The Norwegian Exercise and Atrial Fibrillation Research Program (NEXAF) has received funding for another three years of research on exercise in patients with atrial fibrillation.

NEXAF is a collaborative project within afib.no addressing research questions related to exercise and atrial fibrillation. In 2022, NEXAF launched two randomized controlled trial (RCT) and an epidemiological research program aiming to provide evidence to guide recommendations for exercise in patients with atrial fibrillation, and to address how exercise may impact on long-term clinical outcomes in atrial fibrillation patients.

The first RCT, the NEXAF Trial completed it’s inclusion in 2024 and the results of the study are awaited within the coming year, after the last study patient has completed the 12-Month follow-up. The study aims to investigate effects of the exercise intervention on quality of life, symptom burden, cardiovascular risk factors and cardiac function.

The second RCT, NEXAF Detraining, effects of reduced exercise intensity, and mechanisms for atrial fibrillation in endurance athletes with atrial fibrillation. The inclusion in this study is still ongoing on Bærum hospital, St.Olavs hospital, and in several hospitals in Belgium and Australia.

The epidemiological NEXAF-studies are based on data from The Tromsø study, the HUNT-study and the Birkebeiner studies. A number of research papers have already been published, demonstrating the importance of exercise to prevent stroke and death in individuals with atrial fibrillation.

After having received funding from the Norwegian Research Council, Helse Nord og Vestre Viken Hospital Trust to launch the NEXAF studies in 2022, NEXAF has now been funded for another three years with a total of 16 Millions Norwegian kroner from Helse Sør-Øst, Helse Nord and St.Olavs Hospital/NTNU. The funds both ensure the completion of the ongoing NEXAF studies and the initiation of new clinical and epidemiological research projects.

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