Why the study?
Concerns have been raised regarding atrial fibrillation risk associated with strenuous endurance exercise despite the known benefits of moderate-intensity activity.
Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Design
Review
May support moderating strenuous endurance exercise in AF-prone patients; leaves open need for RCTs to confirm the U-shaped relationship.
The health benefits of regular moderate-intensity exercise are indisputable. Recently, concerns have been raised about atrial fibrillation (AF) risk of strenuous endurance exercise. On the other hand, most modest exercise intensity is associated with a decreased risk of AF. Many investigators indicated a J-shaped or U-shaped relationship between the broad range of physical activity and AF. The mechanism underlying the increased risk of AF with endurance exercise may be different from the pathophysiology of a reduced risk of moderate exercise. It was speculated that long-term endurance exercise may promote cardiac structural changes (dilatation and fibrosis), increase vagal tone, bradycardia, and inducing AF. It can cause serious symptoms that disturb the intensity of exercise activity and hence more attention should be considered to prevent AF during endurance exercise. Moreover, the reduction of exercise intensity will be the most effective prevention strategy to decrease AF risk.
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Wattana Leowattana (2020) studied this question.
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