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Genetics of Atrial Fibrillation: The Clinician's Perspective

  • Chapter
Atrial Fibrillation

Part of the book series: Contemporary Cardiology ((CONCARD))

Abstract

Atrial fibrillation (AF) remains one of the most challenging arrhythmias for the clinician and basic researcher. Different approaches have been undertaken from the basic standpoint to improve its understanding, from the development of animal models to the analysis of genetic backgrounds in individuals with familial and acquired forms of the disease. In recent years, a large body of evidence has shown that alterations in ionic currents are involved in the disease. Only recently, the genetic link between mutations in proteins responsible for these ionic currents and the familial disease has given the final evidence that AF can also be primarily an ion channelopathy. In this regard, despite the limited prevalence of inherited diseases, it has been shown that the knowledge gained from their study will be helpful in dealing with the most common acquired forms of the disease. Moreover, data from family studies and preliminary association studies stress the relevance of common genetic variants as modifiers of susceptibility to AF. Therefore, as new data continue to appear, clinicians can expect that soon better therapeutic and preventive options for this arrhythmia will emerge from basic science.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Canadian Research Chair Genetics of Arrhythmias, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Ramon Brugada (Associate Professor of Medicine, Director)

  2. Department of Medicine I, LMU Klinikum Grosshadern, Munich, Germany

    Stefan Kääb

Authors
  1. Ramon Brugada
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  2. Stefan Kääb
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Arrhythmia Institute, St. David's Medical Center, Austin, Texas, USA

    Andrea Natale MD (Executive Medical Director of the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, Consulting Professor) (Executive Medical Director of the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, Consulting Professor)

  2. Division of Cardiology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA

    Andrea Natale MD (Executive Medical Director of the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, Consulting Professor) (Executive Medical Director of the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, Consulting Professor)

  3. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    José Jalife MD (Professor of Internal Medicine, The Cyrus and Jane Farrehi Professor of Cardiovascular Research, Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology) (Professor of Internal Medicine, The Cyrus and Jane Farrehi Professor of Cardiovascular Research, Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology)

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© 2008 Humana Press, a part of Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Brugada, R., Kääb, S. (2008). Genetics of Atrial Fibrillation: The Clinician's Perspective. In: Natale, A., Jalife, J. (eds) Atrial Fibrillation. Contemporary Cardiology. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-163-5_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-163-5_6

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-856-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59745-163-5

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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