Prediction of atrial fibrillation development and progression: Current perspectives.

Prediction of atrial fibrillation development and progression: Current perspectives. World J Cardiol. 2016 Mar 26;8(3):267-76 Authors: Vlachos K, Letsas KP, Korantzopoulos P, Liu T, Georgopoulos S, Bakalakos A, Karamichalakis N, Xydonas S, Efremidis M, Sideris A Abstract Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in clinical practice. Several conventional and novel predictors of AF development and progression (from paroxysmal to persistent and permanent types) have been reported. The most important predictor of AF progression is possibly the arrhythmia itself. The electrical, mechanical and structural remodeling determines the perpetuation of AF and the progression from paroxysmal to persistent and permanent forms. Common clinical scores such as the hypertension, age ≥ 75 years, transient ischemic attack or stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and heart failure and the congestive heart failure, hypertension, age ≥ 75 years, diabetes mellitus, stroke/transient ischemic attack, vascular disease, age 65-74 years, sex category scores as well as biomarkers related to inflammation may also add important information on this topic. There is now increasing evidence that even in patients with so-called lone or idiopathic AF, the arrhythmia is the manifestation of a structural atrial disease which has recently been defined and described as fibrotic atrial cardiomyopathy. Fibrosis results from a broad range of factors r...
Source: World Journal of Cardiology - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: World J Cardiol Source Type: research