The goal of catheter ablation and surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation is to disconnect triggers and/or to modify the substrate for AF. Mapping and radiofrequency (RF) ablation of AF is one of the most complex ablation procedures.
Erythropoietin is produced in the kidney and liver in response to low oxygen levels. In addition, erythropoietin is bound by circulating red blood cells; low circulating numbers lead to a relatively high level of unbound erythropoietin, which stimulates production in the bone marrow.
Erythropoietin (EPO), a large (193 amino acid residue) glycoprotein hormone secreted by the kidney, regulates RBC production. Normally, EPO levels vary inversely with hematocrit. Hypoxia stimulates EPO release, which, in turn, stimulates bone marrow erythrocyte production. High blood levels of RBC, hemoglobin, hematocrit, or oxygen suppress the release of EPO.