EAST prospectively tests the hypothesis that an early, structured rhythm control therapy based on antiarrhythmic drugs and catheter ablation can prevent atrial fibrillation (AF) related complications in patients with AF when compared to usual care.

Patients will be randomized to early therapy or usual care. In the early therapy group, patients will receive either catheter ablation (usually by pulmonary vein isolation), or adequate antiarrhythmic drug therapy at an early time point. The initial therapy will be selected by the local investigator. Upon AF recurrence, both modalities will be combined.

Usual care will be conducted following the 2010European Society of Cardiology ( ESC )guidelines for AF treatment. Early rhythm control therapy will be guided by Electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Recent-onset AF (≤ 1 year prior to enrolment)

2. At least one ECG within recent 12 months that documents AF whereas the AF episode must last longer than 30 sec.

3. One of the following:

   • age > 75 years or
   • prior stroke or transient ischemic attack

   OR two of the following:

   • age > 65 years,
   • female sex,
   • arterial hypertension (chronic treatment for hypertension, estimated need for continuous antihypertensive therapy or resting blood pressure > 145/90 mmHg),
   • diabetes mellitus (treated by drugs or insulin) or impaired glucose tolerance
   • severe coronary artery disease (previous myocardial infarction, CABG or PCI)
   • stable heart failure (NYHA II or LVEF <50%),
   • left ventricular hypertrophy on echocardiography (more than 15 mm wall thickness),
   • chronic kidney disease (MDRD stage III or IV),
   • peripheral artery disease.

4. Provision of signed informed consent.

5. Age ≥ 18 years.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Any disease that limits life expectancy to less than 1 year.
2. Participation in another clinical trial, either within the past two months or ongoing
3. Previous participation in the EAST trial.
4. Pregnant women or women of childbearing potential not on adequate birth control: only women with a highly effective method of contraception [oral contraception or intra-uterine device (IUD)] or sterile women can be randomized.
5. Breastfeeding women.
6. Drug abuse.
7. Prior AF ablation or surgical therapy of AF.
8. Previous therapy failure on amiodarone, e.g. patients who suffered from symptomatic recurrent AF that required escalation of therapy while on amiodarone.
9. Patients not suitable for rhythm control of AF.
10. Severe mitral valve stenosis.
11. Prosthetic mitral valve.
12. Clinically relevant hepatic dysfunction requiring specific therapy.
13. Clinically manifest thyroid dysfunction requiring therapy. After successful treatment of thyroid dysfunction, patients may be enrolled when their thyroid function is controlled.
14. Severe renal dysfunction (stage V, requiring or almost requiring dialysis).

We will share all data that support published results of the trial. Additional data that have not been published will be withheld until six months after publication of these results.

Data will be made available as required for specific, approved analyses. Data will be provided from locked, cleaned and de-identified study database. Requests will be reviewed by AFNET as per the predefined subanalysis plan.

We will make data available starting six months after the publication of the primary results for 5 years.

The Clinical Study Report (CSR) and the Analytic Code will be shared upon request to AFNET.

This plan and the contact details will be made available on the EAST web site (www.easttrial.org) with additional information on planned and ongoing subanalyses conducted within the EAST trial team.