atrial fibrillation: stopping anticoagulation 1 yr after ablation
A recent South Korean study found that some patients who had catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation were able to discontinue anticoagulation therapy, in the ALONE-AF trial (Anticoagulation One year after Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation (see afib ablation stop anticoag after 1 yr JAMA2025 in dropbox, or doi:10.1001/jama.2025.14679) Details : -- 850 adults aged 19 to 80 were enrolled in this open-label randomized controlled trial from 2020 the 2023 at 18 hospitals in South Korea, with follow-up until 2025 -- All enrollees had atrial fibrillation (AF) with catheter ablation and were put on anticoagulation; they were in intermediate or high risk of thromboembolism with a CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score of at least 1 for men or 2 for women -- All had at least one non-sex-related stroke risk factor as determined by their CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score and no documented recurrence of atrial arrhythmia for at lea...