Effect of High-Intensity Interval Training in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Exercise Physiology
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Atrial fibrillation (AF) significantly impairs patients' functional capacity and quality of life (QOL).
• High-intensity interval training (HIIT) offers potential benefits for cardiovascular populations but is understudied in AF patients.
• Moderate-to-vigorous intensity continuous training (MICT) is a standard rehabilitation approach.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of 12-week HIIT versus MICT-based cardiovascular rehabilitation (CR) in patients with persistent and permanent AF.
• To assess the impact on functional capacity, general and disease-specific QOL, resting heart rate (HR), and physical activity (PA) levels.

Main Methods:

• A randomized clinical trial involving 86 patients with persistent or permanent AF.
• Interventions included twice-weekly 23-minute HIIT or 60-minute MICT-based CR for 12 weeks.
• Primary outcomes: changes in 6-minute walk test (6MWT) distance and Short Form 36 (SF-36) general QOL.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were observed between HIIT and CR groups in improvements in 6MWT distance (P=.42) or general QOL (P=.87).
• Secondary outcomes, including disease-specific QOL, resting HR, and PA levels, also showed no significant differences between the groups.
• Adherence rates were comparable, with 75.1% for HIIT and 83.4% for CR.

Conclusions:

• Twice-weekly 23-minute HIIT is as effective as twice-weekly 60-minute MICT-based CR for improving functional capacity and QOL in AF patients.
• HIIT provides a time-efficient alternative for cardiovascular rehabilitation in this population.
• These findings support the integration of HIIT into AF management strategies.