Aggressive Lifestyle Management After Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation

For patients with atrial fibrillation, improving lifestyle factors (e.g., weight, exercise) can help maintain sinus rhythm and prevent symptoms. To see whether these benefits extend to patients who undergo ablation, investigators randomized 122 patients (mean age, 60; mean body-mass index, 33 kg/m²) to a lifestyle management clinic or usual care after atrial fibrillation ablation. The lifestyle clinic included standardized counseling and management protocols for hypertension, high lipid levels, obesity, sleep apnea, diabetes, smoking, and alcohol use. Both groups were scheduled for follow-up every 3 months during 1 year; all patients had implanted loop recorders.