Idiopathic atrial fibrillation

[netpi]

This article will be of interest to anyone with idiopathic af, that being af in the absence of any known problems with the heart - this is my situation in which I have a few episodes per year, usually in spring and fall, that usually last from 20 minutes to an hour then suddenly end - I have been told that it is likely vagally mediated and that there is no evidence they can find to suggest any heart problems - this article details findings related to myocardial biopsies and, while somewhat technical in nature, does have some interesting insights

jafib.com/published.php?typ...

[MarkS]

It would seem that all idiopathic (lone) AF cases in this study were related to myocarditis (heart tissue disease) or genetic diseases which collectively caused inflammation and consequently AF.

However it did not have any controls. Looking as closely as this study did at the hearts of people without AF might have come up with a similar rate of disease.

One interesting point is the possible relationship between herpes and AF - I've had herpes simplex (cold sores on my lips) since my teens. But then something like 50-60% of people do have it.