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Managing the underlying cardiac risk factors of patients treated for atrial fibrillation (AF) drastically improves long-term survival rates, according to a new study. Researchers from University of Adelaide have found that patients suffering AF can improve their long-term outcomes by up to 70% with an aggressive management of their lifestyle.
A study in the University of Adelaide’s Centre for Heart Rhythm Disorders followed more than 149 AF patients who had undergone catheter ablation. Of these, 61 had also undergone an intensive risk factor management program. The program involved attending follow-up appointments at a dedicated risk factor management clinic every three months, in addition to the patients’ normal specialist appointments.
AF is increasingly responsible for dementia, stroke and death, and has a significant impact on healthcare costs. Risk factors addressed in the programme included weight, blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and cholesterol, as well as addressing sleep breathing problems, and smoking and alcohol.
The findings, published in this month’s issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, conclusively show that patients who managed their lifestyle factors were five times more likely to have long-term survival without any further heart arrhythmia.
“After a period of five years, arrhythmia-free survival rates for patients who undertook the risk management program were 87%, compared with less than 18% of the control group,” says the study’s lead author, Dr Rajeev Pathak, a Cardiologist and Electrophysiology Fellow with the University of Adelaide, the Royal Adelaide Hospital and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI).
“This is a very important finding because it shows the huge gap between what happens when patients are able to manage the underlying risks of their health and those who rely solely on medical intervention.
“It highlights the difference between simply being reactive to the health problem, and being responsive by changing lifestyle and trying to do something about those underlying risks. Our results help to reinforce a significant public health message about lifestyle, and they show what a targeted management program can achieve. This study should serve as a wake up call to physicians to begin prevention programs to reduce disease states rather than focus on their treatment only, and the good news is that it is never too late to start.”