Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41602349›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in cardiovascular medicine2025

Continuous smartwatch monitoring after atrial fibrillation ablation: feasibility of burden estimation and association with quality of life.

João G Almeida, Duarte Dias, Rafael Silva-Teixeira, Mafalda Carrington, Paulo Fonseca, Marco Oliveira, Helena Gonçalves, João Primo, Ricardo Fontes-Carvalho, Luís Azevedo and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

João G AlmeidaCardiology Department, Unidade Local de Saúde Gaia Espinho, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.
Duarte DiasRISE-HEALTH, Department of Community Medicine, Information and Health Decision Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Rafael Silva-TeixeiraCardiology Department, Unidade Local de Saúde Gaia Espinho, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.
Mafalda CarringtonCardiology Department, Unidade Local de Saúde Gaia Espinho, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.
Paulo FonsecaCardiology Department, Unidade Local de Saúde Gaia Espinho, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.
Marco OliveiraCardiology Department, Unidade Local de Saúde Gaia Espinho, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.
Helena GonçalvesCardiology Department, Unidade Local de Saúde Gaia Espinho, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.
João PrimoCardiology Department, Unidade Local de Saúde Gaia Espinho, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.
Ricardo Fontes-CarvalhoCardiology Department, Unidade Local de Saúde Gaia Espinho, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.
Luís AzevedoRISE-HEALTH, Department of Community Medicine, Information and Health Decision Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Sérgio BarraCardiology Department, Luz Arrábida Hospital, Vila Nova De Gaia, Portugal.
Juan Pablo MartínezAragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), IIS-Aragon, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
Rute AlmeidaRISE-HEALTH, Department of Community Medicine, Information and Health Decision Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Continuous atrial fibrillation burden assessment is clinically relevant but often limited by the invasiveness of current tools. Wearables offer a non-invasive alternative, but evidence in the post-ablation setting is limited. We assessed the feasibility of smartwatch-based atrial fibrillation burden quantification after catheter ablation and its association with quality of life. Methods: In this prospective, single-centre study, patients undergoing atrial fibrillation ablation entered a 12-month digital follow-up program using a smartwatch (daily electrocardiogram recommended). Atrial fibrillation burden was defined as the percentage of monitored days with atrial fibrillation-detected electrocardiograms. A Bayesian multivariable model examined the association between atrial fibrillation burden and quality-of-life score (AFEQT). Results: Twenty patients (mean age 52.6 ± 10.3 years; 10% female) were enrolled. Over 12 months, 3,604 electrocardiograms were collected (mean 180 per participant); atrial fibrillation was detected in 55%. Electrocardiograms were submitted on 36% of days. Median atrial fibrillation burden was 1.4% (range: 0%-25%). AFEQT improved significantly over time (+1.71 points/month; 95% Credible Interval: 0.78-2.65), with 69% achieving a clinically meaningful improvement. Unlike atrial fibrillation recurrence, higher atrial fibrillation burden was associated with smaller AFEQT gains (interaction estimate: -0.23; 95% Credible Interval: -0.40 to -0.06). Each 1% increase in atrial fibrillation burden corresponded to an estimated 2.8-point lower AFEQT at 12 months. Conclusion: Smartwatch-based monitoring of atrial fibrillation burden is feasible after ablation. Higher atrial fibrillation burden was associated with reduced improvement in quality of life, supporting its value as a patient-centred outcome metric.

Indexed as

atrial fibrillationdigital healthpatient-reported outcomesquality-of-lifesmartwatchWithings

Identifiers

PMID41602349
PMCPMC12833617

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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.