Atrial fibrillation

Articles

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  Atrial fibrillation

  Atrial fibrillation occurs when cardiac electrical impulses become disordered, leading to a rapid and irregular heartbeat. Lip and colleagues discuss the mechanisms that underlie this common arrhythmia and outline current strategies and potential future developments for its diagnosis and management.

  • Gregory Y. H. Lip
  • Laurent Fauchier
  • Deirdre A. Lane

  Primer31 Mar 2016 Nature Reviews Disease Primers
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  Atrial fibrillation in women: epidemiology, pathophysiology, presentation, and prognosis

  Differences between women and men with atrial fibrillation have received far less attention in recent years than sex-specific differences in coronary heart disease and stroke. In this Review, Ko et al. discuss sex-specific differences in the incidence, prevalence, risk factors, and pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation, and the clinical presentation and prognosis of patients with this prevalent arrhythmia.

  • Darae Ko
  • Faisal Rahman
  • Ingrid E. Christophersen

  Review Article7 Apr 2016 Nature Reviews Cardiology
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  Defining the major health modifiers causing atrial fibrillation: a roadmap to underpin personalized prevention and treatment

  To bridge the current gap between the known mechanisms of atrial fibrillation (AF) and the clinical management of patients with this arrhythmia, Fabritz and colleagues propose a roadmap to develop a set of clinical markers that reflect the major causes of AF in patients. A new, mechanism-based classification of AF can provide the basis for personalized prevention and management.

  • Larissa Fabritz
  • Eduard Guasch
  • Paulus Kirchhof

  Consensus StatementOpen Access24 Dec 2015 Nature Reviews Cardiology
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  Comorbidity of atrial fibrillation and heart failure

  Atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) are evolving epidemics with increasing global prevalence. HF is known to promote AF, but how AF exacerbates or even causes HF is uncertain. In this Review, Ling and colleagues present the current understanding of the epidemiology and pathophysiology of AF–HF, and the roles of pharmacological and interventional therapies in the management of patients with this comorbidity.

  • Liang-Han Ling
  • Peter M. Kistler
  • Ross J. Hunter

  Review Article10 Dec 2015 Nature Reviews Cardiology
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  Management of atrial fibrillation in bradyarrhythmias

  Patients with sinus node disease (SND) and an implanted cardiac pacemaker have high prevalence of atrial tachyarrhythmias and atrial fibrillation (AF). In this Review, Boriani and Padeletti describe new developments in pacemaker technology that enable continuous monitoring of the atrial rhythm and allow detection of the burden of AF. These clinical advances could improve guidelines and management of AF and atrial tachyarrhythmias.

  • Giuseppe Boriani
  • Luigi Padeletti

  Review Article17 Mar 2015 Nature Reviews Cardiology
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  Inflammation and the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation

  An increasing body of evidence suggests that proteins involved in the inflammatory response are also involved in the pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation (AF). Moreover, AF itself can induce inflammation. In this Review, Hu and colleagues discuss the interplay between inflammation and AF. The authors also highlight potential therapies that might be used to treat inflammation-induced AF.

  • Yu-Feng Hu
  • Yi-Jen Chen
  • Shih-Ann Chen

  Review Article27 Jan 2015 Nature Reviews Cardiology
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  MicroRNAs and atrial fibrillation: mechanisms and translational potential

  Available treatments for atrial fibrillation (AF) often lack sufficient efficacy or have considerable complications, but novel therapies based on the underlying molecular mechanisms of AF can provide useful alternatives. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene transcription, and constitute a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of AF. In this Review article, Luo et al. provide a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms of miRNA action, and explore the available experimental evidence supporting a role for miRNAs as novel therapeutic targets for AF.

  • Xiaobin Luo
  • Baofeng Yang
  • Stanley Nattel

  Review Article25 Nov 2014 Nature Reviews Cardiology
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  Global epidemiology of atrial fibrillation

  The prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) is estimated to increase worldwide, mainly as a consequence of generalized population ageing. Even though the rise in AF prevalence is a global trend, data from Africa, Asia, and South America are limited and might underestimate the true frequency of AF. In this Review, the authors discuss the available epidemiological data on AF and highlight the widespread inadequacy of its treatment.

  • Faisal Rahman
  • Gene F. Kwan
  • Emelia J. Benjamin

  Review Article12 Aug 2014 Nature Reviews Cardiology
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  Cardiac imaging for assessment of left atrial appendage stasis and thrombosis

  The left atrial appendage (LAA) is the main location of thrombus formation in patients with atrial fibrillation. This Review by Romero et al. is focused on the pathophysiology, assessment, and clinical implications of stasis and thrombus formation in the LAA. The advantages and disadvantages of the available imaging modalities for LAA assessment are discussed, and the authors explore the role of cardiac imaging in the therapeutic use of LAA closure devices.

  • Jorge Romero
  • Jie J. Cao
  • Cynthia C. Taub

  Review Article10 Jun 2014 Nature Reviews Cardiology
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  Oral anticoagulants for Asian patients with atrial fibrillation

  Asian individuals have a higher risk of stroke associated with atrial fibrillation (AF) than white patients. The use of the vitamin K antagonist warfarin is low in Asian countries, owing to the challenge of controlling anticoagulation and the high-risk of haemorrhage with warfarin in Asians. The non-vitamin K antagonist, oral anticoagulant drugs offer a solution to these challenges. In this article, Sabir et al. discuss the use of these agents in the management of AF in Asian populations.

  • Ian Sabir
  • Kaivan Khavandi
  • A. John Camm

  Review Article11 Mar 2014 Nature Reviews Cardiology
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  Mechanical antithrombotic intervention by LAA occlusion in atrial fibrillation

  Percutaneous transcatheter mechanical occlusion of the left atrial appendage (LAA) is a nonpharmacological treatment option for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation who cannot receive anticoagulant drugs. In this Review, Cheuk-Man Yu and colleagues present the rationale for LAA occlusion in patients with AF, the available occlusion devices and the clinical evidence for their use, and discuss the role of imaging techniques in device implantation and the management of procedural complications.

  • Cheuk-Man Yu
  • Ahmed A. Khattab
  • Bernhard Meier

  Review Article22 Oct 2013 Nature Reviews Cardiology
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  Update on atrial fibrillation catheter ablation technologies and techniques

  Atrial fibrillation is one of the most common heart arrhythmias. In this Review, Dewire and Calkins discuss the development and role of catheter ablation to electrically isolate the pulmonary veins in patients with paroxysmal, persistent, or longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation. They go on to highlight novel tools that improve the safety, efficacy, and precision of ablation techniques.

  • Jane Dewire
  • Hugh Calkins

  Review Article27 Aug 2013 Nature Reviews Cardiology