[The Relationship of Markers of Cellular Aging with Atrial Fibrillation]

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common form of cardiac arrhythmia, the prevalence of which increases with age. Slowing down senescence is one of the urgent challenges of modern science. Therefore, it is important to identify individuals with markers of premature cellular senescence for further development of pharmacological agents capable of slowing it. Assuming that in AF, signs of cellular senescence emerge earlier than in individuals without AF we performed search, analysis and systematization of studies of the relationship between markers of cellular senescence, including the leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and the plasma concentration of galectin-3 in patients with AF. In most of the reviewed studies, the concentration of galectin-3 was significantly higher in patients with AF than in practically healthy individuals, while the LTL did not differ significantly between these groups. Accordingly, the signs of cellular senescence appeared earlier in patients with AF than in practically healthy individuals. Further clinical studies of cellular senescence markers in patients with AF are promising and call for large multicenter studies with a uniform design and methodology.