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Objective: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) guided by a standardised CLOSE (contiguous optimised lesions) protocol has been shown to increase clinical success after catheter ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF). This study analysed healthcare utilisation and quality of life (QOL) outcomes from a large multicentre prospective study, measured association between QOL and atrial fibrillation (AF) burden and identified factors associated with lack of QOL improvement., Methods: CLOSE-guided ablation was performed in 329 consecutive patients (age 61.4 years, 60.8% male) with drug-refractory PAF in 17 European centres. QOL was measured at baseline and 12 months post-ablation via Atrial Fibrillation Effect on QualiTy of Life Survey (AFEQT) and EuroQoL EQ-5D-5L questionnaires. All-cause and cardiovascular hospitalisations and cardioversions over 12 months pre-ablation and post-ablation were recorded. Rhythm monitoring included weekly and symptom-driven trans-telephonic monitoring, plus ECG and Holter monitoring at 3, 6 and 12 months. AF burden was defined as the percentage of postblanking tracings with an atrial tachyarrhythmia ≥30 s. Continuous measures across multiple time points were analysed using paired t-tests, and associations between various continuous measures were analysed using independent sample t-tests. Each statistical test used two-sided p values with a significance level of 0.05., Results: Both QOL instruments showed significant 12-month improvements across all domains: AFEQT score increased 25.1-37.5 points and 33.3%-50.8% fewer patients reporting any problem across EuroQoL EQ-5D-5L domains. Overall, AFEQT improvement was highly associated with AF burden (p=0.009 for <10% vs ≥10% burden, p<0.001 for <20% vs ≥20% burden). Cardiovascular hospitalisations were significantly decreased after ablation (42%, p=0.001). Patients without substantial improvement in AFEQT (55/301, 18.2%) had higher AFEQT and CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc scores at baseline, and higher AF burden following PVI., Conclusions: QOL improved and healthcare utilisation decreased significantly after ablation with a standardised CLOSE protocol. QOL improvement was significantly associated with impairment at baseline and AF burden after ablation., Trial Registration Number: NCT03062046., Competing Interests: Competing interests: Dr MD reports personal fees (consulting) from Biosense Webster, outside the submitted work; reports non-financial (travel) support for the submitted work. Dr RK reports grants from Biosense Webster, grants from Biotronik, grants from Abbott, grants from Medtronic, grants from Boston, grants from SIS Medical, outside the submitted work. Dr GS reports grants from Biosense Webster, during the conduct of the study; personal fees from Biosense Webster, personal fees from Abbott, outside the submitted work. Dr J-PA reports personal fees (consulting) from Biosense Webster and from Abbott outside the submitted work. Drs BB, TDP, SK, NS, DS, YS, PT, HVH, JV and MW have nothing to disclose., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

Importance: Catheter ablation is effective in reducing atrial fibrillation (AF), but the association of ablation for AF with quality of life is unclear., Objective: To evaluate whether the procedural outcome of ablation for AF is associated with quality of life (QOL) measures., Design, Setting, and Participants: This was a prespecified secondary analysis of the Substrate and Trigger Ablation for Reduction of Atrial Fibrillation-Part II (STAR AF II) prospective randomized clinical trial, which compared 3 strategies for ablation of persistent AF. This analysis included 549 of the 589 patients enrolled in the trial who underwent ablation. Enrollment occurred at 35 centers in Europe, Canada, Australia, China, and Korea from November 2010 to July 2012. Data for the current study were analyzed on December 11, 2019., Interventions: Patients underwent AF ablation with 1 of 3 ablation strategies: (1) pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), (2) PVI plus complex fractionated electrograms, or (3) PVI plus linear lesions., Main Outcomes and Measures: Quality of life was assessed at baseline and at 6, 12, and 18 months after ablation for AF using the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey and the EuroQol Health-Related Quality of Life 5-Dimension 3-Level questionnaire. Scores were also converted to a physical health component score (PCS) and a mental health component score (MCS). Individual AF burden was calculated by the total time with AF from Holter monitors and the percentage of transtelephonic monitor recordings showing AF., Results: Among the 549 patients included in this secondary analysis, QOL was assessed in 466 (85%) at baseline and at 6, 12, and 18 months after ablation for AF. The mean (SD) age of the study population was 60 (9) years; 434 (79%) individuals were men, and 417 (76%) had continuous AF for 6 months or more before ablation. The AF burden significantly decreased from a mean (SD) of 82% (36%) before ablation to 6.6% (23%) after ablation (P < .001). Significant improvements in mean (SD) PCS (68.3 [20.7] to 82.5 [18.6]) and MCS (35.3 [8.6] to 37.5 [7.6]) occurred 18 months after ablation (P < .05 for both). Significant QOL improvement occurred in all 3 study arms and regardless of AF recurrence, defined as AF episodes lasting more than 30 seconds: for no recurrence, mean (SD) PCS increased from 66.5 (20.9) to 79.1 (19.4) and MCS from 35.3 (8.7) to 37.7 (7.7); for recurrence, mean (SD) PCS increased from 70.2 (20.4) to 86.4 (16.8) and MCS from 35.3 (8.6) to 37.1 (7.4) (P < .05 for all). When outcome was defined by AF burden reduction, in patients with less than 70% reduction in AF burden, the increase in PCS was significantly less than in those with greater than 70% reduction, and only 3 of 8 subscales showed significant improvement., Conclusions and Relevance: In this secondary analysis, decreases in AF burden after ablation for AF were significantly associated with improvements in QOL. Quality of life changes were significantly associated with the percentage of AF burden reduction after ablation., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01203748.

Aims: Progression of atrial fibrillation (AF) from paroxysmal to persistent forms is an active field of research. The influence of AF progression on health related quality of life (HRQoL) is currently unknown. We aimed to assess the influence of AF progression on HRQoL, and whether this association is mediated through symptoms, treatment, and major adverse events., Methods and Results: In the Euro Heart Survey, 967 patients were included with paroxysmal AF who filled out EuroQoL-5D at baseline and at 1 year follow-up. Those who progressed (n = 132, 13.6%) developed more problems during follow-up than those who did not, on all EuroQoL-5D domains (increase in problems on mobility 20.5% vs. 11.4%; self-care 12.9% vs. 6.2%; usual activities 23.5% vs. 14.0%; pain/discomfort 20.5% vs. 13.7%; and anxiety/depression 22.7% vs. 15.7%; all P < 0.05), leading to a decrease in utility [baseline 0.744 ± 0.26, follow-up 0.674 ± 0.36; difference -0.07 (95% CI [-0.126,-0.013], P = 0.02)]. Multivariate analysis showed that the effect of progression on utility is mediated by a large effect of adverse events [stroke (-0.27 (95% CI [-0.43,-0.11]); P = 0.001], heart failure [-0.12 (95% CI [-0.20,-0.05]); P = 0.001], malignancy (-0.31 (95% CI [-0.56,-0.05]); P = 0.02] or implantation of an implantable cardiac defibrillator [-0.12 (95% CI [-0.23,-0.02]); P = 0.03)], as well as symptomatic AF [-0.04 (95% CI [-0.08,-0.01]); P = 0.008]., Conclusion: AF progression is associated with a decrease in HRQoL. However, multivariate analysis revealed that AF progression itself does not have a negative effect on HRQoL, but that this effect can be attributed to a minor effect of the associated symptoms and a major effect of associated adverse events.

Aims: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is not always perceived as a serious health threat, but is the most common sustained arrhythmia, with a major impact on morbidity, mortality, and patient quality of life (QoL). A survey was undertaken to examine the level of understanding, perception, and attitudes of the cardiovascular risks associated with AF., Methods and Results: The AF AWARE group (an international coalition of organizations with an interest in AF) conducted an international quantitative survey in 11 countries in 2009, to investigate patients' (n = 825) and cardiologists' (n = 810) perceptions of AF, preferences for communicating information on AF and burden of AF. Both patients and physicians considered AF life-threatening (55 and 43%, respectively). Physicians were more concerned about the risk of stroke and hospitalizations than patients, whereas patients were most concerned about death risk. One in four patients felt unable to explain AF and >33% were worried or fearful about their disease. Many physicians (51%) wanted more patient information with >60% viewing available information as poor/difficult to find. Hospital specialists and GPs were identified as key information sources for patients. Most patients (83%) reported symptoms, yet 75% claimed to be satisfied with AF therapies. Atrial fibrillation patients, often with associated diseases, made an average of nine visits per year to their doctors, who consider AF difficult and time consuming to manage. Patients and physicians rated the QoL impact of AF as moderate to high., Conclusions: A comprehensive international patient and professional information and support programme on AF is needed to improve management and consequently health outcomes.

Background: This study used a device (DDD implantable cardioverter defibrillator [ICD]) capable of delivering pacing and shock therapies to restore normal sinus rhythm in patients with atrial tachycardias or atrial fibrillation (AF). The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of the device on patient-perceived, health-related quality of life (QOL)., Methods: The DDD ICD was implanted in 267 patients with drug refractory, symptomatic AF from 45 centers across Europe, the United States, and Canada. Patients completed self-reported, validated QOL assessments at baseline and at 3- and 6-month follow-up visits (The Medical Outcomes Short Form 36 [SF-36] and the Symptom Checklist [SCL])., Results: The mean age of the study group was 62 +/- 12 years, and 73% of the patients were male. A total of 150 patients completed SF-36 assessments, and 138 patients completed SCL assessments at all 3 times. Baseline scores were more impaired (P <.05) on most SF-36 scales compared with norms for a general population, but were similar to a comparison group of patients with AF who were referred to tertiary care centers. The role-physical, physical functioning, vitality, mental health, and social functioning scales all improved significantly with time (all P <.04). Similarly, symptom frequency and severity (SCL) also improved significantly from baseline to 6 months (both P <.01). Shock therapy was delivered in 86 of the 150 patients (57%) with complete SF-36 evaluations. There was no evidence that receiving shocks decreased the relative improvement in QOL associated with implantation of the device., Conclusions: In a 6-month period, QOL improves after implantation of a DDD ICD with atrial shock and pacing therapies. These improvements were not attenuated by receipt of shocks.