Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation Improves Quality of Life When AF Burden Is Reduced

After catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF), patients' quality of life (QOL) improved in several studies (e.g., NEJM JW Cardiol May 2019 and JAMA 2019; 321:1261), but some specialists have remained skeptical because of a possible placebo effect. Researchers now report findings from a prespecified secondary analysis of QOL based on STAR-AF II, in which three ablation strategies did not differ in 30-second AF recurrence among patients with persistent AF (NCT01203748; NEJM JW Cardiol Jul 2015 and N Engl J Med 2015; 372:1812).

QOL was determined by scores on two standardized questionnaires; scores were converted to physical- and mental-health subscale scores. Of 549 study participants, 465 completed all four surveys (preablation and at …