NEW ORLEANS — The recurrence rate of persistent atrial fibrillation following cardioversion is significantly higher in women than men, Osnat Gurevitz, M.D., reported at the annual meeting of the Heart Rhythm Society.
The mechanism underlying this gender difference is unclear. It is well established, however, that repolarization time is longer in women than men. And repolarization is an important determinant of arrhythmogenesis, noted Dr. Gurevitz of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
She reported on 773 consecutive patients who underwent cardioversion for persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). Of the 486 men, 56% remained arrhythmia free at 1 year and 33% at 2 years, compared with 50% and 24%, respectively, of women. In a univariate analysis, men were 20% less likely to experience AF recurrence after controlling for potential confounding variables.
Women had a significantly greater AF recurrence rate despite their lower prevalence of significant coronary artery disease—22%, compared with 34% in men. On the other hand, 72% of the women carried the diagnosis of hypertension, compared with only 56% of men.