Arrhythmias & electrophysiologyCohort study
Exercise capacity and quality-of-life improvements after catheter ablation in patients with clinically asymptomatic persistent atrial fibrillation
- single-center prospective observational study
- consecutive patients
Authors' conclusion
CA in asymptomatic PeAF was associated with sustained improvements in exercise capacity and QoL, suggesting that rhythm-control therapy may provide functional benefit even without overt symptoms.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with clinically asymptomatic persistent atrial fibrillation (PeAF) who underwent catheter ablation (CA) between August 2021 and July 202452 completed the 12-month evaluation
- Participants
- 68 patients
- Exposure
- Exercise capacity and quality of life (QoL) at baseline and 3 and 12 months after ablation
- asymptomatic PeAFn = 68
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Cardiopulmonary exercise testing parameters · after ablation
anaerobic threshold (mL/kg/min)
12.8 → 14.0
peak O2 uptake (mL/kg/min)
18.0 → 19.4
metabolic equivalents
5.3 → 5.8
O2 pulse (mL/beat)
9.4 → 12.4
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Atrial Fibrillation Quality of Life Questionnaire and EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level
- Atrial Fibrillation Quality of Life Questionnaire scores improved early and remained stable
- EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level score significantly improved only at 12 months
Secondary comparison with symptomatic patients · baseline and 12 months
- higher exercise capacity in asymptomatic patients at baseline and 12 months
- QoL scores became comparable after ablation
- secondary descriptive comparison
Original publication
Exercise capacity and quality-of-life improvements after catheter ablation in patients with clinically asymptomatic persistent atrial fibrillation. Heart Rhythm. Published 31 March 2026. doi:10.1016/j.hrthm.2026.03.1947
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it