{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,9]],"date-time":"2026-10-09T04:50:37Z","timestamp":1791521437438,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":18,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,9]],"date-time":"2026-10-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1791504000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Cardiovasc. Med."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Catheter ablation for symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) is an established treatment, with cryoballoon (CBA) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) showing similar success rates. However, comparative data on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes between these methods are limited. This study compares HRQoL changes following CBA vs. RFA in symptomatic AF patients.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This sub-analysis of the FREEZE Cohort Study (NCT01360008) compared HRQoL outcomes between CBA (group A) and RFA (group B) using the EQ-5D-3L questionnaire and EHRA symptom scores at baseline and follow-up. Changes in mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain\/discomfort, anxiety\/depression, EQ-VAS, and general physical condition (GPC) were assessed.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Between 2011 and 2016, 4,189 patients were included, with 2,110 (50.4%) completing all HRQoL questionnaires. The mean age was 61.8\u2009\u00b1\u200910.4 years, with 39.2% female patients. Group A had a higher proportion of patients with paroxysmal AF (72.8% vs. 65.4%,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009&amp;lt;\u20090.01). Overall complication rates were similar (7.6% vs. 10.1%,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u20090.07). The median follow-up was 434 (375, 517) days. Atrial arrhythmia recurrence was more frequent in group B (45.0% vs. 56.9%,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009&amp;lt;\u20090.0001), as were repeat ablations (7.9% vs. 22.3%,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009&amp;lt;\u20090.001) and rehospitalizations (26.0% vs. 46.7%,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009&amp;lt;\u20090.0001). Both groups experienced significant improvements in HRQoL. After multivariable adjustment, group A remained associated with greater improvement in pain\/discomfort (aOR 1.62, 95% CI 1.26\u20132.08), EQ-VAS (aOR 1.60, 95% CI 1.27\u20132.02), and the EuroQol 5D-Score (aOR 1.39, 95% CI 1.10\u20131.76).\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Both CBA and RFA significantly improved HRQoL. However, CBA was associated with greater improvements in pain\/discomfort, EQ-VAS, and the EuroQol 5D-Score, indicating potential differences in selected HRQoL outcomes between ablation modalities.<\/jats:p>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      <jats:bold>Clinical Trial Registration:<\/jats:bold>\n                      NCT01360008.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fcvm.2026.1877743","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,9]],"date-time":"2026-10-09T04:27:08Z","timestamp":1791520028000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Quality of life after cryoballoon vs. radiofrequency ablation in atrial fibrillation: a subanalysis of the FREEZE cohort study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"J.","family":"Pongratz","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Klinik f\u00fcr Kardiologie und Internistische Intensivmedizin, M\u00fcnchen Klinik Bogenhausen","place":["M\u00fcnchen, Germany"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"M.","family":"Kuniss","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Abteilung f\u00fcr Kardiologie, Kerckhoff Klinik GmbH","place":["Bad Nauheim, Germany"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"L.-Q.","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Rui Jin Hospital","place":["Shanghai, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"J.","family":"Tebbenjohanns","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Med. 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