Arrhythmias & electrophysiologyCohort study
Semaglutide as adjunctive therapy to catheter ablation in obesity-related paroxysmal atrial fibrillation
- Propensity-matched cohort study
- single-centre
Authors' conclusion
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist therapy using semaglutide is associated with a reduced risk of AF recurrence in obese patients undergoing AF catheter ablation, indicating its potential as an adjunctive treatment.
Study context
- Population
- Obese patients (body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m²) undergoing first-time catheter ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) (2019–2024), continuous monitoring with implantable cardiac monitorsmatched cohort
- Participants
- 181 vs 181
- Exposure
- Semaglutide vs no GLP-1RA therapy with catheter ablation
- Semaglutiden = 181
- Controlsn = 181reference
- Outcome
- Any atrial tachyarrhythmia recurrence beyond a 2-month blanking period
- Follow-up
- 18-month follow-up
Main finding
Freedom from recurrence · 18 months
Hazard ratio
0.52
95% CI 0.34–0.78
P = 0.002
By group
Semaglutide vs Controls
HR 0.52 (95% CI 0.34–0.78); P = 0.002
As reported in the abstract
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | Semaglutide | Controls | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight change | −11.8 ± 3.8 kg | −1.9 ± 1.2 kg | P < 0.001 |
| BMI change | −4.0 ± 1.4 kg/m² | −0.3 ± 0.8 kg/m² | P < 0.001 |
≥10% weight reduction
- A substantial proportion of treated patients achieved ≥10% weight reduction
Original publication
Semaglutide as adjunctive therapy to catheter ablation in obesity-related paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Europace. Published 10 February 2026. doi:10.1093/europace/euag018
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it