Efficacy of Catheter Ablation Compared to Antiarrhythmic Drug Therapy in Atrial Fibrillation

Introduction: A-fib occurs when the electrical signals in the heart become unorganized and unsynchronized, resulting in an irregularly irregular heart rate. This can increase the risk of blood clots and stroke. The purpose of this paper is to explore two of the most common treatment options, comparing the efficacy of catheter ablation to AAD (antiarrhythmic drug) therapy in adults diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. Methods: PubMed was searched using the keywords “atrial fibrillation,” “catheter ablation,” and “antiarrhythmic.” Operators and filters yielded a final result of 159 articles; four articles that most closely aligned with the focus of this research were reviewed. Results: Studies included systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), along with the CABANA trial, which further assessed the efficacy of catheter ablation compared to AAD therapy in different age groups. Discussion: Reviewed articles holistically concluded that catheter ablation is more effective at preventing recurrence of A-fib than AADs alone. Additional benefits to cardiac ablation were found to varying degrees across all four articles, including a reduction in symptomatic atrial arrhythmias, stroke, hospitalizations, cardiac arrest, and bleeding. Additional research is needed to uncover patient barriers in receiving catheter ablations and how the advancement of medicine can improve the efficacy of AAD therapy.