Prognostic role of atrial fibrillation in patients affected by chronic heart failure. Data from the MECKI score research group

•We investigated the prognostic role of atrial fibrillation in systolic heart failure patients.•We performed a matching analysis between atrial fibrillation and sinus rhythm patients.•Novelties are represented by the examined heart failure patients and by the statistical approach.•We reported that atrial fibrillation is not independently associated with adverse prognosis.•Atrial fibrillation is a marker of advanced disease, and not a prognostic marker in heart failure.