Environmental Exposome and Atrial Fibrillation: Emerging Evidence and Future Directions.
Sojin Youn WassOmar HahadZain Ul Abideen AsadShuo LiMina K ChungEmelia J BenjaminKhurram NasirSanjay RajagopalanSadeer G Al-KindiPublished in: Circulation research (2024)
There has been increased awareness of the linkage between environmental exposures and cardiovascular health and disease. Atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, affecting millions of people worldwide and contributing to substantial morbidity and mortality. Although numerous studies have explored the role of genetic and lifestyle factors in the development and progression of atrial fibrillation, the potential impact of environmental determinants on this prevalent condition has received comparatively less attention. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current evidence on environmental determinants of atrial fibrillation, encompassing factors such as air pollution, temperature, humidity, and other meteorologic conditions, noise pollution, greenspace, and the social environment. We discuss the existing evidence from epidemiological and mechanistic studies, critically evaluating the strengths and limitations of these investigations and the potential underlying biological mechanisms through which environmental exposures may affect atrial fibrillation risk. Furthermore, we address the potential implications of these findings for public health and clinical practice and identify knowledge gaps and future research directions in this emerging field.
Keyphrases
- atrial fibrillation
- human health
- catheter ablation
- air pollution
- oral anticoagulants
- left atrial
- risk assessment
- public health
- left atrial appendage
- direct oral anticoagulants
- heart failure
- healthcare
- percutaneous coronary intervention
- particulate matter
- life cycle
- climate change
- cardiovascular disease
- metabolic syndrome
- physical activity
- genome wide
- mental health
- coronary artery disease
- heavy metals
- lung function
- weight loss
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- copy number
- venous thromboembolism
- men who have sex with men
- breast cancer risk
- hiv testing