<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW155731853 BCX0"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW155731853 BCX0" lang="EN-US" paraid="1946916337" paraeid="{04c62f7d-dfe4-4b0c-8390-1fac40bcb64f}{67}"><span data-contrast="auto" xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US" class="TextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">Cardiologists in Australia say c</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">atheter ablation (CA) helps control heart rhythm in both men and women who have atrial fibrillation (AF) and left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD)</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">.</span></span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW155731853 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW155731853 BCX0"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW155731853 BCX0" lang="EN-US" paraid="1407238192" paraeid="{af37ba0a-23ee-4842-ab5f-3997e5ee7131}{10}"><span data-contrast="auto" xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US" class="TextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0"><span class="NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW155731853 BCX0">A new research letter,</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0"><span> </span>published online Wednesday in<span> </span></span></span><em><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">JAMA Cardiology</span></em><span data-contrast="auto" xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US" class="TextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">,<span> </span></span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">investigators highlight</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">ed the underrepresentation of women in<span> </span></span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">clinical trials for AF management. Some studies suggest both women and men<span> </span></span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">benefit</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0"><span> </span>from CA for AF, but data are lacking.</span></span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW155731853 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW155731853 BCX0"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW155731853 BCX0" lang="EN-US" paraid="1930563350" paraeid="{58cafda4-a215-43bc-bfee-2313c6ba117a}{83}"><span data-contrast="auto" xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US" class="TextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">Jeremy William, MBBS, of the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0"><span> </span>and</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0"><span> </span>first author of the research letter, led a cohort study to compare outcomes between men and women<span> </span></span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">with AF after catheter ablation.</span></span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW155731853 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW155731853 BCX0"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW155731853 BCX0" lang="EN-US" paraid="1533550468" paraeid="{32d92b84-13a4-4a20-9ac5-2119f914b129}{132}"><span data-contrast="auto" xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US" class="TextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">Patient data were collected from the following studies: CAPLA, CAMERA-</span><span class="NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW155731853 BCX0">MRI</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0"><span> </span>and CAMERA-MRI II. All trials took place between 2013 and 2024. Patients who had AF plus LVSD (defined as left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF]<span> </span></span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0"><50%) and underwent CA were included in this present analysis.</span></span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW155731853 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW155731853 BCX0"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW155731853 BCX0" lang="EN-US" paraid="922435482" paraeid="{474ab88b-3698-40e3-bb21-dc6cc72200fd}{1}"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">The difference in LVEF at 1-year post-CA was the primary outcome in this study.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW155731853 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW155731853 BCX0"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW155731853 BCX0" lang="EN-US" paraid="250888749" paraeid="{dbf48ae3-13c6-46b0-a06a-c7e079b1421d}{192}"><span data-contrast="auto" xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US" class="TextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">Baseline clinical presentation was similar across all 236 patients included<span> </span></span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">in the final analysis</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0"><span> </span>(median age=63 years, 20% women</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">;<span> </span></span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">median baseline LVEF was 35%</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">; 98% persistent AF).</span></span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW155731853 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW155731853 BCX0"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW155731853 BCX0" lang="EN-US" paraid="1207293496" paraeid="{c4512d4a-dde3-409c-a3e2-39a54393f763}{113}"><span data-contrast="auto" xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US" class="TextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">At 1-year follow-up, both sexes had similar LVEF changes (women=20%, men=19%; p=0.85). LVEF normalization rates were also similar between the<span> </span></span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">two sexes (p=0.84).</span></span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW155731853 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW155731853 BCX0"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW155731853 BCX0" lang="EN-US" paraid="1825342598" paraeid="{f7a7feea-2903-40ba-a70d-86d63e5459e2}{132}"><span data-contrast="auto" xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US" class="TextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">Secondary outcome results were not significantly different between men and women, either: 47% of women<span> </span></span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">and</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0"><span> </span>43% of men had recurring AF (p=0.66)</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0"><span> </span>and</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0"><span> </span>AF burden was lowered at follow-up<span> </span></span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">(p=0.20).</span></span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW155731853 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW155731853 BCX0"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW155731853 BCX0" lang="EN-US" paraid="1979043517" paraeid="{a64e25e1-3bd8-46f0-a3bc-96adc7250482}{98}"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">Heart failure hospitalization, usage of health care facilities and quality-of-life improvements were similar between the two groups at 1-year.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW155731853 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW155731853 BCX0"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW155731853 BCX0" lang="EN-US" paraid="964748911" paraeid="{37854baf-15f2-46c9-8f05-f43df2c91aeb}{208}"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">“These findings are clinically important given the underrepresentation of women in AF clinical studies.2 Biological differences, together with social, psychological and health care-system factors likely explain the persistent underrepresentation of women undergoing AF ablation,” Dr. William and colleagues concluded.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW155731853 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW155731853 BCX0"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW155731853 BCX0" lang="EN-US" paraid="971087749" paraeid="{bf6b0af4-6771-4db8-9dfb-cff6313c1cf7}{6}"><span data-contrast="auto" xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US" class="TextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">The investigators also noted that, though women only made up 20% of the cohort in this trial, no sex differences were<span> </span></span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">observed</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0"><span> </span>across the board. However, larger, prospective, randomized trials are needed to further these findings.</span></span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW155731853 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW155731853 BCX0"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW155731853 BCX0" lang="EN-US" paraid="1584057302" paraeid="{f7927785-1067-4d1a-8050-8f596aa51e1a}{6}"><strong><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">Source:</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW155731853 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></strong></p> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW155731853 BCX0"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW155731853 BCX0" lang="EN-US" paraid="463248202" paraeid="{f7927785-1067-4d1a-8050-8f596aa51e1a}{58}"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">William J, D’Elia N, Sugumar H, et al. Sex-specific outcomes after catheter ablation for AF in left ventricular systolic dysfunction.<span> </span></span><span data-contrast="auto" xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US" class="TextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0"><em><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">JAMA </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW155731853 BCX0">Cardiol</span></em><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">.<span> </span></span></span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">2026 September 9 (Article in Press).</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW155731853 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW155731853 BCX0"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW155731853 BCX0" lang="EN-US" paraid="1819907705" paraeid="{7432ec80-fb2d-468f-8586-605706358249}{227}"><strong><span data-contrast="auto" xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US" class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW155731853 BCX0"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">Image Credit: </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0">Anar Mammadov</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW155731853 BCX0"> – stock.adobe.com</span></span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW155731853 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></strong></p> </div>