Atrial fibrillation.

Gregory Y H Lip, Laurent Fauchier, Saul B Freedman, Isabelle Van Gelder, Andrea Natale, Carola Gianni, Stanley Nattel, Tatjana Potpara, Michiel Rienstra, Hung-Fat Tse, Deirdre A Lane

Journal: Nature reviews. Disease primers 2018;2():16016

PMID: 27159789

Full Text on Nature Publishing Group View on PubMed

Abstract

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac rhythm disorder, and increases in prevalence with increasing age and the number of cardiovascular comorbidities. AF is characterized by a rapid and irregular heartbeat that can be asymptomatic or lead to symptoms such as palpitations, dyspnoea and dizziness. The condition can also be associated with serious complications, including an increased risk of stroke. Important recent developments in the clinical epidemiology and management of AF have informed our approach to this arrhythmia. This Primer provides a comprehensive overview of AF, including its epidemiology, mechanisms and pathophysiology, diagnosis, screening, prevention and management. Management strategies, including stroke prevention, rate control and rhythm control, are considered. We also address quality of life issues and provide an outlook on future developments and ongoing clinical trials in managing this common arrhythmia.

Address: University of Birmingham Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, City Hospital, Birmingham, UK.; Aalborg Thrombosis Research Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.; Faculty of Medicine, University of Tours, Tours, France.; Heart Research Institute and Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.; Department of Cardiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.; Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, St David's Medical Center, Austin, Texas, USA.; Montréal Heart Institute and University de Montréal, Medicine and Research Center and Department of Pharmacology McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.; Institute of Pharmacology, West German Heart and Vascular Center, Faculty of Medicine, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.; Cardiology Clinic, Clinical Center of Serbia, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.; University Medical Center, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.; Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

DOI: 10.1038/nrdp.2016.16

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https://doi.org/10.1038/nrdp.2016.16

MeSH Terms: Ablation Techniques, Anticoagulants, Aspirin, Atrial Fibrillation, Dizziness, Dyspnea, Electric Countershock, Flecainide, Heart Failure, Heart Rate, Humans, Hypertension, Myocardial Ischemia, Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors, Prevalence, Propafenone, Quality of Life, Risk Factors, Sodium Channel Blockers, Stroke, Thromboembolism, Warfarin