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Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation in Women

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Abstract

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in elderly persons. Women have a slightly lower prevalence of AF compared to men. However, if women do have AF, they have a significant higher stroke risk and a higher mortality. Thromboembolic events can be effectively reduced with oral anticoagulation without more complications compared to men. Women seem to tolerate antiarrhythmic medication for rhythm control worse than men leading to more adverse side effects and more hospitalizations. AF also leads to a significant reduced quality of life, which is worse in women than in men. Despite the fact that women have nearly the same prevalence of AF as men, only 21 % of patients undergoing AF ablation are women, and when they present for AF ablation, they are older and have more cardiovascular comorbidities and more nonparoxysmal AF leading to a reduced AF-free survival. However, complication rate after AF ablation does not seem to be increased in women. In conclusion women should be referred for AF ablation more often and at an earlier stage to increase ablation success and to reduce time on antiarrhythmic medication.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik I, LMU Klinikum der Universität München, Munich, Germany

    Stephanie Fichtner

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  1. Stephanie Fichtner
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Correspondence to Stephanie Fichtner .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Interventional Cardiology, Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano , Milano, Italy

    Patrizia Presbitero

  2. Interventional Cardiology, Klinik der Universität München Interventional Cardiology, München, Bayern, Germany

    Julinda Mehilli

  3. Hemodynamic Laboratory, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana, Pisa, Italy

    Anna Sonia Petronio

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Fichtner, S. (2017). Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation in Women. In: Presbitero, P., Mehilli, J., Petronio, A. (eds) Percutaneous Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases in Women. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39611-8_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39611-8_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-39609-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-39611-8

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