Impact of Cardiac Prehabilitation, REhabilitation and Patient EDucation on Outcomes in Patients Undergoing First-time AF Ablation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a term used to describe an irregular, and often very rapid, heartbeat. AF increases the risk of a number of diseases associated with the heart and cardiovascular system. Ablation is a procedure to treat AF. It uses small burns or freezes to cause some scarring on the inside of the heart to help break up the electrical signals that cause irregular heartbeats. This can help the heart maintain a normal rhythm. Currently patients who are referred for AF ablation do not receive any additional support as part of standard care to improve the outcomes of their ablation procedure. Whereas cardiac rehabilitation is a recognised part of comprehensive care for coronary heart disease patients (patients whose hearts struggle to receive blood), with exercise and education consistently identified as central elements to their rehabilitation. This treatment is not yet recommended for AF ablation patients. Therefore, the CREED AF Study is investigating whether a tailored comprehensive exercise and education intervention can improve outcomes in patients who are undergoing first time AF ablation. Central to the CREED AF study is the 'prehabilitation' intervention, whereby exercise and education training will be conducted before AND after AF ablation. 106 participants is the target recruitment, they will be randomised to either receive the CREED AF intervention (exercise and education intervention before AND after AF ablation) or a standard care (control) group. The standard care group will receive a one off 1-to-1 patient education session with a trained practitioner before their AF ablation procedure. This research study does not affect the AF ablation procedure that patients will have as part of their standard of care.