Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40606204›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of cardiology. Heart & vasculature2025

Comparative analysis of cryoballoon versus radiofrequency catheter ablation in atrial fibrillation patients with impaired left ventricular ejection fraction.

J Pongratz, K-H Kuck, A Metzner, U Hink, A Garcia Alberola, R Borchard, G Nölker, M Kuniss, R R Tilz, J W Schrickel and 27 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of cardiology. Heart & vasculature, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT01360008 (FREEZE Cohort Study), which is not on this map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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.

NCT01360008 completednot on this map

FREEZE Cohort Study

TypeobservationalSponsorStiftung Institut fuer HerzinfarktforschungRan2011 to 2017Enrolled4,071ConditionsArrhythmia
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Recent highlights from theInternational journal of cardiology. Heart & vasculature · 2025
    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

37 authors.

J PongratzHeart Center Munich Bogenhausen, Cardiology and Internal Intensive Care Medicine, Munich Municipal Hospital Group, Munich, Germany.
K-H KuckKlinik für Rhythmologie, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany.
A MetznerKlinik für Kardiologie / Elektrophysiologie, Universitäres Herz- und Gefäßzentrum Hamburg GmbH, Hamburg, DE, Germany.
U HinkKlinik für Innere Medizin 1 - Kardiologie, Klinikum Frankfurt Höchst GmbH, Frankfurt am Main, DE, Germany.
A Garcia AlberolaDepartment of Cardiology, University Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca, El-Palmar, Murcia, Spain.
R BorchardContilia Herz- und Gefäßzentrum, Klinik für Kardiologie und Angiologie, Essen, Germany.
G NölkerInternal Medicine II / Cardiology, Christian Hospital Unna-Mitte, Unna, Germany.
M KunissDepartment of Cardiology, Kerckhoff-Klinik, Bad Nauheim, Germany.
R R TilzKlinik für Rhythmologie, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany.
J W SchrickelMedizinische Klinik und Poliklinik II, Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
A ThorntonSunninghill Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa.
D ThomasKlinik für Innere Med. III, Kardiologie, Angiologie u. Pneumologie, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
H A KatusKlinik für Innere Med. III, Kardiologie, Angiologie u. Pneumologie, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
R ZahnKlinikum Ludwigshafen, Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany.
S SpitzerPraxis Klinik Herz und Gefäße, Dresden, Germany.
J J SouzaDepartment of Cardiology, Mission Hospital, Asheville, United States.
J BrachmannMedical School / Regiomed GmbH, Coburg, Germany.
J TebbenjohannsMed. Klinik I, Helios Klinikum Hildesheim GmbH, Hildesheim, Germany.
L-Q WuDept. Of Cardiology, Shanghai Rui Jin Hospital, Shanghai, PR China.
W P ObelDepartment of Cardiology, Milpark Hospital, Parktown West, South Africa.
G GroschupMedizinische Klinik IV, Klinikum Hanau GmbH, Hanau, Germany.
C StellbrinkKlinik für Kardiologie und intern. Intensivmedizin, Klinikum Bielefeld Mitte, Bielefeld, Germany.
K R J ChunMedizinische Klinik III - CCB, Agaplesion Markus Krankenhaus, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
J-H Gerds-LiDeutsches Herzzentrum der Charite, Berlin, Germany.
A StanleyCardiology, Netcare Sunninghill Hospital, Sandton, South Africa.
R R GopalCardiology, Panorama Medi-Clinic, Cape Town, South Africa.
L LickfettGemeinschaftspraxis Kardiologie und Pneumologie, Mönchengladbach, Germany.
A LubinskiDepartment of Cardiology and Internal Diseases, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.
B SchumacherKlinik für Innere Medizin II, Westpfalz-Klinikum GmbH, Kaiserslautern, Germany.
C SteinwenderKardiologie und internistische Intensivmedizin, Kepler Universitätsklinikum, Linz, Austria.
H A FrankeAbteilung Kardiologie, Klinikum Siloah, Hannover, Germany.
T OuarrakStiftung Institut für Herzinfarktforschung, Ludwigshafen, Germany.
U DorwarthHeart Center Munich Bogenhausen, Cardiology and Internal Intensive Care Medicine, Munich Municipal Hospital Group, Munich, Germany.
J SengesStiftung Institut für Herzinfarktforschung, Ludwigshafen, Germany.
E HoffmannHeart Center Munich Bogenhausen, Cardiology and Internal Intensive Care Medicine, Munich Municipal Hospital Group, Munich, Germany.
F StraubeHeart Center Munich Bogenhausen, Cardiology and Internal Intensive Care Medicine, Munich Municipal Hospital Group, Munich, Germany.
FREEZE Cohort Study Investigators

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: In selected patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and impaired left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), catheter ablation has been proposed for rhythm control. It is unclear, if cryoballoon (CBA) or radiofrequency (RFA) ablation is the preferred technique. Methods: The FREEZE Cohort (NCT01360008) sub-analysis included patients with LVEF < 50 % undergoing CBA (Group A) or RFA (Group B) comparing baseline characteristics, procedural data and outcome. Results: From 2011 to 2016; 4,189 patients were enrolled, with 256 (6.1 %) qualifying for the sub-analysis and divided into two groups: 118 (Group A) and 138 (Group B). Mean age was 63.4 ± 9.9 years (p = 0.07), with 60.9 % suffering from persistent AF (p = 0.46). Mean LVEF was 42.0 % (p = 0.81). CHA Conclusion: CBA procedures were associated with lower rates of complications, fewer rehospitalizations, and shorter procedural times, whereas RFA procedures resulted in lower radiation exposure. Overall, AF ablation in patients with impaired LVEF is an effective initial ablation strategy with either RFA or CBA.

Indexed as

Atrial fibrillationCatheter ablationCryoballoon ablationImpaired ejection fraction, recurrence, safetyRadiofrequency ablation

Identifiers

PMID40606204
PMCPMC12221379

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Registered trials

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.