Journal of the American Heart Association, Volume 15, Issue 6 , March 17, 2026. BackgroundEarly rhythm control has been proposed to improve outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), but data on its effectiveness in real‐world cohorts remain limited.
We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of rhythm control in patients with recently diagnosed AF.MethodsWe included patients with recently diagnosed AF enrolled in the GLORIA‐AF (Global Registry on Long‐Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation) registry phase III. We analyzed rhythm control at baseline, defined as treatment with an antiarrhythmic drug, or having received AF ablation or cardioversion; patients who did not receive any of these treatments were assigned to the “no rhythm control” group.
We analyzed factors associated with rhythm control, treatment with an oral anticoagulant, and risk of major outcomes using multivariable regression analyses. The primary outcome for this analysis was the composite of all‐cause death and major adverse cardiovascular events.ResultsOf 21 051 patients with AF included in this analysis (mean age, 70.2±10.3 years, 45% women), 6932 (32.9%) received rhythm control.
Journal of the American Heart Association published a clinical update in Cardiology on 04 Mar 2026.
The item focuses on Rhythm Control in Patients With Recently Diagnosed Atrial Fibrillation: Findings From the GLORIA‐AF Registry Phase III.
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