Effects on atrial fibrillation symptom burden of an obesity-focused cardiac rehabilitation program: Insights from the OPTICARE XL trial

Obesity is a major modifiable risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF) [ 1 ]. Sustained weight loss and regular exercise are therefore key components of AF management [ 2 ]. In symptomatic AF populations, comprehensive risk factor management programmes targeting weight loss, physical activity, and behavioural change have been associated with reduced AF recurrence and symptom burden [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) provides a scalable framework for lifestyle modification, risk factor management (including weight loss), and improvement of exercise capacity and quality of life [ 5 ]. Whether CR, particularly when tailored for patients with obesity, is effective to reduce AF symptom burden remains uncertain [ 6 ]. We therefore evaluated the effect of an obesity-focused CR programme on AF symptom burden in patients with non-valvular AF [ 7 ].