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Patients treated with catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation have long-term rates of death, stroke, and dementia similar to patients without atrial fibrillation
Bunch TJ, Crandall BG, Weiss JP, May HT, Bair TL, Osborn JS, Anderson JL, Muhlestein JB et al.. Journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology, 2011-03-15
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Plain-language summary
Introduction Atrial fibrillation (AF) adversely impacts mortality, stroke, heart failure, and dementia. AF ablation eliminates AF in most patients. We evaluated the long-term impact of AF ablation on mortality, heart failure (HF), stroke, and dementia in a large system-wide patient population. Methods A total of 4,212 consecutive patients who underwent AF ablation were compared (1:4) to 16,848 age/gender matched controls with AF (no ablation) and 16,848 age/gender matched controls without AF. Patients were enrolled from the large ongoing prospective Intermountain AF study and were followed for at least 3 years. Results Of the 37,908 patients, mean age 65.0 ± 13 years, 5,667 (14.9%) died, 1,296 (3.4%) had a stroke, and 1,096 (2.9%) were hospitalized for HF over >3 years of follow-up. AF ablation patients were less likely to have diabetes, but were more likely to have hypertension, HF, and significant valvular heart disease. AF ablation patients had a lower risk of death and stroke in comparison to AF patients without ablation. Alzheimer's dementia occurred in 0.2% of the AF ablation patients compared to 0.9% of the AF no ablation patients and 0.5% of the no AF patients (P Conclusions AF ablation patients have a significantly lower risk of death, stroke, and dementia in comparison to AF patients without ablation. AF ablation may eliminate the increased risk of death and stroke associated with AF.
What this study adds
Evidence grade: Low
The record lists 37,908 participants. In this comparison, patients who had atrial fibrillation ablation had a lower rate of Alzheimer's dementia than AF patients without ablation and a rate similar to people without AF. Reported effect size: 14.9%; 3.4%; 2.9%.
Taken from this record’s own fields, not from reading the paper. The grade is assigned from the abstract’s wording; what that means.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Bunch, T. J., Crandall, B. G., Weiss, J. P., May, H. T., Bair, T. L., Osborn, J. S., et al. (2011). Patients treated with catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation have long-term rates of death, stroke, and dementia similar to patients without atrial fibrillation. Journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-8167.2011.02035.x
Vancouver
Bunch TJ, Crandall BG, Weiss JP, May HT, Bair TL, Osborn JS, et al. Patients treated with catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation have long-term rates of death, stroke, and dementia similar to patients without atrial fibrillation. Journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology. 2011. doi:10.1111/j.1540-8167.2011.02035.x. PMID: 21410581.
BibTeX
@article{bunch2011-21410581,
author = {Bunch, T. J. and Crandall, B. G. and Weiss, J. P. and May, H. T. and Bair, T. L. and Osborn, J. S. and Anderson, J. L. and Muhlestein, J. B. and others},
title = {{Patients treated with catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation have long-term rates of death, stroke, and dementia similar to patients without atrial fibrillation}},
journal = {Journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology},
year = {2011},
doi = {10.1111/j.1540-8167.2011.02035.x},
pmid = {21410581},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-8167.2011.02035.x}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Results Of the 37,908 patients, mean age 65.0 ± 13 years, 5,667 (14.9%) died, 1,296 (3.4%) had a stroke, and 1,096 (2.9%) were hospitalized for HF over >3 years of follow-up.
- AF ablation patients were less likely to have diabetes, but were more likely to have hypertension, HF, and significant valvular heart disease.
- AF ablation patients had a lower risk of death and stroke in comparison to AF patients without ablation.
- Alzheimer's dementia occurred in 0.2% of the AF ablation patients compared to 0.9% of the AF no ablation patients and 0.5% of the no AF patients (P Conclusions AF ablation patients have a significantly lower risk of death, stroke, and dementia in comparison to AF patients without ablation.
- AF ablation may eliminate the increased risk of death and stroke associated with AF.
Why it matters
In this comparison, patients who had atrial fibrillation ablation had a lower rate of Alzheimer's dementia than AF patients without ablation and a rate similar to people without AF. This is an observational comparison, so it cannot prove that ablation prevents dementia.
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Study details
- Participants37,908
- Effect size14.9%; 3.4%; 2.9%
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 53/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology: journal h-index 177 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2011 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 4 / 4 | 37,908 participants |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 398 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 23.4 citations a year over 17 year(s) since 2011 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 18.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 2 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 43 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author John Day: h-index 62 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Intermountain Healthcare: institution h-index 363 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 21410581) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 53 / 100 | — |
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