Symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease predicts low voltage zones in the posteroinferior left atrium in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation.

Background: The presence of low voltage zones (LVZs) in the left atrium (LA) is associated with the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after pulmonary vein isolation. Numerous studies have posited a link between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and AF, attributing this relationship to the anatomical proximity of the esophagus to the posteroinferior wall of the LA.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate whether GERD can predict the presence of LVZs in the posteroinferior wall of the LA.

Methods: Five hundred fifty-one patients with persistent AF, scheduled for their first AF ablation procedure, were prospectively enrolled. Voltage maps were collected using a multipolar catheter, and were defined as areas measuring ≥3 cm with a peak-to-peak bipolar voltage of <0.5 mV. Information on GERD symptoms was collected from the participants through a self-administered questionnaire.

Results: Long-standing persistent AF was present in 22.3% of the total cohort. GERD was present in 29% of patients and LVZs in the posteroinferior wall in 12.7%. In the multivariable analysis, patients with GERD were found to have more than twice the odds (odds ratio 2.26; 95% confidence interval 1.24-4.13; = .008) of exhibiting LVZs in the posteroinferior wall of the LA than patients without GERD. GERD was not associated with LVZs in any other region of the LA.

Conclusion: GERD was found to be independently associated with LVZs in the posteroinferior LA. This association may be attributable to inflammation and may partly explain the link between GERD and AF.