甲谷 友幸

Background Accurately predicting left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) recovery after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) is crucial for clinical decision-making. Objective This study aimed to develop and compare multiple machine learning (ML) models to predict LVEF recovery and identify key contributing features. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 520 patients with CCS from the Clinical Deep Data Accumulation System database. Patients were categorized into 4 binary classification tasks based on baseline LVEF (≥50% or <50%) and degree of recovery: (1) good recovery, defined as an LVEF increase of >10% compared with ≤0%; and (2) normal recovery, defined as an LVEF increase of 0% to 10% compared with ≤0%. For each task, 3 feature selection strategies (all features, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator [LASSO] regression, and recursive feature elimination [RFE]) were combined with 4 ML algorithms (extreme gradient boosting [XGBoost], categorical boosting, light gradient boosting machine, and random forest), resulting in 48 models. Models were evaluated using 10-fold cross-validation and assessed by the area under the curve (AUC), decision curve analysis, and calibration plots. Results The highest AUCs were achieved by RFE combined with XGBoost (AUC=0.93) for preserved LVEF with good recovery, LASSO combined with XGBoost (AUC=0.79) for preserved LVEF with normal recovery, LASSO combined with XGBoost (AUC=0.88) for reduced LVEF with good recovery, and RFE combined with XGBoost (AUC=0.84) for reduced LVEF with normal recovery. Shapley Additive Explanation analysis identified uric acid, platelets, hematocrit, brain natriuretic peptide, glycated hemoglobin, glucose, creatinine, baseline LVEF, left ventricular end-diastolic internal diameter, heart rate, R wave amplitude in V5, and R wave amplitude in V6 as important predictive factors of LVEF recovery. Conclusions ML models incorporating feature selection strategies demonstrated strong predictive performance for LVEF recovery after PCI. These interpretable models may support clinical decision-making and can improve the management of patients with CCS after PCI.

OBJECTIVES: The association between blood pressure (BP) and the mortality risk may vary depending on the comorbidities. This study was conducted to investigate the subgroup-specific correlation between systolic BP (SBP) and mortality in patients with coronary artery disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: The Clinical Deep Data Accumulation System for PCI (CLIDAS-PCI), a nation-wide multicenter database with seven tertiary medical hospitals in Japan, retrospectively collected data on patients undergoing PCI for acute coronary syndrome or stable coronary artery disease. Cubic spline curves modeled the relationship between SBP and all-cause death in the entire cohort and subgroups stratified by age, sex, diabetes, left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, renal function and LV systolic function. We assessed the SBP, which minimizes mortality risk. RESULTS: A total of 8384 patients [71 [IQR 64, 78] years, 6494 (77%) male] with SBP at hospital discharge were analyzed. During 2.7 years of median follow-up, 695 deaths occurred. In the overall population, spline analysis demonstrated a nadir range of mortality risk around an SBP of 110-130 mmHg. Subgroup analyses revealed that elderly (age ≥ 80 years), those with renal dysfunction, and those with preserved LV systolic function had higher SBP levels associated with lowest risk. Conversely, patients <80 years, those with better renal function, and those with LV systolic dysfunction exhibited lower SBP levels at lowest risk. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated differential association between SBP and mortality risk in various subgroups, highlighting the need for personalized BP management in multimorbid patients with coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: There are few data verifying the utility of the CHADS-P2A2RC score in comparison with the CHADS2 score for estimating net adverse clinical events (NACE) in chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) patients without atrial fibrillation (AF) in real-world settings. METHODS: We performed analysis for a total of 3985 CCS patients without AF who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between April 2013 and March 2019 for whom information was obtained from the CLIDAS (Clinical Deep Data Accumulation System)-PCI database. The primary endpoint was NACE defined as the composite of 3-point major adverse cardiovascular events (3P-MACE) (cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and non-fatal stroke) and GUSTO moderate/severe bleeding events. RESULTS: Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that both the CHADS-P2A2RC and CHADS2 scores stratified the risks. The incidences of NACE were stratified well by the very-high-risk category, which was uniquely defined as a CHADS-P2A2RC score of ≥6 (hazard ratio: 2.38, 95 % CI = 1.91-2.97, p-value <0.001). The area under the curve (AUC) in estimating NACE within 3 years was higher when the CHADS-P2A2RC score was used than when the CHADS2 score was used (0.67 vs. 0.62, p = 0.003). This was mainly due to the accuracy in estimating bleeding events (0.66 vs. 0.60, p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: The accuracy in estimating NACE after PCI for CCS patients without AF was higher when the CHADS-P2A2RC score was used than when the CHADS2 score was used, mainly due to the accuracy in predicting bleeding risk. Higher incidences of endpoints were well-stratified by a very-high-risk category defined as a CHADS-P2A2RC score of ≥6.

The prevalence of malignancies in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is increasing with aging. Active malignancy is a significant contributor to high bleeding risk. For cancer patients requiring oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy, the choice between direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) and warfarin is critical. The aim of this study was to investigate long-term bleeding events in patients with malignancy undergoing PCI. The CLIDAS (Clinical Deep Data Accumulation System) multicenter database includes data from seven tertiary medical hospitals in Japan. This retrospective analysis included 6451 patients who underwent PCI between April 2013 and March 2019 and completed 3-year follow-up. The patients were divided into two groups; No malignancy (n = 5787) and Malignancy group (n = 664). Malignancy was defined by a history of cancer treatment. These groups were further subcategorized based on OAC therapy; (1) No malignancy without OAC (n = 5134), (2) No malignancy with DOAC (n = 261), (3) No malignancy with warfarin (n = 392), (4) Malignancy without OAC (n = 589), (5) Malignancy with DOAC (n = 38), and (6) Malignancy with warfarin (n = 37). The primary outcome was the incidence of bleeding events, defined according to the Global Use of Streptokinase and t-PA for Occluded Coronary Arteries classification of moderate and severe bleeding. The secondary outcomes were major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and net adverse clinical events (NACE). Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that the malignancy with warfarin group had a significantly higher risk of bleeding events compared to the malignancy without OAC group (hazard ratio [HR], 3.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.38-9.61, p value = 0.009). No significant differences were observed for MACE (HR, 1.39; 95% CI 0.59-3.25, p value = 0.454) or NACE (HR, 1.62; 95% CI, 0.80-3.29; p value = 0.184). Malignancy patients receiving warfarin were associated with a higher risk of bleeding events. DOACs may represent a preferable alternative to warfarin with regard to bleeding risk in patients with malignancy undergoing PCI.

BACKGROUND: Lipid-lowering therapy with high-intensity statins has not been widely implemented in Japan for patients with coronary artery disease who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We examined the efficacy and safety of high-intensity statin therapy in a real-world setting. METHODS AND RESULTS: We used the Clinical Deep Data Accumulation System (CLIDAS) to accumulate multimodal data from the electronic medical records of 7 cardiovascular centers. We analyzed 9,690 patients who underwent PCI between 2013 and 2019 and completed a median 2.5-year follow-up (CLIDAS-PCI database). The risk of developing major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) was significantly greater in patients with acute (ACS) than chronic (CCS) coronary syndrome. High-intensity statins were prescribed to 49% of ACS patients and 33% of CCS patients within the first 30 days after the index PCI. After propensity score matching, MACCE event rates were similar between the high- and moderate-intensity statin groups. Importantly, among ACS patients, Cox proportional hazard analysis revealed that the rate of myocardial infarction was lower (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.65; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.44-0.97) and the rate of stroke was greater (aHR 1.71; 95% CI 1.12-2.62) in the high-intensity statin group, driven mostly by intracranial hemorrhage. CONCLUSIONS: The CLIDAS-PCI database provides real-world evidence for the efficacy and safety of high-intensity statins in Japanese ACS patients who have undergone PCI.

BACKGROUND: Patients with surgically repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF) often develop chronic pulmonary regurgitation (PR), necessitating pulmonary valve replacement (PVR). While cardiac MRI is crucial for PVR timing, its availability is limited. This study evaluates electrocardiographic (ECG) findings - specifically the R-wave amplitude in lead V1 (V1R) and the sum of the R-wave amplitude in lead V1 and the deepest S-wave amplitude in lead V5 or V6 (V1R + V5S or V6S) - as predictors of cardiac MRI findings. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 35 rTOF patients (mean age 34 ± 9 years; 60% male) who underwent cardiac MRI from 2019 to 2022, assessing correlations between ECG parameters (V1R, V1R + V5S or V6S, and QRS duration) and MRI findings (RVESVI and RVEDVI). RESULTS: V1R showed significant correlation with RVESVI (r = 0.486, p = 0.003) and was notably higher in patients with RVESVI ≥ 80 mL/m2. A V1R cutoff of 20 mm identified RVESVI ≥ 80 mL/m2 with 67% sensitivity and 77% specificity. CONCLUSIONS: V1R on ECG may help predict the need for cardiac MRI, aiding in the timely PVR planning for rTOF patients.

BACKGROUND: Dual antiplatelet drug administration is recommended after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) stent placement. Although prasugrel, a newer P2Y12 inhibitor, reportedly suppresses cardiovascular events more effectively than the traditional agent clopidogrel, its preventive effects on cerebrovascular disorders remain a topic of ongoing debate. This study aimed to examine the cerebrovascular efficacy and safety of post-PCI prasugrel and clopidogrel using extensive real-world data in Japan. METHODS: Using the CLIDAS (Clinical Deep Data Accumulation System) database, 7412 post-PCI patients who received dual antiplatelet therapy between April 2013 and March 2019 were identified. The primary end point was defined as the incidence of any stroke, while secondary end points included individual ischemic and hemorrhagic cerebrovascular events. The incidence of cerebrovascular events was compared between the prasugrel (2.5–3.75 mg daily; n=2219) and clopidogrel (75 mg daily; n=5193) groups using propensity-score inverse probability of treatment weighting and Fine and Gray models to account for competing risks. RESULTS: Within 1 year after PCI, the prasugrel group had a significantly lower incidence of cerebrovascular events (subdistribution hazard ratio, 0.46 [95% CI, 0.24–0.91]; P =0.027) than the clopidogrel group. The subgroup analyses did not show significant differences in the incidence of ischemic (subdistribution hazard ratio, 0.54 [95% CI, 0.25–1.14]; P =0.11) and hemorrhagic cerebrovascular events (subdistribution hazard ratio, 0.30 [95% CI, 0.084–1.10]; P =0.070) between the use of prasugrel and clopidogrel. One-year health care costs between patients treated with prasugrel and those treated with clopidogrel showed no significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that post-PCI prasugrel use was associated with lower cerebrovascular events compared with the use of clopidogrel in combination with aspirin. Further research is necessary to substantiate the potential of prasugrel in lowering cerebrovascular risks after post-PCI while upholding a satisfactory safety profile.

BACKGROUND: It remains unclear whether the newly adopted high-power, short-duration (HP-SD) setting in ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) impacts periprocedural thrombotic markers or silent stroke (SS) onset. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical impact of HP-SD setting ablation on changes in periprocedural thrombotic markers and the onset of SS. METHODS: We enrolled 101 AF patients: the HP-SD group (n = 67) using 50 W and the conventional ablation group (n = 34) using 30 to 40 W. D-dimer, thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT), and total plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (tPAI-1) were analyzed the day before, immediately after, and 1 day after the procedure. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed within 48 hours after the procedure. RESULTS: Left atrial dwelling time was significantly shorter in the HP-SD group (P < .05). In the conventional ablation group, the D-dimer and tPAI-1 levels continued to increase until 1 day postprocedure, while the TAT peaked immediately after the ablation. On the other hand, the range of the variation of these thrombotic markers in the HP-SD group was smaller. SS occurred more frequently in the conventional ablation group than in the HP-SD group (26% vs 5%, P < .05). In the logistic regression analysis, the HP-SD setting and TAT difference (postprocedure - preprocedure) were independent predictors for SS (odds ratios 0.141 and 5.838, respectively; P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The HP-SD setting led to a shorter left atrial dwelling time and reduced change in thrombotic markers, resulting in lower prevalence of SS.

Hypertension (HTN) is one of the major risk factors for developing atrial fibrillation (AF), and it has been estimated that approximately 70% of hypertensive patients are at risk of developing AF. On the other hand, 60-80% of AF patients have HTN. These two diseases share many risk factors such as diabetes mellitus, obesity, alcohol consumption, and sleep apnea syndrome during their onset and disease progression. The mutual presence of these diseases has the potential to create a negative spiral, exacerbating each other's impact and ultimately leading to cardiovascular events such as heart failure and cerebrovascular disorders, thereby increasing mortality rates. With regard to the treatment of HTN, the variety of antihypertensive drugs and treatment options have significantly increased. Alongside the widespread adoption of antihypertensive therapy, a certain level of efficacy has been recognized in suppressing the incidence of new-onset AF. Catheter ablation is an established and effective treatment for AF. However, a notable recurrence rate persists. In recent years, management of these multiple risk factors has been recognized to be essential for suppressing AF recurrence, and recent guidelines for AF underscore the significance of proactively managing these risks before treatment. Notably, effective HTN management assumes paramount importance given its impact on the morbidity of AF patients. This review summarizes the correlation between HTN control before and after ablation and the risk of AF recurrence. The focus is on elucidating the pathophysiological background and its impact on clinical outcomes.

The Japanese Society of Hypertension have established a blood pressure (BP) target of 130/80 mmHg for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). We evaluated the data of 8793 CAD patients in the Clinical Deep Data Accumulation System database who underwent cardiac catheterization at six university hospitals and the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center (average age 70 ± 11 years, 78% male, 43% with acute coronary syndrome [ACS]). Patients were divided into two groups based on whether or not they achieved the guideline-recommended BP of <130/80 mmHg. We analyzed the relationship between BP classification and major adverse cardiac and cerebral event (MACCE) separately in two groups: those with ACS and those with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS). During an average follow-up period of 33 months, 710 MACCEs occurred. A BP below 130/80 mmHg was associated with fewer MACCEs in both the overall (hazard ratio [HR] 0.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.70-1.00, p = 0.048) and the ACS group (HR 0.67, 95%CI 0.51-0.88, p = 0.003). In particular, stroke events were also lower among those with a BP below 130/80 mmHg in both the overall (HR 0.69, 95%CI 0.53-0.90, p = 0.006) and ACS groups (HR 0.44, 95%CI 0.30-0.67, p < 0.001). In conclusion, the achievement of BP guidelines was associated with improved outcomes in CAD patients, particularly in reducing stroke risk among those with ACS.

BACKGROUND: The precise details of atrial activation around the triangle of Koch (ToK) remain unknown. We evaluated the relationship between the atrial-activation pattern around the ToK and success sites for slow-pathway (SP) modification ablation in slow-fast atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT). METHODS: Thirty patients with slow-fast AVNRT who underwent successful ablation were enrolled. Atrial activation around the ToK during sinus rhythm was investigated using ultra-high-density mapping pre-ablation. The relationships among features of atrial-activation pattern and success sites were examined. RESULTS: Of 30 patients (22 cryoablation; 8 radiofrequency ablation), 26 patients had a collision site of two wavefronts of delayed atrial activation within ToK, indicating a success site. The activation-search function of Lumipoint software, which highlights only atrial activation with a spatiotemporal consistency, showed non-highlighted area on the tricuspid-annulus side of ToK. In 23 of the patients, a spiky potential was recorded at that collision site outside the Lumipoint-highlighted area. Fifteen cryoablation patients with a success site coincident with a collision site outside the Lumipoint-highlighted area had significantly more frequent disappearances of SP after initial cryoablation (46.7% vs. 0%, p = .029), fewer cryoablations (3.7 ± 1.8 vs. 5.3 ± 1.3, p = .045), and shorter procedure times (170 ± 57 vs. 228 ± 91 min, p = .082) compared to the seven cryoablation patients without such sites. Four patients had transient AV block by ablation inside the Lumipoint-highlighted area with fractionated signals, but no patient developed permanent AV block or recurrence post-procedure (median follow-up: 375 days). CONCLUSIONS: SP modification ablation at the collision site of atrial activation of the tricuspid-annulus side along with a spiky potential could provide a better outcome.

Lack of the typical nocturnal blood pressure (BP) fall, i.e non-dipper, has been known as a cardiovascular risk. However, the influence of non-dipper on atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) has been unclear. We investigated the clinical impact of non-dipping as evaluated by 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring on the long-term outcome of AF recurrence post-PVI in 76 AF patients with a history of increased BP. The PVI procedure was successful in all 76 patients (mean age, 66±9years; antihypertensive medication, 89%; non-paroxysmal AF, 24%). Twenty patients had AF recurrence during a median follow-up of 1138 days. There was no difference in BP levels between the AF recurrence and non-recurrence groups (average 24 h systolic BP:126 ± 17 vs.125 ± 14 mmHg; P = 0.84). On the other hand, the patients with non-dipper had a higher AF recurrence than those with dipper (38.9% vs.15.0%; P = 0.018). In Cox hazard analysis adjusted by age, non-paroxysmal AF and average 24-hr systolic BP level, the non-dipper was an independent predictor of AF recurrence (HR 2.78 [95%CI:1.05-7.34], P = 0.039). Non-dipper patients had a larger left atrial (LA) volume index than the dipper patients (45.9 ± 17.3 vs.38.3 ± 10.2 ml/m2, P = 0.037). Among the 58 patients who underwent high-density voltage mapping in LA, 11 patients had a low-voltage area (LVA) defined as an area with a bipolar voltage < 0.5 mV. However, there was no association of LVA with non-dipper or dipper (22.2% vs.16.1%, P = 0.555). Non-dipper is an independent predictor of AF recurrence post-PVI. Management of abnormal diurnal BP variation post-PVI may be important.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the association between heart failure (HF) severity measured based on brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels and future bleeding events after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). BACKGROUND: The Academic Research Consortium for High Bleeding Risk presents a bleeding risk assessment for antithrombotic therapy in patients after PCI. HF is a risk factor for bleeding in Japanese patients. METHODS: Using an electronic medical record-based database with seven tertiary hospitals in Japan, this retrospective study included 7160 patients who underwent PCI between April 2014 and March 2020 and who completed a 3-year follow-up and were divided into three groups: no HF, HF with high BNP level and HF with low BNP level. The primary outcome was bleeding events according to the Global Use of Streptokinase and t-PA for Occluded Coronary Arteries classification of moderate and severe bleeding. The secondary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Furthermore, thrombogenicity was measured using the Total Thrombus-Formation Analysis System (T-TAS) in 536 consecutive patients undergoing PCI between August 2013 and March 2017 at Kumamoto University Hospital. RESULTS: Multivariate Cox regression showed that HF with high BNP level was significantly associated with bleeding events, MACE and all-cause death. In the T-TAS measurement, the thrombogenicity was lower in patients with HF with high BNP levels than in those without HF and with HF with low BNP levels. CONCLUSIONS: HF with high BNP level is associated with future bleeding events, suggesting that bleeding risk might differ depending on HF severity.

AIMS: The relationship between local unipolar voltage (UV) in the pulmonary vein (PV)-ostia and left atrial wall thickness (LAWT) and the utility of these parameters as indices of outcome after atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation remain unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS: Two-hundred seventy-two AF patients who underwent AF ablation were enrolled. Unipolar voltage of PV-ostia was measured using a CARTO system, and LAWT was measured using computed tomography. The primary endpoint was atrial tachyarrhythmia (ATA) recurrence including AF. The ATA recurrence was documented in 74 patients (ATA-Rec group). The UV and LAWT of the bilateral superior PV roof to posterior and around the right-inferior PV in the ATA-Rec group were significantly greater than in patients without ATA recurrence (ATA-Free group) (P < 0.001). The UV had a strong positive correlation with LAWT (R2 = 0.446, P < 0.001). The UV 2.7 mV and the corresponding LAWT 1.6 mm were determined as the cut-off values for ATA recurrence (P < 0.001, respectively). Multisite LA high UV (HUV, ≥4 areas of >2.7 mV) or multisite LA wall thickening (≥5 areas of >1.6 mm), defined as LA hypertrophy (LAH), was related to higher ATA recurrence. Among 92 LAH patients, 66 had HUV (LAH-HUV) and the remaining 26 had low UV (LAH-LUV), characterized by history of non-paroxysmal AF and heart failure, reduced LV ejection fraction, or enlarged LA. In addition, LAH-LUV showed the worst ablation outcome, followed by LAH-HUV and No LAH (log-rank P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Combining UV and LAWT enables us to stratify recurrence risk and suggest a tailored ablation strategy according to LA tissue properties.

BACKGROUND: While most VVI pacemakers in bradycardic patients are set to a low limit of 60/min, the optimal lower limit rate for VVI pacemakers in atrial fibrillation has not been established. Although an increase in heart rate within the normal range in the setting of a VVI pacemaker might be expected to lead to an increase in cardiac output with the shortening of the diastolic time, the changes in cardiac output at different pacemaker settings have not been fully clarified. METHODS: We included 11 patients with bradycardic atrial fibrillation who had VVI pacemakers implanted. Stroke volume was measured using the electrical cardiometry method (AESCULONⓇ mini; Osypka Medical) without pacing and at ventricular pacings of 60, 70, 80, and 90/min. RESULTS: Stroke volume decreased stepwise at ventricular pacing rates of 60, 70, 80, and 90/min (63.6 ± 11.2, 61.9 ± 10.6, 59.3 ± 12.2, and 57.5 ± 12.2 mL, p < .001), but cardiac output increased (3.81 ± 0.67, 4.33 ± 0.74, 4.74 ± 0.97, and 5.17 ± 1.09 L/min, p < .001). The rate of increase in cardiac output at a pacing rate of 70/min compared to 60/min correlated with left ventricular end-systolic volume (r = 0.711, p = .014). CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac output increased at a pacing rate of 70 compared to 60 in bradycardic atrial fibrillation patients, and the rate of increase in cardiac output was greater in those with larger left ventricular end-systolic volume.

A 23-year-old man with no significant medical history was rushed to a hospital due to transient loss of consciousness with incontinence. The patient had developed a fever after his second dose of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine, and the patient was found groaning in bed approximately 40 hours after the vaccination in the early morning. The patient was diagnosed with Brugada syndrome (BrS) based on a drug-provocation test. His father had been diagnosed with BrS and died suddenly at 51 years of age. Young adults with a family history of BrS should be cautioned about fever following COVID-19 vaccination.

INTRODUCTION: Beyond pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), additional therapeutic strategies for atrial fibrillation (AF) have not been established. Remodeling of the left atrium (LA) could impact AF recurrence post-PVI. We investigated the impact of unipolar voltage (UV) criteria for the LA posterior wall (LA-PW) on AF recurrence post-PVI. METHODS: We reviewed the cases of 106 AF patients (mean age 63.8 years, nonparoxysmal AF: 59%) who underwent extensive encircling PVI by radiofrequency ablation guided by a 3-dimension mapping system, investigating the impact on AF recurrence of the UV criteria of the LA. RESULTS: Out of all patients, 26 patients had AF recurrence during post-PVI follow-up [median 603 days]. They showed a higher percentage of nonparoxysmal AF (80.8 vs. 52.5%, p = .011), longer AF duration (2.9 ± 2.7 vs. 1.0 ± 1.7 years, p = .002), and larger area size of UV < 2.0 mV in LA-PW (2.8 ± 1.8 vs. 1.0 ± 1.5 cm2 , p < .001) than those without recurrence. Cox Hazard analysis for AF recurrence adjusted by age, gender, AF duration, body mass index and left atrial volume index revealed that an area size over 2.0 cm2 of UV < 2.0 mV in LA-PW (HR 6.9 [95% CI:1.3-35.5], p = .021) posed independent risks for AF recurrence post-PVI. The atrial arrhythmia-free survival rate was higher in those with no area of UV < 3.0 mV in LA-PW compared to those with a sizable area (>2.0 cm2 ) of UV < 3.0 mV and <2.0 mV (95.0% vs. 74.2% vs. 57.1%, Log-Rank: p < .001). In the AF etiology of patients with AF recurrence, 9 of 14 patients who underwent the 2nd procedure had no PV reconnection, and 8 patients required the LA-PW isolation for their non-PV AF. CONCLUSION: UV criteria of LA-PW is a useful parameter for AF-recurrence post-PVI. Lower UV in LA-PW as an indication of electrical remodeling could indicate a higher risk of AF recurrence and the need for further therapeutic strategies.