Animal investigation uncovers atrial electrophysiological remodeling in middle-aged rabbits, highlighting mechanisms of arrhythmia susceptibility before overt structural remodeling.
Age is an independent risk factor for the development of atrial fibrillation (AF). However, how natural aging predisposes to increased AF risk is currently unclear. While AF arises in old age, the combined effects of widespread structural, electrophysiological and autonomic remodeling make it difficult to discern the exact mechanisms of arrhythmia generation. Investigation prior to overt structural remodeling may therefore be required. Though rodents are often used in cardiovascular research due to their fast senescence, their atrial electrophysiology and age-associated remodeling are distinct from larger mammals and humans, meaning they may not be ideal animal models.
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Smith et al. (2024) studied this question.
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