Below are recent publications and presentations that use our BEAT-AFib Study data and from our investigators’ other studies.
BEAT-AFib Study Follow-up ECHO Data Presented at Heart Rhythm Society Conference 2026
Dr. Shohei Kataoka, a UCSF electrophysiology research fellow, mentored by Dr. Edward Gerstenfeld, presented BEAT-AFib Study data at the 2026 Heart Rhythm Society Conference (HRS) in Chicago. Since premature atrial contractions (PACs) and atrial fibrillation (AFib) occur in the top chambers of the heart (i.e. the atria), changes to the atria and the timing of the heart’s rhythm were measured using follow up echo data from our participants without AFib.
Data from two groups were investigated: One group had frequent PACs and the other group had no PACs nor AFib, but had 2 or more AFib risk factors (older than 65 years, sleep apnea, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, heart failure, chronic kidney disease) (At Risk Group).
The one-year follow-up data showed that the PAC group had significant changes in the structure of the atria and the timing of the heart’s rhythm. No changes were identified in the At Risk group.
These results suggest that frequent PACs can lead to major changes in the heart’s size, function, and its rhythm. More studies on controlling PACs are needed to prevent these changes and the development of AFib. Read the abstract here.
References:
- Azevedo, P. S., Polegato, B. F., Minicucci, M. F., Paiva, S. A. R., & Zornoff, L. A. M. (2016, January). Cardiac remodeling: Concepts, clinical impact, pathophysiological mechanisms and pharmacologic treatment. PubMed Central. https://doi.org/10.5935/abc.20160005
- Hammersboen, L.-E. R., Stugaard, M., Puvrez, A., Larsen, C. K., Remme, E. W., Kongsgård, E., Duchenne, J., Galli, E., Khan, F. H., Sletten, O. J., Penicka, M., Donal, E., Voigt, J.-U., Smiseth, O. A., & Aalen, J. M. (2024). Mechanism and Impact of Left Atrial Dyssynchrony on Long-Term Clinical Outcome During Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy. JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging, 18(4), 421–432. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcmg.2024.09.008
- Kataoka, S., Lee, S., Fang, Q., Igata, S., Bibby, D., Crystal, A., Olgin, J. E., Marcus, G. M., Abraham, T. P., Schiller, S. B., & Gerstenfeld, E. P. (2026, April 23). PO-FPI_033 Frequent Premature Atrial Complexes Are Associated with Left Atrial Myopathy and Dyssynchrony in Humans. Heart Rhythm. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrthm.2026.03.315
Sleep Disruption and AFib Episodes
Dr. Jean Jacques Noubiap, a UCSF electrophysiology research fellow, also presented his research on the link between sleep disruption and AFib at the 2026 HRS Conference in Chicago. His research used data from Dr. Gregory Marcus’s I-STOP-AFib (Individualized Studies of Triggers of Paroxysmal AFib) study which tested multiple AFib triggers in patients with AFib, including lack of sleep. They found lack of sleep to be linked with a 15% greater chance of a patient reporting an AFib episode the next day1. To investigate this relationship further, Dr. Noubiap reviewed about 123 million emergency department (ED) visits across California from 2005 to 2022 and compared daylight savings time transitions to the other days of the year to see how the time changes affect AFib episodes.
Out of the 123 million ED visits, over 430,000 ED visits had a principal diagnosis of AFib supporting his hypothesis that time changes that reduce sleep (spring forward) increased the short term risk of AFib related ED visits. Changes that increase sleep (fall back) showed a decreased risk.
Dr. Noubiap’s research supports that lessening sleep disruptions is one way for patients to reduce their risk of AFib episodes. More research on poor sleep triggering episodes of AFib is needed and Dr. Noubiap has plans to continue studying the links between the two. Read more about his findings here.
References:
- Marcus, G. M., Modrow, M. F., Schmid, C. H., Sigona, K., Nah, G., Yang, J., Chu, T.-C., Joyce, S., Gettabecha, S., Ogomori, K., Yang, V., Butcher, X., Hills, M. T., McCall, D., Sciarappa, K., Sim, I., Pletcher, M. J., & Olgin, J. E. (2021, November 14). Individualized studies of triggers of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: The I-stop-afib randomized clinical trial. JAMA cardiology. doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2021.5010
What Affects Your Risk of AFib?
Dr. Adi Elias, an electrophysiology fellow at UCSF, Dr. Gregory Marcus, and colleagues published a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association examining how lifestyle habits may affect the structure of the heart and the risk of developing AFib.
The study used data from more than 37,000 participants enrolled in the UK Biobank, a large long-term health research study, and tracked their weight and lifestyle habits, including exercise, alcohol use, coffee consumption, and smoking.
The researchers used MRI scans to examine the left atrium, a chamber of the heart that plays an important role in AFib. They found that several lifestyle factors were linked to changes in the left atrium:
- Increased body weight, higher alcohol intake, and more intense exercise were linked to changes in the left atrium, which may help explain their relationship with AFib risk.
- Smoking was linked to overall poorer heart function.
- Coffee consumption was not associated with changes in the left atrium and did not appear to increase nor decrease AFib risk.
Overall, the study suggests that lifestyle habits may influence AFib risk in part by affecting the size and function of the heart’s left atrium. Because this was an observational study, future research is needed to determine whether changes in these habits can improve heart structure and lower AFib risk. Read more about the study here.
References:
- Elias, A., Pirruccello, J. P., Delling, F. N., Lee, C., & Marcus, G. M. (2026). Modifiable Lifestyle Factors, Left Atrial Indices, and Atrial Fibrillation. Journal of the American Heart Association, 15(5), e044876. https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.125.044876
How Can We Track AFib After an Ablation?
Catheter ablation is a common treatment for AFib. After the procedure, it is important to continue checking for AFib in case it returns.
Dr. Manuella Djomaleu, a resident physician in the UCSF Department of Medicine, Dr. Gregory Marcus, and colleagues also presented findings from the VIBRANT-AF (Volunteers to Investigate Best Results for Ablation and Novel Therapies for Atrial Fibrillation) study at the 2026 HRS Scientific Sessions in Chicago. Their study examined whether smartphone-based monitoring could provide a practical and cost-effective way to detect recurrent AFib after catheter ablation.
Researchers enrolled 272 participants who had undergone AFib ablation across 17 sites in the United States and provided them with an AliveCor KardiaMobile device for remote monitoring. This is the same smartphone-connected ECG device used in the BEAT-AFib study. Of those participants, 100 submitted at least one ECG recording for physician review. Among those participants, 52 had at least one recording showing recurrent AFib.
The study demonstrated that smartphone-based monitoring can provide a practical and cost-effective way to monitor patients after ablation. Because participants can record ECGs from home using a smartphone-connected device, this approach may make long-term follow-up easier and more accessible. Read more about the study here.
Dr. Shohei Kataoka presenting BEAT-AFib Study data at the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) Conference 2026 in Chicago.
