@article{8c51a8eac91346cfa5af69551c1b5449,
title = "Exercise and Atrial Fibrillation: Prevention or Causation?",
abstract = "Regular exercise contributes to improved cardiovascular health and reduced cardiovascular mortality. Previous studies have shown that regular physical activity and high cardiorespiratory fitness both contribute to a reduction in incident atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the risk of AF appears to be paradoxically increased by participation in endurance exercise. Although the mechanisms are not well understood, exercise-induced changes in autonomic tone alongside the development of an arrhythmogenic atrial substrate, appear to contribute to an excess of AF amongst athletes, despite an overall reduction in cardiovascular disease incidence. This review will (i) summarise the evidence showing that regular physical activity and exercise reduces AF incidence, (ii) review the evidence that supports an increase in AF risk by regular endurance exercise, and (iii) discuss the mechanisms and risk factors that may contribute to AF susceptibility amongst otherwise healthy athletes.",
keywords = "Arrhythmia, Atrial fibrillation, Autonomic, Physical activity, Prevention, Sport",
author = "Elliott, {Adrian D.} and Dominik Linz and Verdicchio, {Christian V.} and Prash Sanders",
note = "Funding Information: Disclosures: Dr Linz reports having served on the advisory board of LivaNova and Medtronic. Dr Linz reports having received lecture and/or consulting fees from LivaNova, Medtronic, Pfizer and ResMed. Dr Linz reports having received research funding from Sanofi, ResMed and Medtronic. Dr Sanders reports having served on the advisory board of Biosense-Webster, Medtronic, CathRx, and St Jude Medical. Dr Sanders reports having received lecture and consulting fees from Biosense-Webster, Medtronic, St Jude Medical, and Boston Scientific. Dr Sanders reports having received research funding from Medtronic, St Jude Medical, Boston Scientific, Biotronik, and Sorin. The other authors report no conflicts. Funding Information: Sources of Funding: Dr Elliott is supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the National Heart Foundation of Australia. Dr Linz is supported by a Beacon Research Fellowship by the University of Adelaide. Dr Sanders is supported by a Practitioner Fellowship from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018 Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ)",
year = "2018",
month = sep,
doi = "10.1016/j.hlc.2018.04.296",
language = "English",
volume = "27",
pages = "1078--1085",
journal = "Heart, lung & circulation",
issn = "1443-9506",
publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",
number = "9",
}