OBJECTIVES:  The purpose of the study was to compare quality of life (QoL) between patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) treated medically and patients who underwent catheter ablation. METHODS:  The study group consisted of 363 pts (104 females, aged 63±11 years), who were admitted to 3 hospitals within a period of 6 months. The patients were divided into two groups according to the treatment modality: 243 patients were treated medically (group 1), and 120 patients underwent catheter ablation (1.2 procedures per patient) (group 2). All patients filled in a questionnaire of QoL EQ-5D at baseline and 1 year after the index hospitalization. Subjective QoL was evaluated using the 0-100% scale. Objective QoL was assessed using the set of VAS RESULTS: Baseline subjective QoL was 54±14% in group 1 vs. 63±11% in group 2 (P <0.001). Baseline objective QoL was 59±14% in group 1 vs. 66±12% in group 2 (P <0.001). After 1 year, subjective QoL improved to 58±18% in group 1, and to 78±14% in group 2 (P <0.001). Objective QoL improved to 63±16% in group 1, and to 84±14% in group 2 (P <0.001). When the patients in groups 1 and 2 were asked to compare their current heath status with that one year ago, they responded as follows: much better - 8 (3%) vs. 64 (53%), (P <0.001); slightly better - 35 (14%) vs. 37 (31%), (P <0.01); same - 57 (24%) vs. 16 (13%), (P =0.08); slightly worse - 117 (48%) vs. 3 (3%), (P <0.001); and much worse - 26 (11%) vs. 0, (P = <0.001).CONCLUSIONS: One year after the index hospital admission for AF, significant increase in subjective and objective QoL was observed in patients who underwent catheter ablation compared to the patients treated medically.