Tachycardia-related cardiomyopathy: A common cause of ventricular dysfunction in patients with atrial fibrillation referred for atrioventricular ablation

Objective: To determine the frequency of tachycardia-related cardiomyopathy in patients with atrial fibrillation and systolic dysfunction referred for atrioventricular node ablation. Patients and Methods: This prospective multicenter cohort study was conduct ed at 16 tertiary care centers. The ejection fraction was measured before a nd 3 and 12 months after atrioventricular node ablation, Patients with redu ced systolic function (ejection fraction less than or equal to 45%) before atrioventricular ablation were included in this study. Patients whose eject ion fraction increased by at least 15 percentage points and to higher than 45% were considered to have tachycardia-related cardiomyopathy, Results: Of 63 patients with systolic dysfunction, 48 had at least 1 adequa te follow-up echocardiographic study. Sixteen (25%) of the 63 had marked im provement in the ejection fraction (mean +/- SD change, 27+/-8 percentage p oints) to a value higher than 45% after ablation, Conclusions: Tachycardia-related cardiomyopathy is common in patients with atrial fibrillation and systolic dysfunction referred for atrioventricular node ablation, This diagnosis should be considered in all patients in whom systolic dysfunction occurs subsequent to or concomitant with onset of atri al fibrillation.