Arrhythmias & electrophysiologyCohort study
Right atrial endomysial fibrosis is associated with increased postoperative atrial fibrillation burden during 2.5 years of continuous rhythm monitoring after cardiac surgery including atrial arrhythmia surgery: RACE V Tissue Bank Study
- Prospective cohort study
- consecutive patients
- 2.5-year continuous rhythm monitoring (implantable loop recorder)
Authors' conclusion
Increased RAA endomysial fibrosis appears to be associated with increased late-POAF persistence, reflected by increased burden, but not with incidental late-POAF recurrences.
Study context
- Population
- Patients undergoing cardiac surgery including atrial arrhythmia surgery, with and without AF history
- Participants
- 133 patients
- Exposure
- Atrial histological characteristics vs POAF incidence and burden
- Without AF historyn = 90
- With AF historyn = 43
- Outcome
- Association of atrial histological characteristics with POAF incidence (any AF episode) and burden (% time in AF)
- Follow-up
- 2.5 years of continuous rhythm monitoring
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Late-POAF incidence and POAF burden · 2.5 years
Late-POAF occurred
53 patients (40.8%)
Right atrial appendages (RAA) endomysial fibrosis and overall POAF burden
St. Beta 0.32 (0.06-0.58), P = 0.017 (95% CI)
RAA endomysial fibrosis and late-POAF burden
St. Beta 0.43 (0.13-0.72), P = 0.006 (95% CI)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Right atrial endomysial fibrosis is associated with increased postoperative atrial fibrillation burden during 2.5 years of continuous rhythm monitoring after cardiac surgery including atrial arrhythmia surgery: RACE V Tissue Bank Study. Europace. Published 12 September 2025. doi:10.1093/europace/euaf207
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it