Cochrane Systematic Review

Title: Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation for adults with atrial fibrillation

Good to know: Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation for adults with atrial fibrillation may make little to no difference in mortality compared with non-exercise controls (low certainty evidence). However, exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation likely reduces recurrence of atrial fibrillation, the burden of atrial fibrillation symptoms, and the duration of atrial fibrillation episodes (moderate certainty evidence). It may also reduce the severity of symptoms (low certainty evidence).

Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation may have little to no effect on severe adverse events (low certainty evidence).

Limitations: Low certainty of evidence for several outcomes.

Evidence: Cochrane Review (published in September 2024); inclusion of 20 studies with 2,039 participants; comparison between exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation and treatment as usual (for example standard medical care such as drug therapy or catheter ablation), no intervention, other cardiac rehabilitation programs, or risk factor management.