Catheter ablation in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: Sex, BMI, and real-world procedural patterns
Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation represents an early and potentially modifiable stage of atrial fibrillation due to its self-terminating nature. Age, body mass index, and sex influence procedural planning and outcomes of catheter ablation. As electrophysiology globally transitions toward low- and zero-fluoroscopy approaches, understanding procedural variability across demographic groups and populations is essential for guiding the adoption of these techniques. This retrospective study evaluated regional and sex-specific differences in demographic characteristics and ablation strategies among 84 patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation treated at centers in Georgia (n = 43) and Kazakhstan (n = 41). Female patients were significantly older than male patients (Cohen’s d = 0.55, p = 0.014), with the largest age difference observed in the Kazakh cohort (Cohen’s d = 0.70, p = 0.031). Across the combined Kazakh and Georgian cohort, no significant sex-related heterogeneity was identified (all p > 0.05). Cryoballoon ablation accounted for the majority of procedures (58.3%). In Kazakhstan, cryoablation was more frequently performed in males, whereas in Georgia, a modest preference for radiofrequency ablation among females was observed. Furthermore, fluoroscopy-related metrics highlighted real-world heterogeneity in electrophysiology practice and provided insight into how patient-level factors may influence procedural planning and the implementation of contemporary low- and zero-fluoroscopy ablation techniques.
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