Can mindfulness calm an irregular heartbeat? small study says maybe
NCT ID NCT02133365
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested a short mindfulness and exposure therapy program in 13 adults with atrial fibrillation who also had high anxiety sensitivity. The goal was to see if the therapy could reduce heart-related anxiety, symptom burden, and AFib episodes. Participants attended 4-5 individual therapy sessions. The study measured changes in cardiac symptoms, anxiety, and quality of life.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- mindfulness and interoceptive exposure therapy
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a non-drug way to help people with atrial fibrillation feel less anxious and have fewer heart symptoms.
- What could go wrong
- This was a very small early study with only 13 people and no comparison group, so the results may not apply to everyone. The therapy requires several long sessions, which may not be practical for all patients.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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13 people
The number who actually took part.
- Start date
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Sep 2014
- Finished
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Jan 2020
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Male or female outpatients * At least 18 years of age * Clinical diagnosis of Atrial Fibrillation * Literacy and fluency in English * Ability to return to the hospital for study visits * Score ≥ 24 on the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3. Exclusion Criteria: * Medical co-morbidity sufficient to confound the outcome variables * Medical co-morbidity for which the experimental treatment is contraindicated * Clinically significant cognitive impairment * Known unavailability for follow-up in the ensuing 3 months
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
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