Yoga vs regular exercise for atrial fibrillation: Design of the yoga-AF randomized controlled trial

IF 3.4 2区医学 Q1 CARDIAC & CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS

American heart journal Pub Date : 2026-02-01 Epub Date: 2025-09-22 DOI:10.1016/j.ahj.2025.09.010

Rose Crowley Bmed, MD , Sonia Azzopardi RN , Annie Curtin RN , Georgia Rendell RN , Louise Segan MBBS , Jeremy William MBBS , Kenneth Cho MBBS , Nicholas D’Elia MBBS , Margareta Sutija PhD , Tommy Kende MBBS, PhD , David Chieng MBBS, PhD , Hariharan Sugumar MBBS, PhD , Aleksandr Voskoboinik MBBS, PhD , Sandeep Prabhu MBBS, PhD , Liang-Han Ling MBBS, PhD , Vaughan G Macefield BSc, PhD, DSc , Jonathan M Kalman MBBS, PhD , Peter M Kistler MBBS, PhD

{"title":"Yoga vs regular exercise for atrial fibrillation: Design of the yoga-AF randomized controlled trial","authors":"Rose Crowley Bmed, MD , Sonia Azzopardi RN , Annie Curtin RN , Georgia Rendell RN , Louise Segan MBBS , Jeremy William MBBS , Kenneth Cho MBBS , Nicholas D’Elia MBBS , Margareta Sutija PhD , Tommy Kende MBBS, PhD , David Chieng MBBS, PhD , Hariharan Sugumar MBBS, PhD , Aleksandr Voskoboinik MBBS, PhD , Sandeep Prabhu MBBS, PhD , Liang-Han Ling MBBS, PhD , Vaughan G Macefield BSc, PhD, DSc , Jonathan M Kalman MBBS, PhD , Peter M Kistler MBBS, PhD","doi":"10.1016/j.ahj.2025.09.010","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Lifestyle modification is a key pillar of atrial fibrillation (AF) management. Yoga has beneficial effects on cardiovascular health and has shown promise as an intervention in AF. However, randomized data are absent.</div></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>To determine the effect of regular yoga on AF episodes and AF burden in people with paroxysmal or persistent AF over a 12-month period.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This is a randomized control trial of a yoga program in addition to standard care, compared to standard care alone in people with paroxysmal or persistent AF undergoing a rhythm control management strategy. 222 participants will be randomized 1:1 to the yoga intervention or control. Yoga will be conducted in studio and online with a target of at least 3 classes/week. Controls will be instructed to exercise for at least 150 minutes/week. Rhythm monitoring will be with implantable loop recorder, or ECG capable smartwatch with AF detection and twice daily ECGs. Autonomic metrics will be assessed in the laboratory by HRV, blood pressure variability and direct recordings of muscle sympathetic nerve activity. Following a 3-month training period, the dual primary endpoints of AF recurrence (time to recurrence, as defined by any sustained atrial tachyarrhythmia lasting >1 hour) and AF burden will be determined at 12 months.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This study aims to determine the impact of yoga on AF recurrence and burden in people with paroxysmal and persistent AF. Yoga may provide an effective noninvasive, nonpharmacologic lifestyle strategy in the management of AF.</div></div><div><h3>Trial Registration</h3><div>The trial was preregistered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12624000264583).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7868,"journal":{"name":"American heart journal","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 107278"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4000,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"American heart journal","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002870325003321","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/9/22 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"CARDIAC & CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Lifestyle modification is a key pillar of atrial fibrillation (AF) management. Yoga has beneficial effects on cardiovascular health and has shown promise as an intervention in AF. However, randomized data are absent.

Objectives

To determine the effect of regular yoga on AF episodes and AF burden in people with paroxysmal or persistent AF over a 12-month period.

Methods

This is a randomized control trial of a yoga program in addition to standard care, compared to standard care alone in people with paroxysmal or persistent AF undergoing a rhythm control management strategy. 222 participants will be randomized 1:1 to the yoga intervention or control. Yoga will be conducted in studio and online with a target of at least 3 classes/week. Controls will be instructed to exercise for at least 150 minutes/week. Rhythm monitoring will be with implantable loop recorder, or ECG capable smartwatch with AF detection and twice daily ECGs. Autonomic metrics will be assessed in the laboratory by HRV, blood pressure variability and direct recordings of muscle sympathetic nerve activity. Following a 3-month training period, the dual primary endpoints of AF recurrence (time to recurrence, as defined by any sustained atrial tachyarrhythmia lasting >1 hour) and AF burden will be determined at 12 months.

Conclusions

This study aims to determine the impact of yoga on AF recurrence and burden in people with paroxysmal and persistent AF. Yoga may provide an effective noninvasive, nonpharmacologic lifestyle strategy in the management of AF.

Trial Registration

The trial was preregistered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12624000264583).

查看原文本刊更多论文

瑜伽与常规运动治疗房颤：瑜伽-房颤随机对照试验的设计

背景：生活方式改变是房颤治疗的关键支柱。瑜伽对心血管健康有益，并有望干预房颤。然而，缺乏随机数据。目的：确定常规瑜伽对阵发性或持续性房颤患者房颤发作和房颤负担的影响超过12个月。方法：这是一项在标准治疗的基础上进行瑜伽项目的随机对照试验，比较了在接受节奏控制管理策略的阵发性或持续性房颤患者中单独进行标准治疗的情况。222名参与者将以1:1的比例随机分配到瑜伽干预组或对照组。瑜伽将在工作室和网上进行，目标是每周至少3节课。对照组被要求每周至少锻炼150分钟。节律监测将采用植入式循环记录仪，或具有AF检测功能的ECG智能手表，每天进行两次心电图。自主神经指标将在实验室通过HRV、血压变异性和肌肉交感神经活动的直接记录来评估。经过3个月的训练，在12个月时确定房颤复发的双重主要终点（复发时间，以任何持续的房性心动过速持续1小时来定义）和房颤负担。结论：本研究旨在确定瑜伽对阵发性和持续性AF患者AF复发和负担的影响。瑜伽可能为AF管理提供一种有效的非侵入性、非药物生活方式策略。试验注册：该试验已在澳大利亚新西兰临床试验注册中心（ACTRN12624000264583）预注册。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

American heart journal 医学-心血管系统

CiteScore

8.20

自引率

2.10%

发文量

214

审稿时长

38 days

期刊介绍： The American Heart Journal will consider for publication suitable articles on topics pertaining to the broad discipline of cardiovascular disease. Our goal is to provide the reader primary investigation, scholarly review, and opinion concerning the practice of cardiovascular medicine. We especially encourage submission of 3 types of reports that are not frequently seen in cardiovascular journals: negative clinical studies, reports on study designs, and studies involving the organization of medical care. The Journal does not accept individual case reports or original articles involving bench laboratory or animal research.