Previous Exercise Levels and Outcome in Patients with New Atrial Fibrillation: "Past Achievements Do Not Predict the Future".

Introduction: Long-term endurance exercise is suspect to elevate the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF), but little is known about cardiovascular outcome and disease progression in this subgroup of AF patients. We investigated whether previous exercise level determines cardiovascular outcome.

Methods: In this post hoc analysis of the RACE 4 randomized trial, we analyzed all patients with a completed questionnaire on sports participation.

Interval exercise, but not endurance exercise, prevents endothelial ischemia-reperfusion injury in healthy subjects.

Endothelial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury importantly contributes to the poor prognosis during ischemic (myocardial) events. Preconditioning, i.e.