This Focus issue on atrial fibrillation (AF) contains three specially commissioned Review articles, written by leaders in the field, on promising new developments in catheter ablation, atrial antiarrhythmic drug therapy, and anticoagulants for stroke prevention in patients with AF. The issue also features News & Views commentaries, a Research Highlight, and an Editorial, discussing important advances in AF research that have been reported in the past few months.
EDITORIAL
Global collaboration needed for AF
Valentin Fuster & Bryony M. Mearns
doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2010.12
Nature Reviews Cardiology 7, 115-116 (2010)
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT
Omega-3 supplements do not prevent atrial fibrillation after CABG surgery
Alexandra King
doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2010.5
Nature Reviews Cardiology 7, 117 (2010)
NEWS & VIEWS
Beyond PV isolation for ablation of persistent AF
Vivek Reddy
doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2010.11
Nature Reviews Cardiology 7, 121-122 (2010)
Are glucocorticoids a treatment or a risk factor?
Michiel Rienstra & Isabelle C. Van Gelder
doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2010.2
Nature Reviews Cardiology 7, 122-123 (2010)
REVIEWS
State-of-the-art and emerging technologies for atrial fibrillation ablation
Jane Dewire & Hugh Calkins
doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2009.232
Nature Reviews Cardiology 7, 129-138 (2010)
As part of our focus issue on atrial fibrillation, Dewire and Calkins review current strategies and emerging technologies for catheter ablation of patients with this arrhythmia. The authors also discuss the current clinical role of AF ablation in various high-risk groups of patients, such as the elderly and those with concomitant heart failure.
New developments in atrial antiarrhythmic drug therapy
Alexander Burashnikov & Charles Antzelevitch
doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2009.245
Nature Reviews Cardiology 7, 139-148 (2010)
Atrial fibrillation (AF) has multifactorial intracardiac and extracardiac causes. Current development of anti-AF agents is focused on modulation of ion channel activity as well as on upstream therapies that reduce structural substrates. In this Review, Burashnikov and Antzelevitch examine new and emerging pharmacological approaches to rhythm control in patients with AF and summarize the available data on these drugs.
Novel oral anticoagulants to prevent stroke in atrial fibrillation
Freek W. A. Verheugt
doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2009.235
Nature Reviews Cardiology 7, 149-154 (2010)
Although currently available anticoagulants, such as warfarin, can prevent stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation, the drug-related bleeding risk remains unacceptably high, and therapy could be contraindicated if the risk exceeds that for stroke. In this Review, Freek Verheugt assesses the performance of new anticoagulants that directly inhibit different stages of the coagulation cascade.
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