Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39948280›Full record

ReviewJournal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing2025

Vagal AF induction test (VAFIT): a new endpoint for optimizing atrial fibrillation ablation through cardioneuroablation.

Jose Carlos Pachon-M, Enrique I Pachon-M, Tomas G Santillana-P, Tasso J Lobo, Carlos Thiene C Pachon, Juan Carlos Pachon-M, Maria Zelia C Pachon, John Clark

Abstract readReview
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In one paragraph

Review in Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Enhanced mapping and targeting of ganglionated plexi using peak frequency analysis in cardioneuroablation: a study in autonomic cardiac disorders.Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing · 2026
    Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Jose Carlos Pachon-MSao Paulo University (USP), Juquis St, 204/41-A, Indianopolis, Sao Paulo, 04081010, Brazil. pachon@usp.br.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5111-488X
Enrique I Pachon-MSao Paulo University (USP), Juquis St, 204/41-A, Indianopolis, Sao Paulo, 04081010, Brazil.
Tomas G Santillana-PSao Paulo Heart Hospital (HCor), Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Tasso J LoboSao Paulo Heart Hospital (HCor), Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Carlos Thiene C PachonSao Paulo Heart Hospital (HCor), Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Juan Carlos Pachon-MSao Paulo University (USP), Juquis St, 204/41-A, Indianopolis, Sao Paulo, 04081010, Brazil.
Maria Zelia C PachonSao Paulo Heart Hospital (HCor), Sao Paulo, Brazil.
John ClarkAkron Children's Hospital (ACH), Akron, OH, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionCurrently, there is no reliable endpoint for the conclusion of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. Atrial burst pacing and/or isoproterenol challenge are poor diagnostic tools. A newly proposed vagal AF induction test (VAFIT) uses effective atrial refractory period measurement, simultaneously with extra-cardiac vagal stimulation (ECVS) to study AF inducibility pre- and post-ablation. This is a prospective study in patients submitted to radiofrequency catheter pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) plus cardioneuroablation (CNA) evaluating the VAFIT result before and at the end of the procedure with AF recurrence.

methodsProspective study of 142 patients, 57.5 (48.9-70.2) years old, 71% males, with symptomatic AF (79.6% paroxysmal/20.4% persistent), left atrium diameter of 38.0 (35.0-41.2) mm, and left ventricular ejection fraction of 63.0 (62.0-68.2). VAFIT was considered positive or negative depending on whether AF induction occurred. It was performed at baseline and after PVI + CNA, with a single atrial extra stimulus during ECVS (5 s/50 Hz/1 V/kg up to 70 V/pulse width = 50 µs). Patients were followed for a median of 15.0 (7.0-20.0) months. The association of VAFIT-positive status at the end of the procedure with AF recurrence was investigated by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis.

resultsPre-ablation VAFIT was positive in all cases and became negative in 62.9% of patients. AF recurrence: 18.7% in VAFIT-positive and 5.6% in VAFIT-negative patients (p = 0.012). VAFIT-positivity was associated with AF recurrence (HR 4.56 (1.37-15.23, p = 0.014).

conclusionA VAFIT-positive status following PVI + CNA was strongly and independently associated with AF recurrence. VAFIT negative status reduced 4.5 times the post-ablation AF recurrence. It remains to be investigated in randomized studies whether achieving VAFIT-negativity at the end of the procedure, as demonstrated in this study, would lead to better clinical outcomes.

Indexed as

Atrial FibrillationCatheter AblationPulmonary VeinsVagus Nerve StimulationAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesRecurrenceReproducibility of ResultsSensitivity and SpecificityTreatment OutcomeAblationAtrial FibrillationAutonomic nervous systemCardioneuroablationDenervationPulmonary vein isolationRefractory dispersionSyncope

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.