Personalized exercise and diet program to reduce atrial fibrillation episodes and heart/body fat

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

MOVE-AF is a randomized, open-label trial enrolling 158 overweight or obese adults with symptomatic paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation who are randomized 1:1 to a 12-month tailored exercise and dietary lifestyle intervention plus usual care or to usual care alone. The intervention combines individualized guideline-based aerobic and resistance exercise with dietary counseling aimed at reducing body fat. AF burden will be measured with continuous ambulatory rhythm monitoring and symptom severity with validated questionnaires, while cardiac and total body fat are quantified by cardiac MRI and body composition analysis. Secondary outcomes include cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, cardiac autonomic function, cardiac remodeling, healthcare utilization, and cost-effectiveness.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Age 18-75 years
* Body mass index (BMI) ≥27 kg/m²
* Documented atrial fibrillation (paroxysmal or persistent)
* Ability to participate in exercise training and follow study procedures
* Access to a smartphone or device enabling rhythm monitoring
* Provides written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

* Permanent atrial fibrillation
* Unstable angina pectoris or acute coronary syndrome within the past 3 months
* Participation in other lifestyle or drug weight reduction trials
* Significant left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction \<30%)
* Severe valvular heart disease or planned cardiac surgery
* Severe heart failure (NYHA class IV) or severe angina (CCS class IV)
* Unstable coronary artery disease or recent myocardial infarction
* Severe pulmonary disease limiting exercise capacity
* Active malignancy
* Autoimmune or systemic inflammatory diseases
* Severe renal or hepatic failure
* Memory disease or significant cognitive impairment
* Unstable psychiatric condition
* Recent joint or back surgery within the past 6 months
* Continuing back or joint pain symptoms and inability to take part in individualized exercise training
* Contraindications to exercise testing or training, including cardiac symptoms or cardiovascular symptoms, making exercise unsafe
* Pregnancy or breastfeeding
* Participation in another interventional study
* Any condition judged by investigators to make participation unsafe or infeasible

Where it's running

• Hospital Nova of Central Finland
  Jyväskylä, Central Finland, Finland Recruiting
• University of Eastern Finland
  Kuopio, Eastern Finland, Finland Not yet recruiting
• Kuopio University Hospital
  Kuopio, Northern Savonia, Finland Not yet recruiting
• Tampere University Hospital
  Tampere, Finland Not yet recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Jari Laukkanen, MD, PhD — University of Eastern Finland
• Study coordinator: Jari Laukkanen, MD, PhD
• Email: jariantero.laukkanen@uef.fi
• Phone: +358505053013

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.