Arrhythmias & electrophysiologyCross-sectional study
Lifestyle and risk factor modification in atrial fibrillation: a European Heart Rhythm Association survey
- Cross-sectional survey
- 31-item questionnaire
- European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) survey
Distributed via EHRA and social media, 23 September–21 October 2024
Authors' conclusion
Delivering comprehensive LRFM in AF poses significant challenges.
Study context
- Population
- Healthcare professionals in EHRA countries managing atrial fibrillation (AF)
- Participants
- 258 professionals · 28 countries
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Current clinical practice of LRFM in AF
- Healthcare system badly or very badly designed to deliver meaningful lifestyle and risk factor modification (LRFM) (respondents)
- 39.9%
- Not confident managing psychological distress
- 42.2%
- Not confident managing sleep-disordered breathing
- 33.8%
- Not confident managing obesity
- 22.4%
- Estimated AF patients who may benefit from exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation
- 70%
- Estimated AF patients referred for cardiac rehabilitation
- 10%
- Most important barrier to cardiac rehabilitation: local programmes not accepting AF-only patients (respondents)
- 42.1%
- Use a BMI cut-off for catheter ablation suitability (respondents)
- 37.7%
- Mean BMI cut-off for ablation
- 36.7 ± 5.4 kg/m²
- Patients with obesity referred for formal dietary advice
- 23.5%
- Most important barrier to weight loss: lack of patient motivation or engagement (respondents)
- 41.3%
- Routinely assess alcohol intake
- 89.6%
- Systematically assess psychological distress
- 23.9%
- Systematically assess sleep-disordered breathing
- 16.5%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Lifestyle and risk factor modification in atrial fibrillation: a European Heart Rhythm Association survey. Europace. Published 28 March 2025. doi:10.1093/europace/euaf075
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it