Arterial stiffness: a possible predictor of atrial fibrillation

Abstract

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, affecting 0.5%–1% of people worldwide. Hemodynamic changes due to stiffening of the arteries may cause cardiac structural and electrical remodeling that induces AF.Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a direct non-invasive method to measure arterial stiffness (AS). Central pulse pressure (PPc) describes oscillations around the mean arterial pressure and is increased in more rigid arteries. These two central variables can be considered markers of AF. Sympathetic activity has been reported to be directly relatedto PWV even in patients without comorbidities. Therefore, in patients with more rigid arteries, sudden changes in pressure could affect the activation of arterial baroreceptors, leading to an acute imbalance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic responses in the heart. The coexistence of AF and AS is common. This critical review aims to bring information about the role of AS in the pathophysiology of AF and discuss results of clinical studies on this topic. Althuogh discussed in the literature, further studies are needed to confirm the predictive role of these variables in AF, and their use in clinical practice.