Rehabilitation of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent cardiac arrhythmia and is the cause of increased morbidity, mortality and socioeconomic costs.

Research conducted in recent years suggests that various pharmacological therapies and life style changes may affect the structural remodelling, thereby preventing the incidence of AF (primary prophylaxis) and a progression of the disease (secondary prophylaxis). These therapies, known as upstream therapy, include ace inhibitors/angiotensin II inhibitors, statins, the intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and moderate physical exercise.

Furthermore, an important part of the treatment is to alleviate patients' symptoms, reduce the risk of thromboembolic complications and teach the patients to live with a chronic paroxysmal disease. Today, well-established pharmacological therapies are available, but there is only sparse knowledge of the effect of non-pharmacological therapies, how patients obtain information on the disease, how they learn how to cope with their symptoms, and how they relate to the uncertainty as to when they will experience the next symptom-producing attack of AF.

Cardiac rehabilitation is a collective term for the aftercare of patients with chronic heart failure. Cardiac rehabilitation is a cross-functional approach with participation of physicians, nurses, dieticians and smoking cessation instructors and is performed under the supervision of a cardiac specialist.

Cardiac rehabilitation includes: individually designed treatment plan, offer of patient information and education, support for smoking cessation, support for diet change, psychosocial support, optimisation of medical treatment and risk factor control, advice on physical exercise and maintenance of targets.