Atrial fibrillation | EPFL Graph Search

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Atrial fibrillation (AF or A-fib) is an abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia) characterized by rapid and irregular beating of the atrial chambers of the heart. It often begins as short periods of abnormal beating, which become longer or continuous over time. It may also start as other forms of arrhythmia such as atrial flutter that then transform into AF. Episodes can be asymptomatic. Symptomatic episodes may involve heart palpitations, fainting, lightheadedness, shortness of breath, or chest pain. Atrial fibrillation is associated with an increased risk of heart failure, dementia, and stroke. It is a type of supraventricular tachycardia. High blood pressure and valvular heart disease are the most common modifiable risk factors for AF. Other heart-related risk factors include heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, and congenital heart disease. In low- and middle-income countries, valvular heart disease is often attributable to rheumatic fever. Lung-related risk factors include COPD, obesity, and sleep apnea. Cortisol and other stress biomarkers (including vasopressin, chromogranin A, and heat shock proteins), as well as emotional stress, may play a role in the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation. Other risk factors include excess alcohol intake, tobacco smoking, diabetes mellitus, and thyrotoxicosis. However, about half of cases are not associated with any of these aforementioned risks. Healthcare professionals might suspect AF after feeling the pulse and confirm the diagnosis by interpreting an electrocardiogram (ECG). A typical ECG in AF shows irregularly spaced QRS complexes without P waves. Healthy lifestyle changes, such as weight loss in people with obesity, increased physical activity, and drinking less alcohol, can lower the risk for AF and reduce its burden if it occurs. AF is often treated with medications to slow the heart rate to a near-normal range (known as rate control) or to convert the rhythm to normal sinus rhythm (known as rhythm control).

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Correlation between conduction velocity and frequency analysis in patients with atrial fibrillation using high-density charge mapping

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Spectral analysis of atrial signals has been used to identify regions of interest in atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the relationship to the atrial substrate is unclear. In this study, we compare r

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Evaluation and optimization of novel extraction algorithms for the automatic detection of atrial activations recorded within the pulmonary veins during atrial fibrillation

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Background and objective The automated detection of atrial activations (AAs) recorded from intracardiac electrograms (IEGMs) during atrial fibrillation (AF) is challenging considering their various am

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Intracardiac organization indices for the monitoring of atrial fibrillation

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Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia observed in clinical practice. It is responsible for about one third of hospitalizations related to problems of arrhythmia. AF is an important cl

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