Clinical characteristics and quality of life in patients with atrial fibrillation before and after radiofrequency catheter ablation at the Department of Cardiology, Military Hospital 103

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the clinical characteristics and quality of life (QoL) of atrial fibrillation (AF) patients before and after radiofrequency catheter ablation, using the Atrial Fibrillation Effect on Quality of Life(AFEQT) questionnaire. Methods: A longitudinal follow-up study was conducted on 57 patients who underwent radiofrequency catheter ablation at the Department of Cardiology, Military Hospital 103, from March 2023 to June 2025. Clinical characteristics were obtained through medical interviews and record reviews. QoL was assessed using the AFEQT questionnaire at baseline and at 3 months post-ablation. Results: The mean age of the study population was 61.8 ± 10.9 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 2.8:1. The prevalence of hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic coronary syndrome, and heart failure was 57.9%, 14.0%, 7.0%, and 12.3%, respectively. Most patients had paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (70.1%) and a time from AF diagnosis to ablation of ≤ 1 year (64.7%). Common symptoms included palpitations, dizziness/lightheadedness, and chest discomfort. At the 3-month follow-up, both clinical symptoms and AFEQT scores (overall and across all subscales) improved significantly (p < 0.05). Improvements were particularly notable in male patients, those aged ≥ 60 years, those without heart failure, those with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, and those adherent to treatment (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Radiofrequency catheter ablation significantly improved clinical symptoms and QoL at 3 months post-procedure, especially among male, older adult patients with paroxysmal AF, no heart failure, and good treatment adherence.