Key result
Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with higher AF risk, driven by systemic inflammation and atrial remodeling.
Why the study?
Studies evaluating the increased risk of atrial fibrillation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis have reported inconsistent findings, despite inflammation playing an important role in AF.
Does rheumatoid arthritis increase the risk of atrial fibrillation?
Does rheumatoid arthritis increase the risk of atrial fibrillation?
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Given the shared inflammatory pathways and increased risk, routine screening for AF should be part of the assessment of patients with RA.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia with a significant increase in morbidity and mortality worldwide. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), as a systemic inflammatory disease, affecting 0.5-1.0% of the adult population, is associated with increased incidence of cardiac arrhythmias such as AF. Several epidemiologic studies find that the risk of AF is increased in RA when compared with the general population. Other studies are inconsistent. Considering that inflammation plays an important role in AF, RA may be involved in the occurrence and development of AF. This review summarizes the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and management of AF in patients with RA.
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Qian et al. (2023) conducted a review in Rheumatoid arthritis and Atrial fibrillation. Rheumatoid arthritis vs. General population was evaluated. Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with an increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation, likely driven by systemic inflammation and structural atrial remodeling.
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