Heart Rate Regularization in Atrial Fibrilation and Heart Failure

The PACE-FIB trial is a multicentre, randomised, open-label clinical trial. Patients older than 18 years, with permanent AF, LVEF\>40%, average resting heart rate ≤ 110 beats per minute (bpm), at least one hospitalisation due to HF in the previous year and basal NT-proBNP level\>900 pg/ml will be randomised to either CSP and subsequent AV node ablation (intervention group) vs. pharmacologic rate control optimised according to clinical practice guidelines. The impact of both strategies on a composite primary endpoint of all-cause mortality, HF hospitalisation and worsening HF will be evaluated during a 36-month follow-up.