The State of the Art: Atrial Fibrillation Epidemiology, Prevention, and Treatment.
As the most common sustained arrhythmia in adults, atrial fibrillation (AF) is an established and growing epidemic. To provide optimal patient care, it is important for clinicians to be aware of AF's epidemiological trends, methods of risk reduction, and the various available treatment modalities. Our understanding of AF's pathophysiology has advanced, and with this new understanding has come advancements in prevention strategies as well as pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatment options. Following PubMed and MEDLINE searches for AF risk factors, epidemiology, and therapies, we reviewed relevant articles (and bibliographies of those articles) published from 2000 to 2016. This "state-of-the-art" review provides a comprehensive update on the understanding of AF in the world today, contemporary therapeutic options, and directions of ongoing and future study.
Department of Cardiology, Ochsner Medical Center, New Orleans, LA; Ochsner Clinical School, The University of Queensland School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA. Electronic address: dmorin@ochsner.org.
Daniel P
DP
Morin
Department of Cardiology, Ochsner Medical Center, New Orleans, LA.
Michael L
ML
Bernard
Electrophysiology, Arrhythmia and Pacemaker Program, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL.
Christopher
C
Madias
Department of Cardiology, Ochsner Medical Center, New Orleans, LA.
Paul A
PA
Rogers
Department of Cardiology, Ochsner Medical Center, New Orleans, LA.
Sudarone
S
Thihalolipavan
Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA.
N A Mark
NA
Estes
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged
D000925:Anticoagulants