Atrial Fibrillation Genetics: Is There a Practical Clinical Value Now or in the Future?

Abstract

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia and has significant clinical impact. Over the last decade, our understanding of the genetics of AF has expanded dramatically. After a heritable predisposition for AF was identified, many investigators have in turn identified both common and rare variants associated with AF. Ongoing work is focused on translating these variants into disease pathways and novel therapeutic modalities. In this review, we focus on our understanding of the current concepts behind the genetics of AF and outline a vision for the incorporation of genetic data into clinical practice.