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News
A yearlong high-intensity exercise program could be a game-changer for atrial fibrillation patients. The NEXAF trial found that participants spent 45% less time in AF compared to those receiving usual care, while also seeing 37% fewer hospitalizations overall. Researchers say the findings should reassure both patients and clinicians that vigorous exercise is safe — and genuinely beneficial — for people living with AF.
A new study presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress found that adults with atrial fibrillation (AF) who followed a yearlong high-intensity exercise program spent nearly half as much time in AF compared to those receiving usual care. The NEXAF trial enrolled 295 patients with nonpermanent AF who were below general physical activity recommendations, randomly assigning them to either a structured exercise intervention or standard care.
The program began with eight supervised high-intensity interval training sessions, then transitioned to a home-based, digitally supported routine for the remainder of the year. All participants had implanted cardiac monitors to continuously track AF episodes.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: Many patients and clinicians have long worried that intense exercise might worsen AF — this study directly challenges that concern. The pragmatic, largely home-based design makes it a realistic model for broader implementation of exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation.
