Nurse-led lifestyle interventions improve quality of life and reduce AF recurrence after ablation
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Key Takeaway
Consider integrating nurse-led lifestyle interventions to improve quality of life and reduce AF recurrence after ablation.
This randomized controlled trial enrolled 160 patients undergoing radiofrequency ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Patients were assigned to either a nurse-led lifestyle intervention (tailored interventions managed by a nurse-led multidisciplinary team focusing on exercise, diet, medication adherence, and psychological support) or routine usual care. Follow-up occurred at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months.
At 12 months, the nurse-led intervention group showed significant improvements in Short Form-36 scores for Physical Functioning, Role Limitations, Vitality, General Health, and Social Functioning compared with usual care (P < .05). AF recurrence was significantly lower in the intervention group (12.5%) versus the usual-care group (26.3%) (P = .021). The incidence of postoperative complications was also reduced in the intervention group.
Safety outcomes were not reported in detail. Limitations of the study were not explicitly stated, but the single-center design and lack of blinding may affect generalizability. The results suggest that nurse-led care models may provide a valuable approach to optimizing postoperative outcomes for AF patients, though further research is needed to confirm these findings in broader populations.
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View Original Abstract ↓
BACKGROUND: Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia associated with significant morbidity. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a widely used treatment, but postoperative complications and recurrence remain concerns. Nurse-led lifestyle interventions have been proposed as a strategy to improve patient outcomes after RFA.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this randomized controlled trial was to compare the effects of routine (usual) care versus a nurse-led lifestyle intervention on postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing RFA for paroxysmal AF.
METHODS: A total of 160 patients undergoing RFA for paroxysmal AF were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the intervention group or the usual-care group. The intervention group received tailored lifestyle interventions managed by a nurse-led multidisciplinary team, focusing on exercise, diet, medication adherence, and psychological support. The usual-care group received standard postoperative care. The primary outcomes were quality of life (Short Form-36 scores) and recurrence of AF. Data were collected at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months.
RESULTS: The nurse-led lifestyle intervention group showed significant improvements in Short Form-36 scores for Physical Functioning, Role Limitations, Vitality, General Health, and Social Functioning compared with the usual-care group at 6 months ( P < .05). The recurrence rate of AF at 12 months was significantly lower in the nurse-led lifestyle intervention group (12.5%) compared with the usual-care group (26.3%, P = .021). The incidence of postoperative complications was also reduced in the nurse-led lifestyle intervention group.
CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that nurse-led care models may provide a valuable approach to optimizing postoperative outcomes for AF patients, emphasizing the need for structured, personalized interventions in clinical practice.
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