Procedure Risks Lower Before Age 45

A procedure used to control an abnormal heartbeat works just as well in younger adults as in older ones, a study has found. And the younger adults had fewer serious side effects. The procedure is called catheter ablation. It uses heat to destroy sections of heart muscle that are causing the rhythm problem. The study included 1,548 people. All had frequent atrial fibrillation. This is an abnormal heart rhythm. The top chambers of the heart quiver instead of beat normally. The patients had tried medicine, but it didn’t control the problem. After catheter ablation, the problem stopped or seldom occurred in 82% to 88% of patients. Age made little difference in the success rate. People under age 45 also did not have any strokes or other major problems after the procedure. But 2% to 3% of older groups had these problems.