Synapse
⌘+K
Synapse
PulseExploreClubsResearchersJournals
Instagram
HomeClubsExplore
June 12, 2026European Journal of Preventive CardiologyOpen Access

An 11-week walking exercise program in patients with atrial fibrillation did not significantly change time in AF (-1.2% vs 0.3%; p=0.23) but improved health-related quality of life (p=0.042).

View Full Paper
Ask AI
Bookmark
Share

Why the study?

Does 11 weeks of walking exercise reduce time in AF and improve quality of life in patients with paroxysmal or persistent AF?

Population

129 patients with paroxysmal or persistent AF. Walking group: mean age 70±6 years, 17% female. Control…

Comparison

11 weeks of walking exercise in preparation for… vs Continued regular care without participating in…

Design

Cohort

Follow-up

11 weeks

Key result

An 11-week walking exercise program in patients with atrial fibrillation did not significantly change time in AF (-1.2% vs 0.3%; p=0.23) but improved health-related quality of life (p=0.042).

Authors

LHL R Van HoutEGE Van Der GaagMDM M L R Drissen

Discussion

Loading...

Member takes

Overview

Walking exercise showed no significant effect on AF burden; leaves open the role of moderate activity outside ablation settings.

Key Points

  • To evaluate the effects of 11 weeks of moderate-intensity walking training on quality of life and disease burden in patients with atrial fibrillation.
  • Included 129 patients with paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation, randomized to walking group (n=59) or control (n=70).
  • Walking group trained for 11 weeks, tracking distances walked; quality of life assessed using AFEQT and SF-36.
  • Time in AF measured objectively with a wireless holter ECG before, during, and after training.
  • Walking training increased distance covered from 23.9±10.7 to 38.8±25.7 km/week.
  • Quality of life improvements measured by SF-36 were significantly better in the walking group (4.8±1.6 SE) compared to controls (0.6±1.4 SE), p=0.009.
  • No significant effects were observed for time in AF between groups, p=0.23.

Study Design

Type

Observational (n=129)

Structured PICO

Does 11 weeks of walking exercise reduce time in AF and improve quality of life in patients with paroxysmal or persistent AF?

P
Population
129 patients with paroxysmal or persistent AF (1-23 years following diagnosis) followed for 11 weeks to assess the effect of walking exercise on disease burden and quality of life.
E
Exposure
11 weeks of walking exercise in preparation for a 4-day long-distance walking march (increasing from 23.9 to 38.8 km/week), in addition to regular care.
C
Comparator
Continued regular care without participating in the walking event.
O
Outcome
Time in AF (percentage of total wear time measured objectively with a wireless holter ECG over 5 days of continuous monitoring) at 11 weeks.surrogate

Main Result

Absolute Event Rate: -1.2% vs 0.3%

p-value: p=0.23

An 11-week walking training program improves general health-related quality of life in patients with atrial fibrillation, despite not significantly reducing objective AF burden.

Cite This Study

Hout et al. (2026) conducted an observational in Atrial fibrillation (n=129). 11 weeks of walking exercise vs. Controls not taking part in the walking event was evaluated on Time in AF (percentage of total wear time) (p=0.23). An 11-week walking exercise program in patients with atrial fibrillation did not significantly change time in AF (-1.2% vs 0.3%; p=0.23) but improved health-related quality of life (p=0.042).

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a2bd11d6550ea4541ffe86chttps://doi.org/10.1093/eurjpc/zwag249.014
View Full Paper
Ask AI
Bookmark
Share

Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Arrhythmia burden, symptoms and quality of life in female and male endurance athletes with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: a multicentre cohort study in Norway, Australia and Belgium2025 · 2 citations
  2. 2Effect of Exercise Training with Consideration of Potential Moderating Variables in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis2025 · 2 citations
  3. 3Clinical characteristics and quality of life in patients with atrial fibrillation before and after radiofrequency catheter ablation at the Department of Cardiology, Military Hospital 1032025
  4. 4Patient-reported quality of life after atrial fibrillation ablation: a real-world study2026
  5. 5Age and Health Status Benefits Following Initiation of Atrial Fibrillation‐Specific Treatments2025