Concurrent Training in Patients Undergoing Atrial Fibrillation Ablation.

AF is associated with increased morbimortality and other comorbidities (hypertension diabetes etc.) which places a significant burden on the patient himself, social health and also on health and social care expenditure.

The European Society of Cardiology proposes an integrated ABC model (A: Anticoagulation, B: main symptom management, C: optimization of comorbidities and cardiovascular) and within this model, catheter ablation (B) is considered one of the main treatments to control AF symptoms; physical activity (C) is considered one of the modifiable health risk factors and is considered within a lifestyle intervention together with weight loss.

Catheter ablation of AF is currently the treatment of choice for paroxysmal AF. It uses small burns or frostbite to cause some scarring inside the heart to help interrupt the electrical signals that cause the irregular heartbeat. It is a safe procedure that has been shown to be more effective than treatment with antiarrhythmic drugs in reducing the arrhythmic burden and, therefore, the morbidity and mortality associated with the pathology.

Many studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of moderate physical activity and physical exercise on cardiovascular health. However, there is still controversy as to whether physical activity is associated with an increased risk of AF in the general population; while some studies report a decreased risk of AF, others suggest an increase or that there is no evidence of an association between AF and physical activity.

Few studies have yet focused on the effects of physical activity in those subjects who have undergone catheter ablation. Studies that have evaluated physical activity with questionnaires associate it, when of moderate or high intensity, with lower recurrence of AF and lower incidence of serious events. It is true that the practice of regular and controlled physical exercise is a recognized part of the comprehensive care of patients with coronary heart disease (patients whose heart has difficulty receiving blood), and exercise is systematically identified as a central element of their rehabilitation. However, to date there is no similar approach for AF ablation patients.

Given the current situation of the subject of interest, the main objective of this project is to study the influence of a physical exercise program in patients undergoing catheter ablation of AF on different morphological and physiological variables of the heart, levels of physical activity and quality of life of patients. Investigators intend to recruit 120 participants, who will be randomly and equally distributed into a group that will perform a physical exercise intervention and a control group that will not perform any type of intervention. Participation in the study will not disrupt the normal practice of the health care system with these patients.