This book addresses the problem of atrial fibrillation in terms of epidemiology, risk factors, as well as treatment, including medical treatment using drugs, catheter ablation, and cardiac surgery. Most of the authors of the book are arrhythmologists, and chapters on atrial fibrillation are based on their experience in the cardiology clinic or the operating room.

With over 6 million patients affected only in the United States, atrial fibrillation (AF) is a major health problem with profound effects on both the individual patient and society at large. In this issue of Heart Failure Clinics, we have focused on AF and tried to cover the most important and relevant aspects in a comprehensive and contemporary review. A distinguished group of experts and leaders in basic and experimental electrophysiology, epidemiology, clinical pharmacology, interventional clinical electrophysiology, and cardiac surgery contributed state-of-the-art reviews and also shared their insight to the future of AF. Topics include but are not limited to: Risk Factors and Genetics of Atrial Fibrillation; Mechanisms of Atrial Fibrillation: Rotors, Ionic Determinants, and Excitation Frequency; Diagnostic Evaluation and Follow-Up of Patients with Atrial Fibrillation; Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation; Antithrombotic and Anticoagulant Therapy for Atrial Fibrillation; Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation: Incidence, Mechanisms, and Clinical Correlates; and Novel Upstream Approaches to Prevent Atrial Fibrillation Perpetuation.

This handbook offers timely investigation of current pharmaceutical trends, clinical guidelines, novel treatments, and ongoing pipeline developments, including ground-breaking advances in the use of novel oral anticoagulants. ​Atrial fibrillation (AF) affects an estimated 1–2% of the population and is the most common cause of sustained cardiac arrhythmia. Critically, the number of patients developing AF is expected to double in the next five decades, leading to increased incidence of stroke, heart failure and other serious thromboembolic events.

Filling a gap in the literature, this all-encompassing reference explores the epidemiology, mechanisms, and pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation and compiles the latest diagnostic and treatment practices for patient care. The book summarizes the most recent advances in symptom relief, drug development, device management, and long-term control of heart rhythm abnormalities and reviews the latest studies on the prevention of stroke and other thromboembolic events in patients with valvular and nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Finally, it offers new strategies to improve the therapy and outcomes of patients suffering from the myriad of complications associated with atrial fibrillation.

Atrial Fibrillation: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Improving Patient Outcomes, provides a current and comprehensive update on path physiology, epidemiology, management strategies of rate control, pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic approaches to rhythm control, risk stratification for stroke and bleeding, anticoagulant therapy, and left atrial occlusion devices. The contributions by experienced internists, cardiologists, electrophysiologists, surgeons, anesthesiologists, pharmacists, internists, nurse practitioners, and nurse educators provide a unique perspective. Case studies of paroxysmal, persistent, and permanent atrial provide clinical context incorporating recent evidence and best practices for the multidisciplinary approach to improving patient outcomes. “The physician is inundated with information, and needs all of this to be reduced and summarized in a readable form. This cannot be done simply by technical editing because it involves real expertise to pick the “jewels for the crown.” This has been accomplished so well by the authors who have contributed to this book. The result is a gem — a source of enlightenment for all the many clinicians who care for patients suffering from this ubiquitous arrhythmia. I read it from cover to cover in about three hours, and learned much which is new and useful to my practice. It is the best small book that I know dealing with this big subject.” -From the foreword by A. John Camm, MD

Electrical activity in the myocardium coordinates the contraction of the heart, and its knowledge could lead to a better understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiac diseases. This electrical activity generates an electromagnetic field that propagates outside the heart and reaches the human torso surface, where it can be easily measured. Classical electrocardiography aims to interpret the 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) to determine cardiac activity and support the diagnosis of cardiac pathologies such as arrhythmias, altered activations, and ischemia. More recently, a higher number of leads is used to reconstruct a more detailed quantitative description of the electrical activity in the heart by solving the so-called inverse problem of electrocardiography. This technique is known as ECG imaging. Today, clinical applications of ECG imaging are showing promising results in guiding a variety of electrophysiological interventions such as catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. However, in order to promote the adoption of ECG imaging in the routine clinical practice, further research is required regarding more accurate mathematical methods, further scientific validation under different preclinical scenarios and a more extensive clinical validation

Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia. Although much has been written on the etiology of atrial fibrillation, this area is still the center of much debate. This monograph is the result of the editors' thorough search of the literature and the ensuing discussions that followed in an attempt to provide some definitive answers regarding the etiology and treatment of atrial fibrillation. The epidemiology, mechanisms, pharmacology and nonpharmacolgical treatments, and recommendations for the future are presented. In an attempt to provide useful answers to some of the questions, the editors of this monograph gathered the world leaders in the field of electrophysiology in a closed meeting to begin a critical analysis of the important questions regarding the etiology and current management therapies for atrial fibrillation. Heated, fact-based critical debate, backed by years of experience and a thorough review of the literature, ensued. The result is a unique text that is an outstanding critical analysis of atrial fibrillation from etiology to treatment. ATRIAL FIBRILLATION: Facts from Yesterday, Ideas for Tomorrow. Background and guidelines for the treatment of atrial fibrillation, critical analysis of different pharmacological approaches, role of devices in prevention and/or management of the consequences of atrial fibrillation, role of a device using electrical shock to terminate atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia. This issue of Cardiology Clinics examines following facets of atrial fibrillation: epidemiology and societal impact, risk factors and genetics, mechanisms, diagnosis and follow-up, rate versus rhythm control, antiarrhythmic drug therapy, catheter ablation, surgery, antithrombotic and anticoagulant therapy, left atrial appendage exclusion, management of patients with heart failure and structural heart disease, and novel treatment paradigms.