Risk factors of atrial fibrillation

Czech version

Authors: V. Musil
Authors‘ workplace: Interní kardiologická klinika, FN a LF MU Brno
Published in: Kardiol Rev Int Med 2010, 12(3): 131-133

Overview

Atrial fibrillation is among the most common cardiac arrhythmias in the population, its prevalence increases with age and the most common risk factors other than age are hypertension, male sex, ischemic heart disease and chronic heart failure. However, for a considerable proportion of patients with permanent and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, the apparent cause cannot be identified using common investigative techniques. This is the so-called ‘lone’ atrial fibrillation. In these patients, other factors have been documented as the possible cause of atrial fibrillation. Among the most discussed are obesity with metabolic syndrome, obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome and inflammatory reaction with oxidative stress and subclinical atherosclerosis. Although an interlink between these factors has been repeatedly demonstrated, we can not yet answer unambiguously whether these ‘risk factors’ are the causes or only accompanying signs of other more complex mechanisms.

Keywords:
atrial fibrillation –atherosclerosis – metabolic syndrome – obstructive sleep apnoea

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Article was published in

Cardiology Review

2010 Issue 3