ArticleClinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society2019
Digitalis therapy is associated with higher comorbidities and poorer prognosis in patients undergoing ablation of atrial arrhythmias: data from the German Ablation Registry.
Article in Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.
- Digitalis Therapy Is Associated With an Increased Risk of ICD Shock Delivery and Device Revision.Annals of noninvasive electrocardiology : the official journal of the International Society for Holter and Noninvasive Electrocardiology, Inc · 2025Article
- Mortality and rehospitalization in patients with pre-existing implantable pacemakers undergoing catheter ablation are related to increased comorbidity burden-data from the German Ablation Registry.Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society · 2025Article
- The new European Society of Cardiology guideline for the management of cardiomyopathies: key messages for cardiac electrophysiologists.Herzschrittmachertherapie & Elektrophysiologie · 2023Review
- Pulmonary vein isolation treats symptomatic AF in a patient with Lamin A/C mutation: case report and review of the literature.Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society · 2020Review
- Symptomatic arrhythmias after catheter ablation of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT): results from the German Ablation Registry.Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society · 2020Article
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12 authors at 9 institutions in 1 country.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDigitalis glycosides are employed for rate control of atrial fibrillation. Recent studies suggested potential harmful effects of digitalis monotherapy and combination with antiarrhythmic drugs. The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence and potential impact of digitalis therapy on outcome in patients undergoing catheter ablation of supraventricular arrhythmias. METHODS AND
resultsThe German Ablation Registry is a nationwide, prospective registry with a 1-year follow-up investigating 12,566 patients receiving catheter ablations of supraventricular arrhythmias in 52 German centres. The present analysis focussed on pharmacotherapy in 8608 patients undergoing catheter ablation of atrial tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, or atrial flutter. Patients receiving digitalis therapy (n = 417) were older and presented a significantly increased prevalence of comorbidities including coronary artery disease, heart failure, diabetes, and pulmonary disease. One-year mortality was significantly higher in digitalis-treated patients (4.7% vs. 1.3%, p < 0.001), most strikingly in patients undergoing ablation of atrial flutter. This effect was maintained after adjustment for important risk factors. Similar results were obtained for as the combined endpoint of death, myocardial infarction, stroke and major bleeding (6.6% vs. 2.7%, p < 0.001), and non-fatal rehospitalisations (54.1% vs. 45.1%, p = 0.001).
conclusionIn the present study of patients undergoing catheter ablation of supraventricular arrhythmias, an association of digitalis therapy with increased mortality and an increased rate of other severe adverse events were observed. The results from this 'real-life' registry are consistent with previously published studies. However, whether digitalis therapy promotes a poorer prognosis or may just serve as a marker for this aspect cannot be thoroughly interpreted.
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