Heart procedure linked to fewer strokes and deaths at 80 and older
Between 90 days and one year after ablation, stroke rates were 3.86% versus 7.30% in controls; death rates were 2.97% versus 8.05%.
1,432 participants
Limit: Main stroke and death comparisons omitted the first 90 days after ablation
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
The observational study examined people aged 80 or older with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat that comes and goes. Researchers retrospectively compared medical records for 1,432 people who underwent catheter ablation, a procedure to control abnormal heart rhythms, with 1,432 matched controls eligible for the procedure.
Between 90 days and one year after the procedure, strokes caused by blocked blood vessels occurred in 3.86% of the ablation group and 7.30% of controls. Death rates were 2.97% and 8.05%, respectively. Ablation was associated with lower risks of both outcomes. In a separate comparison with younger people undergoing ablation, complication rates within 30 days were low and did not differ significantly between age groups.
Why it matters
People aged 80 or older with atrial fibrillation are a high-risk group underrepresented in randomized trials. The findings support considering ablation to control heart rhythm in this population.
Caveats
This observational study cannot establish cause and effect or extend the main findings to younger people or other forms of atrial fibrillation. It was reported as a conference abstract.
The paper
Catheter ablation and clinical outcomes in octogenarians with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation
University of Toledo; Mass General Brigham
ESC Congress 2026 Abstract, Oct 26, 2026
Presented at ESC Congress 2026
