Key result
Gastroesophageal reflux disease is associated with atrial fibrillation, with potential mechanisms including esophageal inflammation, sympathovagal imbalance, and hiatal hernia.
Why the study?
The precise mechanism of gastroesophageal reflux disease as a possible cause of atrial fibrillation remains uncertain.
Does treating GERD with proton pump inhibitors reduce symptoms and recurrence of atrial fibrillation in patients with both conditions?
Does treating GERD with proton pump inhibitors reduce symptoms and recurrence of atrial fibrillation in patients with both conditions?
This review highlights a potential mechanistic link between GERD and AF, suggesting that treating GERD with PPIs might help manage AF symptoms.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common gastroenterology disease; both are highly encountered daily in clinical practice. Since both share common predisposing factors, we can conclude that there is a link between them. To date, the precise mechanism of reflux disease as a possible cause of atrial fibrillation remains uncertain. However, some possibilities can be postulated, such as the inflammation process, and sympathovagal imbalance represents the main factors for how GERD can initiate AF. Vigorous aerobic exercise in healthy people can bring about acidic esophageal reflux, which is a common risk factor for AF. Various inflammatory markers such as C-reaction protein (CRP) and interleukins have been a central role in initiating AF. A large hiatal hernia (HH) can cause direct compression on the left atrium that is possibly predisposing to atrial arrhythmogenesis. It has been sporadically reported that using a proton pump inhibitor to treat GERD in patients with coexisting AF has a noticeable effect on decreasing symptoms of AF and recurrence with less cost and side effects.
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Mohamed et al. (2020) conducted a review in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Atrial Fibrillation. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease was evaluated. Gastroesophageal reflux disease is associated with atrial fibrillation, with potential mechanisms including esophageal inflammation, sympathovagal imbalance, and hiatal hernia.
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