Genetics of Atrial Fibrillation and Atrial Cardiomyopathy

Abstract

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common type of cardiac arrhythmia. Through epidemiological studies, AF has been recognized to have a considerable genetic component. Genome-wide association studies have associated more than 100 genes with AF. Newer research has established a link between atrial cardiomyopathy and a predisposition for AF. This association has been further supported by recent exome and genome sequencing projects which have shown a substantial genetic overlap between genetic variants implicated in AF and cardiomyopathy in general. This review focuses on the genetic overlap between AF and cardiomyopathy.