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Published on: February 26, 2013
Arterial stiffness and atrial fibrillation: shared mechanisms, clinical implications and therapeutic options
Riccardo Vio1, Andrea S Giordani2, Maria Stefil3
1Department of Cardiothoracic, Vascular Medicine & Intensive Care, Unit of Cardiology, Dell'Angelo Hospital, Mestre-Venice.
Insights
Arterial stiffness (AS) increases the risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF). Managing AS may improve AF symptoms and treatment effectiveness, offering a new therapeutic target.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Vascular Biology
- Electrophysiology
Background:
- Arterial stiffness (AS) and atrial fibrillation (AF) share common pathophysiological pathways.
- AS is a risk factor for AF development.
- AF patients with AS often experience more symptoms and reduced treatment efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the association between AS and AF.
- To explore shared molecular and pathophysiological mechanisms.
- To discuss clinical implications and therapeutic strategies.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies investigating the link between AS and AF.
- Analysis of shared mechanisms.
- Evaluation of clinical outcomes and treatment options.
Main Results:
- AS is a significant risk factor for AF.
- Measurement of AS (e.g., aortic pulse wave velocity) can be challenging in AF due to arrhythmias.
- Interventions targeting AS may benefit AF management.
Conclusions:
- There is a strong bidirectional relationship between AS and AF.
- Targeting AS reduction presents a promising therapeutic avenue for improving AF management.
- Further research into de-stiffening interventions for AF patients is warranted.
Abstract:
Arterial stiffness (AS) and atrial fibrillation (AF) share commonalities in molecular and pathophysiological mechanisms and numerous studies have analyzed their reciprocal influence. The gold standard for AS diagnosis is represented by aortic pulse wave velocity, whose measurement can be affected by arrhythmias characterized by irregularities in heart rhythm, such as AF. Growing evidence show that patients with AS are at high risk of AF development. Moreover, the subset of AF patients with AS seems to be more symptomatic and rhythm control strategies are less effective in this population. Reducing AS through de-stiffening interventions may be beneficial for patients with AF and can be a new appealing target for the holistic approach of AF management. In this review, we discuss the association between AS and AF, with particular interest in shared mechanisms, clinical implications and therapeutic options.
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