablation recurrence might differ depending on the type of AF. Aims This study aimed to investigate the differing impacts of female gender on catheter ablation outcomes between paroxysmal and persistent AF. Methods and results A total of 857 patients (537 (62.7%) males and 320 (37.3%) females) undergoing de novo catheter ablation of AF were included in this retrospective study. Gender differences in ablation outcomes for different types of AF were compared. Of all patients, 476 were diagnosed with paroxysmal AF (PAF) and 381 with persistent AF (PeAF). Compared to male patients, female patients were older (64.0 ± 8.9 vs. 59.5 ± 10.7 years, P