Trial finds no clear added benefit of catheter ablation for preventing recurrent stroke in atrial fibrillation patients

A nationwide clinical RCT trial led by Dr. Kazumi Kimura at Kumamoto University Hospital has found that adding catheter ablation to standard anticoagulant therapy did not significantly reduce the risk of recurrent stroke or major cardiovascular events in patients with atrial fibrillation who had recently experienced a stroke. The study was conducted through a nationwide collaboration involving multiple academic institutions and clinical partners across Japan, including Nippon Medical School and the University of Fukui, and the results are published in JAMA Neurology.