Blood pressure medication combo linked to fewer irregular heart rhythms after ablation
Among older adults with high blood pressure and atrial fibrillation, treatment with a combination of two blood pressure medications was associated with fewer recurring irregular heart rhythms after an ablation procedure compared with only one of the medications alone, according to new, independent, preliminary, late-breaking science presented Sunday at the American Heart Association's Scientific…
A new study suggests that older adults with high blood pressure and atrial fibrillation (AFib) who received a combination of two blood pressure medications following a catheter ablation procedure experienced fewer recurring irregular heart rhythms compared to those who took only one medication. The findings, presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions in Chicago, highlight the importance of managing hypertension as part of comprehensive AFib care.
Atrial fibrillation, or AFib, is an irregular heart rhythm that can cause various symptoms, including a fast, fluttering or pounding heartbeat, shortness of breath, tiredness, and chest pain. Ablation is a procedure that uses heat or cold to treat small areas of heart tissue causing the abnormal electrical signals responsible for AFib. However, it may not reverse underlying structural changes in the heart that could lead to AFib recurrence over time.
High blood pressure can exacerbate these changes, making the heart work harder and potentially contributing to AFib. The study involved 320 participants with both AFib and hypertension who underwent catheter ablation at three hospitals in China between 2023 and 2025. Half of the participants received sacubitril/valsartan, a combination of blood pressure medications, while the other half received valsartan alone, an active blood pressure medication used as a comparison to valsartan.
The researchers monitored the participants for 12 months, tracking AFib recurrence using handheld ECG devices and standard ECG and Holter monitoring at scheduled visits. The study found that 18% of participants in the sacubitril/valsartan group experienced AFib recurrence, while 28.3% of those in the valsartan group did, despite similar blood pressure reductions between the two groups.
This suggests that the type of blood pressure medication used after ablation may be as crucial as the amount of blood pressure reduction achieved.
However, the study has limitations, including being an open-label trial where patients and physicians knew which group they belonged to, intermittent heart rhythm monitoring, and a focus on older adults with hypertension undergoing AFib ablation in China. Despite these limitations, the findings emphasize the importance of continued blood pressure management after AFib ablation to prevent recurrence and improve long-term outcomes.
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