Predictors of improvement in left ventricular systolic function after catheter ablation in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation complicated with heart failure

The current management of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and concomitant heart failure (HF) remains a significant challenge. Catheter ablation (CA) has been shown to improve left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in these patients, but which patients can benefit from CA is still poorly understood. The aim of our study was to determine the predictors of improved ejection fraction in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (PeAF) complicated with HF undergoing CA. A total of 435 patients with persistent AF underwent an initial CA between January 2019 and March 2023 in our hospital. We investigated consecutive patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVEF < 50