Trial reportJournal of the American Heart Association2022
Risks and Benefits of Early Rhythm Control in Patients With Acute Strokes and Atrial Fibrillation: A Multicenter, Prospective, Randomized Study (the RAFAS Trial).
Trial report in Journal of the American Heart Association, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 21 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Prospective Validation Study of Artificial Intelligence-based Prediction Algorithm for the Prediction of Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
Randomized Control Study to Assess the Neurological Outcomes After Atrial Fibrillation Ablation for Rhythm Control vs Routine Medication Therapy in Patients With Recent Stroke: SAVE STROKE Phase II Study
Who cites it
21 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 34 citations in OpenAlex.
- Representation of Women in Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Randomized Controlled Trials: Systematic Review.Journal of the American Heart Association · 2025Pooled it
- Cardiocerebrovascular benefits of early rhythm control in patients with atrial fibrillation detected after stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine · 2024Pooled it
- Early rhythm control vs. rate control in atrial fibrillation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine · 2023Pooled it
- Atrial fibrillation in stroke patients: facts, numbers and current challenges.Neurological research and practice · 2026Review
- Early treatment of Atrial fibrillation for Stroke prevention Trial in acute STROKE (EAST-STROKE): protocol for an international investigator-initiated, prospective, randomised, open, blinded endpoint assessment (PROBE) interventional multi-centre trial.European stroke journal · 2026Article
- When anticoagulant therapy is not enough: recurrent stroke.European heart journal supplements : journal of the European Society of Cardiology · 2026Article
- Rhythm Control in Patients With Recently Diagnosed Atrial Fibrillation: Findings From the GLORIA-AF Registry Phase III.Journal of the American Heart Association · 2026Article
- Contemporary management of atrial fibrillation in patients with cancer-the 2025 European Heart Rhythm Association survey.Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology · 2026Article
- Rate control or rhythm control strategies for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society · 2026Article
- Stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation: A narrative review of current evidence and emerging strategies.European journal of clinical investigation · 2025Review
- Ischemic stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation and a recent ischemic stroke, TIA, or intracranial hemorrhage: A World Stroke Organization (WSO) scientific statement.International journal of stroke : official journal of the International Stroke Society · 2025Review
- Effect of non-invasive rhythm control on outcomes in patients with first diagnosed atrial fibrillation presenting to an emergency department.BMC emergency medicine · 2025Observational
- Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation and risk of neurologic disease.Heart rhythm O2 · 2025Article
- Stroke in Athletes with Atrial Fibrillation: A Narrative Review.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Atrial fibrillation: stroke prevention.The Lancet regional health. Europe · 2024Review
- Diagnosis and Management of Atrial Fibrillation in Acute Ischemic Stroke in the Setting of Reperfusion Therapy: Insights and Strategies for Optimized Care.Journal of cardiovascular development and disease · 2023Review
- Atrial Fibrillation and Ischemic Stroke despite Oral Anticoagulation.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Review
- Are arrhythmias the drivers of sudden cardiac death in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction? A review.ESC heart failure · 2023Review
- Clinical applicability of an artificial intelligence prediction algorithm for early prediction of non-persistent atrial fibrillation.Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine · 2023Article
- Sinus rhythm restoration and improved outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke and in-hospital paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.European stroke journal · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
19 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Background The purpose of the RAFAS (Risk and Benefits of Urgent Rhythm Control of Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With Acute Stroke) trial was to explore the risks and benefits of early rhythm control in patients with newly documented atrial fibrillation (AF) during an acute ischemic stroke (IS). Method and Results An open-label, randomized, multicenter trial design was used. If AF was diagnosed, the patients in the early rhythm control group started rhythm control within 2 months after the occurrence of an IS, unlikely the usual care. The primary end points were recurrent IS within 3 and 12 months. The secondary end points were a composite of all deaths, unplanned hospitalizations from any cause, and adverse arrhythmia events. Patients (n=300) with AF and an acute IS (63.0% men, aged 69.6±8.5 years; 51.2% with paroxysmal AF) were randomized 2:1 to early rhythm control (n=194) or usual care (n=106). A total of 273 patients excluding those lost to follow-up (n=27) were analyzed. The IS recurrences did not differ between the groups within 3 months of the index stroke (2 [1.1%] versus 4 [4.2%]; hazard ratio [HR], 0.257 [log-rank
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.