Resumo

CENTURION, OA et al. Abnormal atrial endocardial electrograms in aging patients with idiopathic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Mem. Inst. Investig. Cienc. Salud [online]. 2014, vol.12, n.2, pp.16-24. ISSN 1812-9528.

There is a predisposition to develop paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) in aging patients, and the atrial muscle changes due to the aging process could be a contributing factor to the development of this tachyarrhythmia. Thus, we designed this study to investigate the changes observed in the recorded atrial endocardial electrograms by means of an intra-atrial catheter mapping in patients with idiopathic PAF. We performed an endocardial mapping of the right atrium in 72 patients with idiopathic PAF during sinus rhythm to evaluate the influence of advancing age on the atrial endocardial electrograms. The bipolar electrograms were recorded at 12 sites of the right atrium and an abnormal atrial electrogram was defined as having a duration ≥100 ms, and/or eight or more fragmented deflections. We recorded 864 atrial endocardial electrograms that were quantitatively analyzed. The number of abnormal atrial electrograms, as well as the wider duration and the greater number of fragmented deflections of the atrial endocardial electrograms, showed a significant positive correlation with aging in patients with idiopathic PAF. It was observed that aging alters the electrophysiological properties of the atrial muscle increasing the susceptibility to develop episodes of PAF. These electrophysiological changes are more extensive in advancing age. There is a progressive increase in the extension of the electrophysiologically altered atrial muscle in aging patients with idiopathic PAF.

Palavras-chave : advancing age; idiopathic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation; atrial myocardium; atrial endocardial catheter mapping.

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