Atrial remodeling and atrial fibrillation: mechanisms and implications.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in clinical practice. It can occur at any age but is very rare in children and becomes extremely common in the elderly, with a prevalence approaching 20% in patients 85 years of age.1 AF is associated with a wide range of potential complications and contributes significantly to population morbidity and mortality. Present therapeutic approaches to AF have major limitations, including limited efficacy and significant adverse effect liability. These limitations have inspired substantial efforts to improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying AF, with the premise that improved mechanistic insights will lead to innovative and improved therapeutic approaches.2 Our understanding of AF pathophysiology has advanced significantly over the past 10 to 15 years through an increased awareness of the role of “atrial remodeling.” Any persistent change in atrial structure or function constitutes atrial remodeling. Many forms of atrial remodeling promote the occurrence or maintenance of AF by acting on the fundamental arrhythmia mechanisms illustrated in Figure 1. Both rapid ectopic firing and reentry can maintain AF. Reentry requires a suitable vulnerable substrate, as well as a trigger that acts on the substrate to initiate reentry. Ectopic firing contributes to reentry by providing triggers for reentry induction. Atrial remodeling has the potential to increase the likelihood of ectopic or reentrant activity through a multitude of potential mechanisms. This article reviews the types of atrial remodeling, their underlying pathophysiology, the molecular basis of their occurrence, and finally, their potential therapeutic significance.