Main findings
The main findings of this multicenter cohort study are as follows: (1) The incidence of the primary composite event of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events after the first catheter ablation for AF was 2.1 per 100 person-years. (2) The primary composite endpoint occurred less frequently in the patients without late AF recurrence than in those with AF recurrence (incidence rates of 1.7 vs. 3.2 per 100 person-years, respectively). (3) In the multivariate analysis, older age (HR 1.05), hypertension (HR 1.58), heart failure (HR 1.87), old myocardial infarction (HR 4.25), nonischemic cardiomyopathy (HR 2.68), and larger LAD (HR 1.18) were independent factors associated with the primary composite endpoint, and freedom from AF recurrence was independently associated with a lower risk of the primary composite endpoint (HR 0.57).