# Isabelle C. Van Gelder
**Isabelle C. Van Gelder** is a Dutch cardiologist and professor of cardiology at the [University Medical Center Groningen](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-medical-center-groningen) (UMCG), whose randomised trials in the RACE program tested rate control and rhythm control in atrial fibrillation (AF). As first author of the RACE trial in the *New England Journal of Medicine* in 2002, she reported, per that trial, that rate control is not inferior to rhythm control; as first author of the RACE II trial there in 2010, she reported that a lenient heart-rate target is as effective as a strict one. She chaired the 2024 [European Society of Cardiology](https://www.edgepedia.org/european-society-of-cardiology) (ESC) guidelines on the management of atrial fibrillation.[1](https://esc365.escardio.org/person/2092)
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Field | Cardiology, electrophysiology, and arrhythmias, especially atrial fibrillation |
| Main position | Professor of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen / University of Groningen, since 2006[2](https://www.groningencardiology.com/people/isabelle-van-gelder/) • [3](https://www.rug.nl/staff/i.c.van.gelder/) |
| Training | MD Groningen 1986; PhD 1991; cardiology training 1994; electrophysiology training 1996[2](https://www.groningencardiology.com/people/isabelle-van-gelder/) |
| Signature work | RACE (*NEJM* 2002) and RACE II (*NEJM* 2010), both first-authored in the *New England Journal of Medicine*[4](https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa021375) • [5](https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/lenient-versus-strict-rate-control-in-patients-with-atrial-fibril/) |
| Guideline role | Chair, 2024 ESC Guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation[1](https://esc365.escardio.org/person/2092) |
| Trials led | Principal investigator of more than 20 trials, including the RACE program[2](https://www.groningencardiology.com/people/isabelle-van-gelder/) |
| Honors | ESC Silver Medal and René Laënnec Lecture 2019; Bert Talen Medal 2016[6](https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/41/1/11/5692514) • [2](https://www.groningencardiology.com/people/isabelle-van-gelder/) |
## Training and early career
Van Gelder obtained her medical degree in [Groningen](https://www.edgepedia.org/groningen) in 1986, her PhD in 1991, completed cardiology training in 1994, and electrophysiology training in 1996.[2](https://www.groningencardiology.com/people/isabelle-van-gelder/) In that first year, the head of the Groningen cardiology department asked her to take up research on atrial fibrillation in collaboration with a professor of [Maastricht](https://www.edgepedia.org/maastricht); she recalled this invitation as the start of a research career of thirty years.[7](https://decardioloog.nl/artikelen/2024/december/2024-8/ik-hou-ervan-om-jong-talent-vooruit-te-helpen) She received a Netherlands Heart Foundation postdoctoral grant in 1994 and an Interuniversity Cardiology Institute Netherlands (ICIN) postdoctoral grant in 1995.[2](https://www.groningencardiology.com/people/isabelle-van-gelder/) Since 1995 she has worked as a cardiologist at the UMCG.[2](https://www.groningencardiology.com/people/isabelle-van-gelder/)
## Professorship and role at Groningen
In December 2006 she was appointed professor of cardiology via the ICIN; the *Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde* recorded that this made her the second female professor of cardiology in the Netherlands.[8](https://www.ntvg.nl/artikelen/personalia-8836) She has held the chair at the [University of Groningen](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-groningen) since 2006 and has taught medical students in the Faculty of Medical Sciences throughout.[2](https://www.groningencardiology.com/people/isabelle-van-gelder/) • [9](https://www.groningencardiology.com/spotlights/interview-with-isabelle/) Her main position is Professor of Cardiology at the UMCG, with special attention to electrophysiology and arrhythmias, and she became chair of the CardioVascular Education Institute Netherlands.[3](https://www.rug.nl/staff/i.c.van.gelder/) Her stated research focus is susceptibility to atrial fibrillation and its adverse outcomes, including AF progression, with management strategies aimed at cardiovascular risk management and the prevention of heart failure.[10](https://umcgresearch.org/w/i-c-van-gelder) Her Groningen profile records more than €15 million in research grants for AF research and more than 300 peer-reviewed papers.[2](https://www.groningencardiology.com/people/isabelle-van-gelder/)
## Representative work: the RACE program
According to an interview with UMCG Cardiology, the RACE studies, which she calls her greatest achievement, form a series of randomised trials testing how far atrial fibrillation treatment actually needs to go.[9](https://www.groningencardiology.com/spotlights/interview-with-isabelle/)
**RACE (2002).** In the original RACE trial, more than 500 patients with persistent atrial fibrillation after a previous electrical cardioversion were randomly assigned to rate control or rhythm control, in roughly equal numbers.[4](https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa021375) After a mean follow-up of about 2 years, the composite endpoint of death and cardiovascular morbidity occurred in roughly 17% of the rate-control group versus about 23% of the rhythm-control group, supporting non-inferiority of rate control.[4](https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa021375) Only about 30% of the rhythm-control group were in sinus rhythm at follow-up, against about 10% of the rate-control group, showing how hard rhythm control was to maintain.[4](https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa021375) The trial was accepted as a late-breaking trial by the [American Heart Association](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-heart-association) in 2002 and published in the *New England Journal of Medicine*; she has described that publication as what made her career.[9](https://www.groningencardiology.com/spotlights/interview-with-isabelle/)
**RACE II (2010).** The second trial asked a narrower question: how slow must the heart rate be? RACE II randomly assigned 614 patients with permanent atrial fibrillation to lenient or strict rate control.[5](https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/lenient-versus-strict-rate-control-in-patients-with-atrial-fibril/) Lenient control was defined as a resting heart rate under 110 beats per minute; strict control required a mean resting rate under 80 bpm and a rate during minor exercise under 110 bpm.[11](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT00392613) At three years the primary outcome occurred in 12.9% of the lenient group versus 14.9% of the strict group, an absolute difference of −2.0 percentage points (90% CI, −7.6 to 3.5), meeting non-inferiority.[5](https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/lenient-versus-strict-rate-control-in-patients-with-atrial-fibril/) Lenient control was also easier to achieve: in the strict group about 25% of patients did not meet the heart-rate targets, and strict control required more drugs, higher dosages, and more clinic visits.[12](https://doi.org/10.1007/s12471-013-0391-1) The trial was conducted in about 25 Dutch centers, funded by the Netherlands Heart Foundation and the ICIN, with enrollment from January 2005, sponsored by the UMCG.[13](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ahj.2006.02.033) • [11](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT00392613)
**RACE 3 (2017).** The third trial shifted from the rhythm itself to the underlying conditions. RACE 3 compared two rhythm-control strategies in patients with early persistent atrial fibrillation and mild-to-moderate heart failure undergoing electrical cardioversion.[14](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12471-013-0428-5) At one year, sinus rhythm was present in 89 of 119 patients (75%) in the targeted-therapy group versus 79 of 126 (63%) in the conventional group (odds ratio 1.765, P = 0.042).[15](https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehx739) The intervention carried a cost: any adverse event occurred in 40% of intervention patients versus 7% of conventional patients, with drug discontinuation in 10% versus 1%.[15](https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehx739)
**Later work.** Her 2016 *Lancet* review, "Rate control in atrial fibrillation", synthesized this evidence.[2](https://www.groningencardiology.com/people/isabelle-van-gelder/) The RACE 6 pilot, published in 2025, tested nurse-led electrical cardioversion of persistent symptomatic AF at patients' homes; in all six patients sinus rhythm returned with no complications, and every patient preferred home cardioversion to hospital cardioversion.[16](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12471-025-01972-1)
## How the rate-control evidence compares
A pooled analysis of 1091 patients from the rate-control arms of AFFIRM (874 patients) and RACE (217) found no important difference in clinical events between stricter and lenient rate-control targets.[17](https://doi.org/10.1093/europace/eul106) A 2016 commentary in *BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine* noted that heart rate in AF had been studied in one large randomised trial, RACE II, which showed that a lenient approach to rate control is easy, while many questions about rate-control therapy remained unanswered.[18](https://ebm.bmj.com/content/21/5/180)
## Recent developments
Van Gelder gave her farewell lecture on 20 September 2024, closing thirty years of research, care, and teaching in cardiology.[7](https://decardioloog.nl/artikelen/2024/december/2024-8/ik-hou-ervan-om-jong-talent-vooruit-te-helpen) According to ESC 365, in 2024 she chaired the 2024 ESC Guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation and presented them at EHRA 2025 on 31 March 2025.[1](https://esc365.escardio.org/person/2092) • [19](https://esc365.escardio.org/presentation/302217) Her recent publications show the program's continued reach: a 2026 *American Heart Journal* paper from the RACE V study examined the association between atherosclerosis and AF progression in paroxysmal AF;[20](https://research.rug.nl/en/persons/isabelle-van-gelder/) a [European Heart Journal](https://www.edgepedia.org/european-heart-journal) meta-analysis published online on 28 January 2026, of which she is a co-author, pooled 249 randomised trials involving 745,041 patients on non-antiarrhythmic pharmacotherapy and incident AF;[21](https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/508c/f94bc6bb8d98843af3c85c2fbc33a22ebbce.pdf) and a July 2026 *Journal of the American College of Cardiology* paper examined early rhythm control in patients with AF and chronic kidney disease.[20](https://research.rug.nl/en/persons/isabelle-van-gelder/)
## Honors, society roles and industry ties
Van Gelder became a board member of the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) and chair of its membership pillar, and Secretary/Treasurer of the ESC Stroke Council; she chaired the EHRA congress scientific program committee from 2020 to 2022 and served as EHRA treasurer from 2022 to 2024.[2](https://www.groningencardiology.com/people/isabelle-van-gelder/) • [3](https://www.rug.nl/staff/i.c.van.gelder/) • [1](https://esc365.escardio.org/person/2092) In 2019 she delivered the René Laënnec Lecture on clinical cardiology and received the ESC Silver Medal for work in clinical cardiology at the ESC congress in Paris.[6](https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/41/1/11/5692514) The Netherlands Heart Rhythm Association awarded her the Bert Talen Medal in 2016.[2](https://www.groningencardiology.com/people/isabelle-van-gelder/) According to the *European Heart Journal*, she was appointed to its editorial board in 2020, became an associate editor of *Europace* and *Heart*, and was a task force member of the ESC AF 2020 guidelines before chairing the 2024 edition.[6](https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/41/1/11/5692514) • [2](https://www.groningencardiology.com/people/isabelle-van-gelder/) • [1](https://esc365.escardio.org/person/2092) On industry ties, her University of Groningen page lists the chair of an advisory board for Daiichi and membership of an advisory board for [Medtronic](https://www.edgepedia.org/medtronic).[3](https://www.rug.nl/staff/i.c.van.gelder/) A 2025 disclosure records that the UMCG received on her behalf speaker and consulting fees from Bayer and [Daiichi Sankyo](https://www.edgepedia.org/daiichi-sankyo) and research grants from Medtronic.[16](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12471-025-01972-1)
## References
1. Professor Isabelle C Van Gelder, ESC 365. https://esc365.escardio.org/person/2092
2. Isabelle van Gelder, UMCG Cardiology faculty profile. https://www.groningencardiology.com/people/isabelle-van-gelder/
3. Prof. dr. I.C. (Isabelle) van Gelder, University of Groningen staff page. https://www.rug.nl/staff/i.c.van.gelder/
4. A Comparison of Rate Control and Rhythm Control in Patients with Recurrent Persistent Atrial Fibrillation (RACE), NEJM 2002. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa021375
5. Lenient versus Strict Rate Control in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation (RACE II), NEJM 2010. https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/lenient-versus-strict-rate-control-in-patients-with-atrial-fibril/
6. New EHJ International Editorial Board Member, European Heart Journal. https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/41/1/11/5692514
7. "Ik hou ervan om jong talent vooruit te helpen", De Cardioloog, December 2024. https://decardioloog.nl/artikelen/2024/december/2024-8/ik-hou-ervan-om-jong-talent-vooruit-te-helpen
8. Personalia, Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde. https://www.ntvg.nl/artikelen/personalia-8836
9. Interview with Isabelle van Gelder, UMCG Cardiology. https://www.groningencardiology.com/spotlights/interview-with-isabelle/
10. Isabelle van Gelder, UMCG research portal. https://umcgresearch.org/w/i-c-van-gelder
11. RACE II, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00392613. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT00392613
12. Rate control in atrial fibrillation: insight into the RACE II study, Netherlands Heart Journal 2013. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12471-013-0391-1
13. RACE II: Background, aims, and design, American Heart Journal 2006. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ahj.2006.02.033
14. Design of the RACE 3 study, Netherlands Heart Journal 2013. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12471-013-0428-5
15. RACE 3 trial results, European Heart Journal 2017. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehx739
16. Nurse-led home cardioversion for control of atrial fibrillation, RACE 6, Netherlands Heart Journal 2025. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12471-025-01972-1
17. Pooled RACE and AFFIRM rate-control analysis, Europace. https://doi.org/10.1093/europace/eul106
18. Still many unanswered questions about rate control therapy in atrial fibrillation, BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine 2016. https://ebm.bmj.com/content/21/5/180
19. 2024 ESC Guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation, ESC 365. https://esc365.escardio.org/presentation/302217
20. Isabelle van Gelder, University of Groningen research portal. https://research.rug.nl/en/persons/isabelle-van-gelder/
21. Non-antiarrhythmic pharmacotherapy in cardio-renal-metabolic disease and incident atrial fibrillation, European Heart Journal 2026. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/508c/f94bc6bb8d98843af3c85c2fbc33a22ebbce.pdf
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Life and health › Life and health scientists › Medical and health researchers › Researchers in cardiovascular, metabolic, and endocrine research › Cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmias › Surnames A to Li*
*Initially written Sep 21, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 25, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Sep 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license