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Daily AF burden decreases physical activity level in patients after ablation
Physical activity levels may be affected by daily atrial fibrillation burden in patients who undergo pulmonary vein isolation, with daily activity levels beginning to decrease after a daily burden of 500 minutes, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
“The results of this post hoc analysis show an inverse association between burden of [atrial tachycardia]/AF after ablation and the activity level of the patient; the daily activity starts decreasing after a daily burden of 500 minutes and markedly drops after 1,000 minutes of AF,” Riccardo Proietti, MD, of the department of cardiac, thoracic and vascular sciences at the University of Padua in Italy, and colleagues wrote. “Therefore, the amount of [atrial tachycardia]/AF burden that may impact the activity level seems to be related to hours and not minutes of arrhythmias.”
To investigate the correlation between daily AF burden and activity levels in patients who underwent pulmonary vein isolation, researchers collected 44,341 daily atrial tachycardia (AT)/AF burden points from 50 patients who were enrolled in the DISCERN AF study (mean age, 57 years; 64% men; average of 887 observation points for each patient).
Daily AT/AF burden and average daily activity levels were discerned from insertable cardiac monitors, which all patients had implanted 3 months before ablation.
Patients were followed for a mean of 2.4 years after ablation, with the daily burden of AT/AF ranging between 0 and 1,440 minutes and the daily activity level ranging between 0 and 600 minutes (< 5 minutes of AT/AF burden reported on 82.6% of days; mean daily activity, 244.63 minutes).
Researchers found an inverse association between activity levels and AF burden (P < .001), with daily activity progressively declining after 500 minutes of AF and continuing to a more considerable decrease after 1,000 minutes.
After adjusting for clinical variables, the association between activity levels and burden of AT/AF remained (P = .02).
“These results are consistent with other studies suggesting that improvement in quality of life can occur even when AF is not totally eliminated,” the researchers wrote. “Considering that the main indication for pulmonary vein isolation is symptomatic relief, an increase in the quality of life score and activity levels without complete elimination of all arrhythmias may be clinically relevant.” – by Melissa J. Webb
Disclosures: Proietti reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the study for all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.