Landmark Trial Suggests Potential for Stopping Blood thinners After Triumphant Atrial Fibrillation Ablation
Madrid, Spain – August 31, 2025 – In a potential paradigm shift for atrial fibrillation (AF) management, new data presented today at ESC Congress 2025 suggest that discontinuing long-term oral anticoagulation might potentially be safe and effective in carefully selected patients following successful catheter ablation for AF. The findings from the ’ALONE-AF’ trial,together published in The Journal of the American Medical Association,offer a promising alternative to indefinite blood thinning for millions living with the common heart rhythm disorder.
Currently, guidelines developed by the european Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) recommend continued oral anticoagulation after AF ablation, even in patients showing no signs of arrhythmia recurrence. this suggestion stems from concerns about silent atrial thrombi and the risk of stroke. However, the ALONE-AF trial challenges this approach, indicating that a strategy of discontinuing anticoagulation after ablation, guided by rigorous monitoring, may be a viable option for a meaningful patient population.The ALONE-AF trial investigated the safety and efficacy of discontinuing oral anticoagulation in patients with persistent AF who had undergone successful catheter ablation and remained free of atrial fibrillation for at least 12 months.Professor Jong-Wook Joung, the lead investigator, presented the results during the HOT LINE 8 session at the ESC Congress in Madrid.
The trial was supported by research grants from the Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea and Samjin Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. Professor joung has disclosed previous speaking engagements and research funding from Bayer, BMS/Pfizer, Medtronic, daiichi-Sankyo, Samjin, Yuhan, Boston Scientifics and Abbott Korea, but stated he has no direct disclosures related to this presentation and received no personal fees.
More facts is available from the ESC Press Office at press@escardio.org. ESC Congress 2025, the world’s largest gathering of cardiovascular professionals, runs from August 29 to September 1, 2025, in Madrid.
