Addressing Extracardiac Risk Factors to Improve Atrial Fibrillation Treatment Outcomes

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a chronic progressive disease. The contemporary management of AF is centered on promoting a reduction in the rates of morbidity and mortality associated with the condition. While stroke prevention and rate/rhythm management remain the cornerstones of AF care, recently, there has been increasing interest arising in addressing modifiable cardiovascular risk factors. Emerging data suggest that the optimization of these could beneficially affect AF pathogenesis and associated outcomes. The purpose of this review was to examine common modifiable risk factors with a look to pragmatic intervention.