Key words: Atrial fibrillation, atrial remodelling, thromboembolic risk, ablation, recurrence, stroke

"Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation: the association between atrial anatomy and clinical outcomes"

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common rhythm problem affecting millions of people worldwide. AF is associated with 5x higher stroke risk and often with distressing symptoms that significantly reduce life-quality. Due to an aging population, AF patients are expected to double in the next 30 years to >14 million in Europe alone. Thus, identification of surrogates that could improve AF treatment is very important.

Catheter ablation of the left atrium (LA) can eliminate AF triggers and reduce AF burden. Anticoagulation can reduce the risk of thromboembolic events (TE). However, the relationship of LA anatomy with relevant AF outcomes has not been adequately examined yet.

This thesis approaches the role of anatomy with novel geometrical indexes and examines the role of LA appendage (LAA) for TEs in patients with clinically low-risk, the characteristics of LA remodeling in different AF types and their association with ablation outcomes, diastolic dysfunction, plasma markers and low-voltage areas as surrogates of AF substrate. The results are relevant for future research especially for imaging-based prognostic models that will guide management of AF patients in the era of computational precision medicine.

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