Is early rhythm control in atrial fibrillation care cost-effective?

Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) benefit from early rhythm control therapy. It reduces cardiovascular deaths, strokes, and other adverse outcomes by 20% compared to usual care. The beneficial effects of early rhythm control were shown by the pan-European EAST—AFNET 4 trial and confirmed by other large health studies. However, what is the price of the new treatment strategy? A cost-effectiveness analysis has revealed that the health benefits of early rhythm control come at reasonable additional costs. The analysis was published today in EP Europace.