5
Figure 2. Mechanisms of AF
Extracardiac Factors:
• Hypertension
• Obesity
• Sleep apnea
• Hyperthyroidism
• Alcohol/drugs
AF
Atrial Electrical Abnormalities:
• ↑Heterogeneity
• ↓Conduction
• ↓Action potential during/
Refractoriness
• ↑Automaticity
• Abnormal intercellular Ca
++
handling
• Inflammation
• Oxidative stress
Atrial Structural
Abnormalities:
• Fibrosis
• Dilation
• Ischemia
• Infiltration
• Hypertrophy
Atrial
tachycardia
remodeling
RAAS
activation
Autonomic
nervous system
activation
Genetic Variants:
• Channelopathy
• Cardiomyopathy
