Trial results for a study investigating electrical nerve stimulation to control Atrial Fibrillation were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov on 2025-10-02, involving 46 participants.
Background
Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is a common type of irregular heartbeat that can lead to symptoms such as palpitations, shortness of breath, and fatigue. It is also associated with an increased risk of stroke. Current treatments often involve medications to control heart rate or rhythm, or procedures like ablation. This study explored a non-pharmacological approach, using mild electrical signals to potentially improve AF symptoms by controlling heart rate.
Trial design
This completed study, designated as Phase NA, enrolled 46 participants diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation. The trial aimed to examine if sending mild electrical signals just under the skin could improve atrial fibrillation symptoms by controlling the heart rate. Participants were divided into an experimental group receiving the electrical nerve stimulation and a control group.
Key results
The trial reported key measurements related to AF burden and ventricular rate control:
- Change in AF Burden (percentage of time in AF):
- For the Experimental Group, the mean change was -0.4 percentage of time in AF.
- For the Control Group, the mean change was -2.4 percentage of time in AF.
- Ventricular Rate Control (Participants):
- For the Experimental Group, counts of participants reported were 0, 4, 2, 1, and 2.
- For the Control Group, counts of participants reported were 0, 4, 2, 1, and 4.
What this means
The results indicate that the experimental group, which received electrical nerve stimulation, experienced a mean reduction in AF burden of -0.4 percentage of time in AF. In contrast, the control group showed a greater mean reduction of -2.4 percentage of time in AF. For the outcome of ventricular rate control, the data provided consists of various counts of participants for both groups without further descriptive categories, making it difficult to interpret the specific impact of the intervention on this measure.
Source
The information regarding these trial results was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The results for the study NCT04529941, titled "Using Electrical Nerve Stimulation to Control Atrial Fibrillation", were posted on 2025-10-02 on clinicaltrials.gov.