Simulating left atrial arrhythmias with an interactive N-body model

Heart disease and strokes are leading global killers. While atrial arrhythmias are not deadly by themselves, they can disrupt blood flow in the heart, causing blood clots. These clots can travel to the brain, causing strokes, or to the coronary arteries, causing heart attacks. Additionally, prolonged periods of elevated heart rates can lead to structural and functional changes in the heart, ultimately leading to heart failure if untreated. The left atrium, with its more complex topology, is the primary site for complex arrhythmias. Much remains unknown about the causes of these arrhythmias, and computer modeling is employed to study them.