Atrial fibrillation

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Schematic diagram of normal sinus rhythm for a human heart as seen on ECG. In atrial fibrillation, however, the P waves, which represent depolarization of the atria, are absent.

Disease
Name	Atrial fibrillation
DiseasesDB
ICD10	I 48
ICD9	427.31
MedlinePlus	000184
MeshID	D001281

Atrial fibrillation (AF), a common type of heart arrhythmia, is a major risk factor for stroke. About 15 percent of all strokes are attributable to atrial fibrillation. Anticoagulants such as Warfarin, as well as beta blockers and calcium channel blockers, may be prescribed to reduce the risk of stroke.

How common is atrial fibrillation? Data from the Framingham Heart Study, which followed over 8,000 Massachusetts residents from 1966-1999, indicate that the average lifetime risk after age 40 was 26% for men and 23% for women, and that the risk remained relatively constant as individuals grew older. [PMID 15313941]

In 2018, a large meta-analysis identified 97 loci significantly associated with atrial fibrillation; some of the genes are shown below.10.1038/s41588-018-0133-9

Various genes have been associated with atrial fibrillation:

AGT
- rs699

NPPA
- rs5065

EDN2
- rs5800

GJA5
- rs10465885, also related to hearing loss [PMID 21076161]
- rs35594137

CNTN5
- rs10501920

KCNH2
- rs1805123

Other SNPs associated with atrial fibrillation:
- rs2200733
- rs10033464 (risk allele T)
- rs4776472
- rs958546