The Predictive value of Heart Rate Variability Indices Tested in Early Period after Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation for the Recurrence of Atrial Fibrillation

INTRODUCTION: To explore the relationship between recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) and the autonomic nervous activity evaluated by heart rate variability (HRV) indices after radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) in the early period. METHODS: We enrolled 102 patients with paroxysmal AF and tested the HRV indices by the high-resolution Holter electrocardiogram the next morning after RFCA. The HRV indices were compared between the non-recurrence group (n = 85) and the recurrence group (n = 17). RESULTS: The HRV indices included standard deviation of normal to normal intervals (SDNN), SDNN index, root-mean square successive differences (RMSSD), the proportion of normal to normal intervals differing by >50 millisecond (ms) (pNN50), high-frequency components (HF), low-frequency components (LF) and very low-frequency components were significantly higher in recurrence group than that in non-recurrence group, while no such difference was found for LF/HF. Based on the median value of the recurrent time (9 months), RMSSD (P = .012), pNN50 (P /=27.5 ms, pNN50 >/=4.5%, and HF >/=178.25 ms(2) . CONCLUSIONS: Values of RMSSD, pNN50, and HF tested in the early period after RFCA could independently predict the recurrence of AF.