title: The role of obesity in atrial fibrillation.
abstract: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is commonly associated with overweight and obesity. Both conditions have been identified as major global epidemics associated with increased mortality and morbidity. Overweight populations have higher incidence, prevalence, severity, and progression of AF compared with their normal weight counterparts. Additionally, weight change appears to accompany alteration of arrhythmia profile, raising overweight, and obesity as potential targets for intervention. Recent clinical data confirm hypothesis drawn from epidemiological studies that durable weight reduction strategies facilitate effective management of AF. Stable weight loss decreases AF burden and AF recurrence following treatment. Structural remodelling in response to weight loss suggests that reverse remodelling of the AF substrate mediates improvement of arrhythmia profile. Obesity often co-exists with multiple AF risk factors that improve in response to weight loss, making a consolidated approach of weight loss and AF risk factor management preferable. However, weight loss for AF remains in its infancy, and its broad adoption as a management strategy for AF remains to be defined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne 3050, Australia Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia Centre for Heart Rhythm Disorders (CHRD), South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), University of Adelaide and Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: Chrishan Joseph
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Nalliah
authors.affiliation: Centre for Heart Rhythm Disorders (CHRD), South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), University of Adelaide and Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: Prashanthan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrophysiology, Hirslanden Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kottkamp
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne 3050, Australia Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia jon.kalman@mh.org.au.
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kalman
mesh_terms: D001281:Atrial Fibrillation; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D009765:Obesity; D012307:Risk Factors; D015431:Weight Loss
keywords: Atrial fibrillation; Atrial remodelling; Obesity; Overweight