The Present and Future
Review Topic of the Week
Obesity, Exercise, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, and Modifiable Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Atrial Fibrillation

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2015.10.047Get rights and content
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Abstract

Classically, the 3 pillars of atrial fibrillation (AF) management have included anticoagulation for prevention of thromboembolism, rhythm control, and rate control. In both prevention and management of AF, a growing body of evidence supports an increased role for comprehensive cardiac risk factor modification (RFM), herein defined as management of traditional modifiable cardiac risk factors, weight loss, and exercise. In this narrative review, we summarize the evidence demonstrating the importance of each facet of RFM in AF prevention and therapy. Additionally, we review emerging data on the importance of weight loss and cardiovascular exercise in prevention and management of AF.

Key Words

diabetes
hyperlipidemia
hypertension

Abbreviations and Acronyms

AF
atrial fibrillation
ASCVD
atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
BMI
body mass index
HTN
hypertension
MET
metabolic equivalent
OSA
obstructive sleep apnea
PVI
pulmonary vein isolation
RFM
risk factor modification

Cited by (0)

Dr. Calkins is a consultant for Boehringer Ingelheim, Medtronic, and Atricure. All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose.

Listen to this manuscript's audio summary by JACC Editor-in-Chief Dr. Valentin Fuster.

© 2015 by the American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier.