Baroreflex Sensitivity in Patients Undergoing Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia. The posterior surface of the left atrium is covered by an extensive network belonging to the autonomic nervous system that can be damaged during the ablation. The involvement of the autonomous nervous system in the genesis and maintenance of atrial fibrillation remains poorly understood. Baroreflex sensitivity is a non-invasive method assessing autonomous nervous system activity. The rate of atrial fibrillation recurrence after ablation is currently high and a better understanding of the mechanisms associated with recurrence is essential to improve selection of the patients who will benefit the most from this procedure. The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between the baroreflex sensitivity and atrial fibrillation recurrences and to analyze the prognostic contribution of the baroreflex measurement compared to other published criteria.