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Updated: Dec 12, 2025

Estimating Bilateral Atrial Function by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
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Estimating Bilateral Atrial Function by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation

Published on: July 20, 2022

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Genetics and Epigenetics of Atrial Fibrillation

Estefanía Lozano-Velasco1,2, Diego Franco1,2, Amelia Aranega1,2

  • 1Department of Experimental Biology, University of Jaen, 23071 Jaen, Spain.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|August 14, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Atrial fibrillation (AF), a common heart rhythm disorder, is linked to genetic factors and epigenetic changes. Understanding these epigenetic networks is key to developing new AF treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Genetics
  • Epigenetics

Background:

  • Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia, affecting 1% of the population and increasing with age.
  • AF involves ion channel dysfunction, calcium handling issues, and structural heart remodeling.
  • Genetic factors, identified through GWAS, play a role in AF development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current knowledge on epigenetic regulatory networks in atrial fibrillation.
  • To highlight the role of post-transcriptional modifications in AF pathogenesis.

Main Methods:

  • Review of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for AF-related genetic loci.
  • Analysis of recent discoveries in non-coding RNAs, DNA methylation, and histone modification.
  • Focus on functional characterization of AF-related epigenetic mechanisms.

Main Results:

  • Over 100 genetic loci associated with AF have been identified, many related to ion channels and cardiac transcription factors.
  • Epigenetic mechanisms, including microRNAs, DNA methylation, and histone modifications, are crucial for normal heart development and AF.
  • These mechanisms are involved in reshaping cardiac processes leading to arrhythmias.

Conclusions:

  • Epigenetic regulatory networks are increasingly recognized as critical in the development of atrial fibrillation.
  • Further research into these networks is essential for understanding AF and developing targeted therapies.

Keywords:
atrial fibrillationepigeneticsgene regulation

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