Exercise-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation Aids Atrial Fibrillation

THURSDAY, July 31, 2025 (HealthDay News) — 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.

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