Arrhythmias & electrophysiology
Healthcare utilisation and quality of life according to atrial fibrillation burden, episode frequency and duration
Authors' conclusion
In patients with early paroxysmal AF, higher AF burden and longer episode duration were associated with increased rates of healthcare utilisation but not with symptoms and quality of life. Patients with a higher number of episodes experienced more severe symptoms.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with early paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) (RACE V Study)
- Participants
- 417 patients
- Exposure
- AF burden, episode duration and episode number vs healthcare utilisation and QoL
- Outcome
- Healthcare utilisation and QoL (AF Severity Scale, EQ-5D-5L)
- Follow-up
- 1 year
Methodological detailsobservational, insertable cardiac monitor for 1 year
- Observational
- Insertable cardiac monitor for 1 year
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- AF episodes detected
- 63 973
- Patients with AF episodes
- 353 (85%)
- Median AF burden
- 0.7% (IQR 0.1-4.0%)
- AF ablation, AF burden >0.2% vs lower
- 16.2% vs 5.9%, p=0.01
- AF ablation, episode duration >1 hour vs shorter
- 15.8% vs 2.0%, p=0.01
- Cardioversion, episode duration >1 hour vs shorter
- 9.5% vs 0%, p=0.04
- Cardioversion, intermediate AF burden (0.2-1.9%) (not high)
- 13.6% vs 4.2%, p=0.01
- Higher symptom severity with many episodes (>147)
- p=0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Healthcare utilisation and quality of life according to atrial fibrillation burden, episode frequency and duration. Heart. Published 29 June 2024. doi:10.
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