Heart Patient Loses 40 Pounds and Thrives After AFib Procedure

One year ago, David Gray was overweight, pre-diabetic and had atrial fibrillation or AFib, a heart rhythm disorder.

“I was getting to the point where I saw things, they’re heading in a bad direction,” says David.

He met with Jeffrey Goldberger, M.D., a cardiac electrophysiologist and Director of the Center for Atrial Fibrillation at UHealth, the University of Miami Health System, who specializes in AFib – a condition that causes the heart to beat erratically and can lead to stroke.

“The upper chambers are being activated at four or 500 beats a minute. It can cause palpitations. But one of the most significant things that it can cause is a risk of stroke,” Dr. Goldberger says.

“There are medications that can help to keep the rhythm normal. Unfortunately, they don’t work that well. The other possibility is a catheter ablation. This is a procedure where we put tubes and wires up through the veins in the leg and into the heart, and we burn or freeze the areas that are likely causes of atrial fibrillation.”

Study Finds Weight Loss Before Ablation Leads to Better Outcomes

At UHealth, doctors are treating patients with AFib using a holistic approach. That includes combining lifestyle changes with weight loss medications before ablation, leading to incredible results.

“What we need to do is we need to get our patients in shape for ablation. We designed this study called Liraglutide Effect in Atrial Fibrillation. It’s called the LEAF study. We actually saw tremendous difference in outcomes. Those patients who got treated with the GLP-1 receptor agonist had much better outcomes from catheter ablation than those who did not get that,” says Dr. Goldberger.

UHealth researchers found adding a weight loss drug before ablation has a positive effect on the fatty tissue around the heart.

“So we’re not only doing ablation for the electrical problem, but we’re also somehow improving the atrial tissue itself and helping prevent atrial fibrillation that way,” Dr. Goldberger says.

“I’ve lost about five inches on my waist. Blood pressure has gone down drastically. A1C went from 5.9 last time to 5.1,” says David.

Now 40 pounds lighter, David’s blood sugar is under control, and his heart no longer skips a beat!

“He really changed my life. I’m highly indebted to him. That’s why I’m here today,” David says.

Video transcript compiled by Janna Ross for ‘Focusing on You: Innovations in Modern Medicine,’ a series of healthcare-related stories airing regularly on ABC-Miami Channel 18.  For more stories like this one, visit UHealth’s YouTube channel.

Tags: A-Fib, ablation, atrial fibrillation, cardiologist, Dr. Jeffrey Goldberger, electrophysiologist, focusing on you, LEAF study