Does the Gut Talk to the Heart and Drive Atrial Fibrillation?

Abstract

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most prevalent cardiac arrhythmias worldwide, associated with significant morbidity and mortality due to stroke and heart failure (Chugh et al., 2014). With AF becoming a growing public health concern while aging has long been recognized as a primary risk factor for AF, recent research has unveiled a novel connection between abnormal gastrointestinal (GI) functioning and AF risk. Both human studies and animal models with AF risk factors have exhibited impaired GI epithelial barrier function, resulting in enhanced GI permeability, commonly referred to as "leaky gut" (Zhang et al., 2022). This "leaky gut" phenomenon has been found to be particularly prevalent in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and has been linked to an increased incidence of AF. Understanding the intricate interplay between the gut and the heart in the context of aging-associated AF pathogenesis has become the focus of intense investigation.American Heart Association Undergraduate Summer Research FellowshipA five-year embargo was granted for this item.Academic Major: Nursin