Patients with obesity and atrial fibrillation have lower readmission and mortality rates if they start taking GLP-1 drugs after an ablation, a recent study found.
The study, published March 16 in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology, analyzed electronic health records from over 250 million patients across 142 U.S. healthcare facilities. The study included adults with a body mass index greater than 30 who underwent atrial fibrillation ablation between 2016 to 2025. Researchers analyzed the outcome differences between adults who started taking GLP-1 drugs after ablation and those who underwent bariatric surgery after ablation. Patients who received both therapies were excluded.
Here are three findings:
1. People who had catheter ablation and bariatric surgery were 45.3% more likely to have afib readmission at two years, compared to those who started GLP-1 drug therapy postablation at 36.4%.
2. The bariatric surgery group had higher uses of antiarrhythmic drugs.
3. GLP-1 drug postablation had better outcomes for heart failure readmission, all-cause readmission and all-cause mortality.
“These findings were notable given that the GLP-1 [receptor agonist] cohort had a higher baseline prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, [heart failure] and chronic kidney disease,” the study authors wrote. “These findings highlight the potential role of GLP-1RAs as an adjunct in rhythm management strategies and support the need for prospective randomized trials.”
