Purpose of review: Atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia. In addition to traditional risk factors, it is increasingly recognized that a genetic component underlies atrial fibrillation development. This review aims to provide an overview of the genetic cause of atrial fibrillation and clinical applications, with a focus on recent developments.
Recent findings: Genome-wide association studies have now identified around 140 genetic loci associated with atrial fibrillation. Studies into the effects of several loci and their tentative gene targets have identified novel pathways associated with atrial fibrillation development. However, further validations of causality are still needed for many implicated genes. Genetic variants at identified loci also help predict individual atrial fibrillation risk and response to different therapies.
Summary: Continued advances in the field of genetics and molecular biology have led to significant insight into the genetic underpinnings of atrial fibrillation. Potential clinical applications of these studies include the identification of new therapeutic targets and development of genetic risk scores to optimize management of this common cardiac arrhythmia.
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