Document type
ArticleVersion
Accepted versionPublication date
All rights reserved
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/119712
Mechanisms of atrial fibrillation in athletes: what we know and what we do not know.
Journal Title
Director/Tutor
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Related resource
Abstract
Exercise is an emerging cause of atrial fibrillation (AF) in young individuals without coexisting cardiovascular risk factors. The causes of exercise-induced atrial fibrillation remain largely unknown, and conclusions are jeopardised by apparently conflicting data. Some components of the athlete's heart are known to be arrhythmogenic in other settings. Bradycardia, atrial dilatation and, possibly, atrial premature beats are therefore biologically plausible contributors to exercise-induced AF. Challenging findings in an animal model suggest that exercise might also prompt the development of atrial fibrosis, possibly due to cumulative minor structural damage after each exercise bout. However, there is very limited, indirect data supporting this hypothesis in athletes. Age, sex, the presence of comorbidities and cardiovascular risk factors, and genetic individual variability might serve to flag those athletes who are at the higher risk of exercise-induced AF. In this review, we will critically address current knowledge on the mechanisms of exercise-induced AF.
Subject (English)
Citation
Citation
GUASCH I CASANY, Eduard, MONT GIRBAU, Lluís and SITGES CARREÑO, Marta. Mechanisms of atrial fibrillation in athletes: what we know and what we do not know. Netherlands Heart Journal. 2018. ISSN 1568-5888. [consulted: 11 of August of 2026]. Available at: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/119712