Study characteristics: patients with HF and CRT with AF versus CRT with NSR
| Total patients | AF, n | NSR, n | AF-AVJ ablation, n (%) | Mean follow-up period (months) | Indications for CRT | Type of AF | Mean age (years) | Male, n (%) | ICM, n (%) | Average QRS duration (ms) | Quality Assessment Scale* | |
| Borleffs et al 36 | 223 | 55 | 168 | 0 | 33 | NYHA class III/IV, EF<35%, QRS>120 ms | Postimplantation AF | 65 | 171/223 (77) | 138/223 (62) | 161 | Good |
| Delnoy et al 9 | 263 | 96 | 167 | 20 (21) | 24 | NYHA>III, EF<35%, QRS>120 ms | Persistent AF (if >24 hours) | 72.5 | 186/263 (71) | 100/263 (38) | 171 | Good |
| Eisen et al 13 | 175 | 66 | 109 | 10 (15.2) | 24 | – | Paroxysmal, permanent or persistent AF | 68.8 | 138/175 (79) | 126/175 (72) | 146.5 | Good |
| Ferreira et al 15 | 131 | 53 | 78 | 27 (49) | 24 | NYHA>II, EF<35%, QRS>120 ms | AF, any prior episode | 68 | 108/131 (82) | 69/131 (53) | – | Good |
| Gasparini et al 16 | 673 | 162 | 511 | 114 (70.3) | 25 | NYHA class>II, EF<35%, QRS>120 ms, OPT, 1 hospitalisation for HF prior to device implantation | Permanent AF | 64.7 | 534/673 (79) | – | 165 | Good |
| Gasparini et al 12 | 1285 | 243 | 1042 | 118 (48.5) | 34 | – | Permanent AF | 64.8 | 979/1285 (76) | 594/1285 (46) | 165.5 | Good |
| Gasparini et al 5 | 7384 | 1338 | 6046 | 443 (49.4) | 36 | NYHA class>III, LVEF<35%, QRS>120 ms, OPT | Permanent AF | 68 | 5852/7384 (79) | 3300/7384 (45) | 157 | Good |
| Himmel et al 11 | 276 | 46 | 230 | 15 (33) | 12 | NYHA II–IV despite OPT, LVEF<35%, QRS>120 ms | Permanent AF | 69 | 238/276 (86) | 171/276 (62) | 182.3 | Good |
| Hoppe et al 31 | 409 | 66 | 343 | 0 | 29.4 | NYHA class>III, EF<35%, QRS>120 ms, OPT | Postimplantation new-onset AF (excluded permanent pretrial AF) | 66.7 | 304/409 (74) | 167/409 (41) | – | Good |
| Jedrzejczyk-Patej et al 29 | 200 | 80 | 120 | 40 (50) | 36 | Refractory HF, NYHA>III, EF<35%, QRS>120 ms | Paroxysmal or permanent AF | 59.3 | 150/200 (75) | 94/200 (47) | 168 | Good |
| Khadjooi et al 8 | 295 | 86 | 209 | 0 | 72 | NYHA class>III, EF<35%, QRS>120 ms, OPT | AF, unspecified | 70 | 235/295 (80) | 207/295 (70) | 159.2 | Good |
| Köbe et al 35 | 882 | 171 | 711 | 0 | 12 | – | AF, unspecified | – | – | – | – | Good |
| Leclercq et al 28 | 37 | 15 | 22 | 15 (100) | 14 | LVEDd>60 mm, EF<35%, NYHA>III, QRS>120 ms or >200 ms if previously paced | Permanent AF | 68 | 34/37 (92) | 14/37 (38) | 182 | Poor |
| Linde et al 7 | 131 | 64 | 67 | 0 | 12 | Severe HF due to LV dysfunction, EF<35%, LVEDd>60 mm, NYHA class III, OPT, 6 min walk<450 m, SR with QRS>150 ms, paced QRS>200 ms | Persistent AF | 64 | 102/131 (77) | 42/131 (32) | 191 | Good |
| Luedorff et al 27 | 584 | 139 | 445 | 16 (11) | 12 | – | Persistent AF (>1 month) | 69.5 | 428/584 (73) | 306/584 (52) | 168 | Good |
| Molhoek et al 6 | 60 | 30 | 30 | 17 (57) | 24 | NYHA class>III, EF<35%, QRS>120 ms or >200 for paced or LBBB | Persistent AF (>3 months) | 65.5 | 51/60 (85) | 29/60 (48) | 192.5 | Good |
| Ousdigian et al 34 | 54 019 | 12 905 | 41 114 | 0 | 24 | – | Paroxysmal, persistent, permanent AF | 70 | 39 433/54 019 (73) | – | – | Good |
| Santini et al 19 | 1193 | 489 | 704 | 0 | 13 | NYHA class II, III, IV, EF<35%, QRS>120 ms | Postimplantation AF | 66 | 939/1193 (79) | 576/1193 (49) | 149 | Good |
| Schütte et al 10 | 91 | 36 | 64 | 9 (25) | 12 | NYHA>3, EF>35%, QRS>120 ms, LBBB, OPT | AF, unspecified | 70 | 86/91 (94) | 68/91 (75) | 180 | Good |
| Tolosana et al 4 | 470 | 126 | 344 | 19 (15) | 12 | NYHA class>III, EF<35%, QRS>120 ms, OPT | Persistent AF (>3 months) | 68 | 298/470 (63) | 202/470 (43) | 168 | Good |
| Tolosana et al 33 | 202 | 46 | 156 | 13 (28) | 12 | NYHA class>III despite OPT, LVEF<35%, QRS>120 ms | Permanent AF | 67 | 153/202 (76) | 89/202 (32) | 160 | Good |
| van Boven et al 30 | 543 | 133 | 342 | 0 | 36 | LBBB, QRS>120 ms | AF, unspecified | 64 | 401/543 (74) | 294/543 (54) | – | Good |
| Wilton et al 32 | 495 | 249 | 246 | 0 | 41 | NYHA class II or III, EF<30%, QRS>120 ms, or paced QRS>200 ms, OPT | Postimplantation AF | 65.8 | 86.3 | 70 | 158.4 | Good |
| Wo et al 43 | 56 | 16 | 40 | 0 | 6 | EF<35%, completed LBBB with intrinsic or paced QRS duration>130 ms, NYHA functional class III or ambulatory class IV on OPT | AF, persistent or permanent | 67 | 38/56 (68) | – | 167 | Good |
*Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale: Poor <4, Fair 5–6, Good >7.
AF, atrial fibrillation; AVJ, atrioventricular junction; CRT, cardiac resynchronisation therapy; EF, ejection fraction; HF, heart failure; ICM, ischaemic cardiomyopathy; LBBB, Left Bundle Branch Block; LVEDd, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter; LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction; NSR, normal sinus rhythm; NYHA, New York Heart Association; OPT, Optimal Pharmacological Therapy ; SR, sinus rhythm.