Study designs of evaluations included in the review
No inclusion criteria for the study design were specified. Randomised and non-randomised controlled trials and prospective and retrospective uncontrolled studies were included.
Specific interventions included in the review
Studies of rate control and rhythm control strategies were eligible for inclusion. The rate control interventions included atrioventricular (AV) node ablation with or without pacing and pharmacological rate control, pharmacological rate control alone and pacing alone. The rhythm control interventions included percutaneous catheter ablation, surgical intervention, cardioversion and pacing, and anti-arrhythmic drugs. Some studies were uncontrolled, others compared different interventions of the same type, and others compared rate control against rhythm control interventions.
Participants included in the review
Studies of patients with AF were eligible for inclusion; studies of patients with other conditions were only included if data for those with AF were reported separately. The included studies varied in the proportion of patients with different types of AF (paroxysmal, persistent or permanent). The participants in studies of rate control tended to be older than those in studies of rhythm control.
Outcomes assessed in the review
Studies that assessed QoL by interview, validated questionnaire, a single question or a QoL diary were eligible for inclusion. A wide range of different assessment methods was used in studies of rate control and rate versus rhythm control. Most studies of rhythm control interventions used the SF-36 questionnaire.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
Two reviewers independently selected studies for the review. The authors did not state how any disagreements were resolved.