Physical activity and atrial tachyarrhythmia recurrence in atrial fibrillation patients after catheter ablation

Background: The association between physical activity (PA) and atrial tachyarrhythmia (AT) recurrence after ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) remains unclear. Methods: We consecutively enrolled 496 patients treated with AF ablation therapy in Beijing Anzhen Hospital. After excluding six patients with valvular heart disease, seven patients with congenital heart disease, 33 patients lost to follow-up, and 14 patients who did not provide PA level during follow-ups, 436 patients had their PA level assessed by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form before ablation and each time of follow-up. The association between PA level (measured at the time closest to AT recurrence, or the end of 12-month follow-up if no AT recurrence), as well as active PA during follow-up, and postablation AT recurrence was tested by multivariate logistic regression. Results: Of the enrolled patients, 134 (30.7%) patients experienced AT recurrence in the first 12 months postablation. Compared to patients with low PA, patients with moderate or high PA had a lower risk of AT recurrence (odds ratio [OR] =.44; 95% confidence interval [CI],.25-.80; P =.01 for patients with moderate PA; and OR =.43 [95% CI,.21-.85], P =.02 for patients with high PA). Compared to patients without active PA, patients with active PA had a lower risk of AT recurrence (OR =.44 [95% CI,.27-.70], P <.01). Conclusions: Moderate and high PA are associated with a lower risk of AT recurrence after AF ablation. Active PA during follow-up is also associated with a significantly lower risk of AT recurrence in the postablation AF population.