Tele-Rehabilitation After Catheter Ablation in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

NCT07808307 | Not Yet Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: DEU-AF-TELEREHAB-01
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 28
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study aims to investigate the effects of remotely supervised cardiac telerehabilitation in patients with atrial fibrillation who have undergone catheter ablation. Participants will be randomly assigned to a cardiac telerehabilitation group or a control group. The telerehabilitation group will receive a 12-week remotely supervised exercise program in addition to standard care, consisting of aerobic, strengthening, and stretching exercises. The control group will receive standard care and general exercise guidance without an individualized exercise program. Functional exercise capacity, muscle strength, arterial stiffness, heart rate variability, quality of life, physical activity, balance, cognitive function, anxiety and depression, and atrial fibrillation recurrence will be evaluated.

Conditions

Atrial Fibrillation (AF)

Keywords

Atrial Fibrillation; Catheter Ablation; Cardiac Telerehabilitation; Remote Exercise Training; Exercise Capacity; Cardiac Rehabilitation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• 6 Minute Walk Test (6MWT) Distance

  Distance walked during the 6-minute walk test, measured in meters, as an indicator of functional exercise capacity.

  At baseline (1 week after catheter ablation) and within 1 week after completion of the 12-week intervention

Secondary Outcomes (23)

• Muscle Strength

  At baseline (1 week after catheter ablation) and within 1 week after completion of the 12-week intervention

• Handgrip Strength

  At baseline (1 week after catheter ablation) and within 1 week after completion of the 12-week intervention

• Arterial Stiffness-Carotid-Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity (cfPWV)

  At baseline (1 week after catheter ablation) and within 1 week after completion of the 12-week intervention

• Arterial Stiffness-Augmentation Index (AIx)

  At baseline (1 week after catheter ablation) and within 1 week after completion of the 12-week intervention

• Heart Rate Variability-SDNN

  At baseline (1 week after catheter ablation) and within 1 week after completion of the 12-week intervention

Study Arms (2)

Cardiac Telerehabilitation Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this group will receive standard care plus a 12-week remotely supervised cardiac telerehabilitation exercise program consisting of aerobic, strengthening, and stretching exercises. The program will be performed three days per week for a total of 36 sessions, with each session lasting approximately 45-60 minutes.

Behavioral: Remotely Supervised Cardiac Telerehabilitation

Control Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants in this group will receive standard care and general exercise guidance. They will be encouraged to achieve 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week but will not receive an individualized exercise training program.

Other: Usual Care and General Exercise Guidance

Interventions

Usual Care and General Exercise Guidance OTHER

Participants will receive standard care and general exercise guidance. They will be encouraged to achieve 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week but will not receive an individualized exercise training program.

Control Group

Remotely Supervised Cardiac Telerehabilitation BEHAVIORAL

A 12-week remotely supervised cardiac telerehabilitation exercise program consisting of aerobic, strengthening, and stretching exercises. Participants will exercise three days per week for a total of 36 sessions, with each session lasting approximately 45-60 minutes. Exercise intensity will be individually prescribed and progressed according to participant tolerance.

Cardiac Telerehabilitation Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 50 Years - 70 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Aged 50-75 years.
• Diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and treated with catheter ablation.
• Have a smartphone or computer compatible with the digital equipment provided for the study.
• Have access to the Internet.
• Provide written informed consent to participate in the study.

You may not qualify if:

• Presence of a non-cardiovascular condition (orthopedic or neurological) that limits participation in exercise.
• Acute heart failure, cancer, or worsening of a comorbid condition within the previous 3 months that may affect the assessment or intervention.
• Severe cognitive impairment.
• Unwillingness to participate in the study.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Hande Cörüt: lead
• The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Dokuz Eylul University Hospital

Izmir, Balçova, 35330, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Related Publications (5)

• Spertus J, Dorian P, Bubien R, Lewis S, Godejohn D, Reynolds MR, Lakkireddy DR, Wimmer AP, Bhandari A, Burk C. Development and validation of the Atrial Fibrillation Effect on QualiTy-of-Life (AFEQT) Questionnaire in patients with atrial fibrillation. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol. 2011 Feb;4(1):15-25. doi: 10.1161/CIRCEP.110.958033. Epub 2010 Dec 15.

  PMID: 21160035 RESULT

• Schaffarczyk M, Rogers B, Reer R, Gronwald T. Validity of the Polar H10 Sensor for Heart Rate Variability Analysis during Resting State and Incremental Exercise in Recreational Men and Women. Sensors (Basel). 2022 Aug 30;22(17):6536. doi: 10.3390/s22176536.

  PMID: 36081005 RESULT

• Misra S, Niazi K, Swayampakala K, Blackmon A, Lang M, Davenport E, Saxonhouse S, Fedor J, Powell B, Thompson J, Holshouser J, Mehta R. Outcomes of a Remote Cardiac Rehabilitation Program for Patients Undergoing Atrial Fibrillation Ablation: Pilot Study. JMIR Cardio. 2023 Dec 14;7:e49345. doi: 10.2196/49345.

  PMID: 38096021 RESULT

• Cai C, Bao Z, Wu N, Wu F, Sun G, Yang G, Chen M. A novel model of home-based, patient-tailored and mobile application-guided cardiac telerehabilitation in patients with atrial fibrillation: A randomised controlled trial. Clin Rehabil. 2022 Jan;36(1):40-50. doi: 10.1177/02692155211032372. Epub 2021 Jul 16.

  PMID: 34266323 RESULT

• Kato M, Ogano M, Mori Y, Kochi K, Morimoto D, Kito K, Green FN, Tsukamoto T, Kubo A, Takagi H, Tanabe J. Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation for patients with catheter ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation: A randomized controlled clinical trial. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2019 Dec;26(18):1931-1940. doi: 10.1177/2047487319859974. Epub 2019 Jul 5.

  PMID: 31272205 RESULT

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Atrial Fibrillation

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Heart Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Central Study Contacts

Hande CORUT, PhD Student

CONTACT

+90 0507 664 15 15; handedincel@hotmail.com

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: The outcomes assessor will be blinded to group allocation.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Model Details: Participants will be randomly assigned to either a remotely supervised cardiac telerehabilitation group or a control group. The telerehabilitation group will receive a 12-week exercise program in addition to standard care, while the control group will receive standard care and general exercise guidance without an individualized exercise program.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 27, 2026
• First Posted: September 8, 2026
• Study Start: September 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2027
• Last Updated: September 8, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-09

Locations

TU (1)