Effect of catheter ablation versus medical therapy on mental health and quality of life in patients with atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

The association between atrial fibrillation (AF) and mental health is well-documented, but the relative benefits of catheter ablation versus medical therapy on mental health and quality of life are not clearly understood. This study assesses the impact of these interventions on AF patients’ mental health and quality of life.

Through a systematic review of PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane databases, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing catheter ablation to medical therapy for AF were analyzed. The study focused on a range of outcomes, particularly mental health and quality of life, measured by tools including the SF-36 mental component, HADS, SF-36 physical component, and AFEQT scores, among others. Analyses were stratified by AF type (paroxysmal versus persistent) and synthesized using random or fixed-effects models to calculate mean differences (MDs) or standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

From 24 RCTs totaling 6,353 patients (51.4% receiving catheter ablation, 71.1% male, average age 59), catheter ablation was found to significantly improve mental health (SMD 0.34; 95% CI 0.05–0.63; p = 0.02) and quality of life as indicated by PCS SF-36 (MD 2.64; 95% CI 1.06–4.26; p < 0.01) and AFEQT scores (MD 6.24; 95% CI 4.43–8.05; p < 0.01), with no significant difference in outcomes between AF subtypes.

Catheter ablation offers significant improvements in mental health and quality of life over medical therapy for AF patients, demonstrating its efficacy across different types of AF.