St Jude Medical has completed enrolling first patient in its early comprehensive atrial fibrillation stroke prevention trial (EAST) clinical trial.
The multicenter, randomized, prospective, parallel-group, blinded, open, end-point assessment study is designed to know whether early intervention rhythm control strategy for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) will benefit patients.
The primary outcome of EAST is the composite of cardiovascular death, stroke and heart failure or acute coronary syndrome (hospitalization).
The planned enrollment is more than 3,000 patients from 200 centers in Europe, with locations in Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and the UK.
EAST study coordinating investigator Paulus Kirchhof said the trial takes an important step forward to learn more about the value of rhythm control therapy to improve the lives of AF patients by accounting for the cycles that initiate and maintain the disease and contribute to AF-related complications.