Arrhythmias & electrophysiologyCohort study
Effectiveness of Rhythm Control of Atrial Fibrillation in Moderate-to-Severe or Severe Secondary Tricuspid Regurgitation
- Retrospective cohort study
Authors' conclusion
Successful rhythm control of AF is associated with improved severity of STR in patients with moderate-severe or severe STR
Study context
- Population
- Patients with moderate-severe/severe secondary tricuspid regurgitation, atrial fibrillation (AF) and follow-up echocardiogramsrhythm control attempted in 367
- Participants
- 1,896 patients
- Exposure
- Successful rhythm control of AF vs AF recurrence
- Recurrence of AFn = 210reference
- Outcome
- Decrease of secondary tricuspid regurgitation (STR) severity to ≤ mild
- Follow-up
- Median 1.7 years
Main finding
TR decreased to ≤ mild
Hazard ratio
3.65
95% CI 2.24–5.95
P < 0.01
Successful rhythm control vs Recurrence of AF
HR 3.65 (95% CI 2.24–5.95); P < 0.01
As reported in the abstract
- Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) decreased to ≤ mild (all patients)
- 550 patients
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
- Recurrence of AF (rhythm control attempted)
- 57% · 210 of 210
Recurrence of AF (rhythm control attempted)
- Associated with older age, chronic, persistent AF, and lack of antiarrhythmic medication use
Decreased TR to ≤ mild, by subgroup
- Association remained across subgroups by TR etiology, age, sex, obesity, AF burden and chronicity, LV systolic or diastolic function, significant mitral regurgitation, pulmonary hypertension and RV remodeling
Original publication
Effectiveness of Rhythm Control of Atrial Fibrillation in Moderate-to-Severe or Severe Secondary Tricuspid Regurgitation. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. Published 21 April 2026. doi:10.1016/j.jcmg.2026.03.006
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it