Skip to main content

Exercise-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation Aids Atrial Fibrillation

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on July 31, 2025.

via HealthDay

THURSDAY, July 31, 2025 -- Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (ExCR) shows clinical benefits in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), according to a review published online July 29 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Benjamin J.R. Buckley, Ph.D., from Liverpool John Moores University in the United Kingdom, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to assess the impact of ExCR for patients with AF.

Based on 20 randomized controlled trials (2,039 participants), the researchers found that over a mean follow-up of 11 months, ExCR did not impact all-cause mortality (8.3 versus 6.0 percent; relative risk [RR], 1.06, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.76 to 1.48) or serious adverse events (2.9 versus 4.1 percent; RR 1.30, 95 percent CI, 0.66 to 2.56). ExCR did reduce AF symptom severity (mean difference [MD] −1.61), AF burden (MD, −1.61), episode frequency (MD, −0.57), episode duration (MD, −0.58), AF recurrence (RR, 0.68; 95 percent CI, 0.53 to 0.89), and improved exercise capacity (maximal oxygen consumption MD, 3.18 mL/kg/min). For quality of life, there was benefit for the mental component but not the physical component.

"AF management guidelines should reflect this updated evidence base by recommending ExCR alongside drug and ablation therapies for patients with AF," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical and technology industries.

Abstract/Full Text

Editorial

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Racialized Economic Segregation Linked to Advanced Cancer Diagnosis

FRIDAY, Aug. 1, 2025 -- People living in racially and economically segregated neighborhoods are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced-stage breast and cervical cancer...

New Subtype of Diabetes Identified in Sub-Saharan Africans, Black Americans

FRIDAY, Aug. 1, 2025 -- A new diabetes subtype has been identified in Sub-Saharan Africans and Black Americans, according to a study published online July 21 in The Lancet...

Changes in Missouri Law Linked to Increased Breast Cancer Screening Rates

THURSDAY, July 31, 2025 -- Changes in Missouri law expanding breast cancer screening coverage have led to increased screening rates among Medicaid patients and an increased...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.