Age-Related Increase in Atrial Fibrillation Induced by Transvenous Catheter-Based Atrial Burst Pacing:An In Vivo Rat Model of Inducible Atrial Fibrillation

摘要

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia and is a frequent cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.Advancing age is independently associated with the prevalence of AF, which increases from 0.5% of patients in their 50s to nearly 10% of patients in their 80s.In many patients, AF may coexist with several cardiovascular disorders, such as ischemic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, valvular disease, and hypertension, but it can also occur in patients without organic heart disease as so-called lone AF, especially in the elderly. Previous studies suggest that age-related increase in AF vulnerability is associated with significant increases in interregional dispersion of atrial action potential duration (electrical remodeling) and interstitial fibrosis (structural remodeling). However, detailed mechanisms underlying the age-related increase in AFvulnerability and the process of atrial remodeling are poorly understood.