International Journal of General Medicine (May 2023)
The Association Between Rheumatoid Arthritis and Atrial Fibrillation: Epidemiology, Pathophysiology and Management
Abstract
Yezhou Qian,1 Zhangli Fei,2 Feige Nian2 1Department of Cardiology, The First Hospital of Jiaxing, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Rheumatology, The First Hospital of Jiaxing, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Feige Nian, Department of Rheumatology, The First Hospital of Jiaxing, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, No. 1882 Zhong Huan Road, Jiaxing, 314000, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8619884323170, Email [email protected]: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia with a significant increase in morbidity and mortality worldwide. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), as a systemic inflammatory disease, affecting 0.5– 1.0% of the adult population, is associated with increased incidence of cardiac arrhythmias such as AF. Several epidemiologic studies find that the risk of AF is increased in RA when compared with the general population. Other studies are inconsistent. Considering that inflammation plays an important role in AF, RA may be involved in the occurrence and development of AF. This review summarizes the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and management of AF in patients with RA.Keywords: atrial fibrillation, rheumatoid arthritis, epidemiology, pathophysiology, management
