Key result
Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia in athletes and may be associated with endurance sport practice, though clear evidence on exact pathophysiological mechanisms remains lacking.
This review summarizes the epidemiology, pathophysiological mechanisms, and management challenges of atrial fibrillation in athletes.
Prompts vigilance for AF in endurance athletes; leaves open mechanistic insights needed to guide prevention.
Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia in athletes and may be associated with endurance sport practice. Atrial ectopic beats, chronic systemic inflammation, autonomic system alterations, anatomic adaptation, myocardial injury and illicit drugs seem to be implicated in the increased prevalence of atrial fibrillation in athletes, but clear evidence is lacking. Treatment of the arrhythmia is a challenging issue, as atrial fibrillation may impair athletic performances and deteriorate athletes' quality of life. This review focuses on the epidemiology, possible pathophysiological mechanisms, and management of atrial fibrillation in athletes.
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Goudis et al. (2014) conducted a review in Atrial fibrillation. Endurance sport practice was evaluated. Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia in athletes and may be associated with endurance sport practice, though clear evidence on exact pathophysiological mechanisms remains lacking.
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