Atrial fibrillation causes

Atrial Fibrillation Microchapters
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

The most common cause of atrial fibrillation is atrial dilation associated with hypertension. Approximately 1/3 of patients have familial atrial fibrillation which is due to an underlying genetic disorder. Given the number of patients who undergo coronary artery bypass grafting in the developed world, this is an increasing underlying cause of atrial fibrillation. Other general causes include the advancing age of the population this hemodynamic stress of heart failure and valvular heart disease, myocardial ischemia, a variety of inflammatory disorders, pulmonary diseases, alcohol and drug abuse, and endocrine disorders.

Differential Diagnosis of the Underlying Causes of Atrial Fibrillation

(By organ system)

Cardiovascular	Atrial ischemia or atrial infarction, Atrial myxoma, Atrial septal defect, Cardiac tumors, Cardiomyopathy, Channelopaties particularly abnormalities in the sodium channels, Congestive heart failure, Constrictive pericarditis, Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery, Coronary Artery Disease, Dilated cardiomyopathy, Endocarditis, Familial atrial fibrillation type 1, Familial atrial fibrillation type 3, HOCM, Hypertension, Left ventricular hypertrophy, Lutembacher's syndrome, Mitral regurgitation, Mitral stenosis, Myocardial infarction, Myocarditis, Pericarditis, Rheumatic fever, ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), Tricuspid regurgitation, Tricuspid stenosis, Unstable angina, Valvular heart disease
Chemical / poisoning	Alcohol, Alcohol withdrawal, Breath spray which contains alcohol , Caffeine,
Dermatologic	No underlying causes
Drug Side Effect	Alcohol, Alcohol withdrawal, Cocaine, Conivaptan, Methamphetamines, Porfimer sodium, Tea
Ear Nose Throat	No underlying causes
Endocrine	Hyperthyroidism, Hypothyroidism, Pheochromocytoma
Environmental	Hypothermia
Gastroenterologic	Esophageal surgery
Genetic	Atherosclerosis, Channelopaties particularly abnormalities in the sodium channels, Familial atrial fibrillation type 1, Familial atrial fibrillation type 3, HOCM
Hematologic	No underlying causes
Iatrogenic	Esophageal surgery
Infectious Disease	Endocarditis, Myocarditis, Pericarditis, Pneumonia, Rheumatic fever
Musculoskeletal / Ortho	Collagen vascular disease
Neurologic	Stroke, Subarachnoid hemorrhage
Nutritional / Metabolic	Diabetes, Hypothyroidism, Obesity
Obstetric/Gynecologic	No underlying causes
Oncologic	Atrial myxoma, Bronchogenic carcinoma, Cardiac tumors, Lung cancer, Pheochromocytoma, Porfimer sodium
Opthalmologic	No underlying causes
Overdose / Toxicity	Alcohol, Alcohol withdrawal, Breath spray which contains alcohol , Caffeine, Cocaine, Tea
Psychiatric	No underlying causes
Pulmonary	Bronchogenic carcinoma, Hypoxia, Lung cancer, Pneumonia, Porfimer sodium, Pulmonary embolism, Pulmonary hypertension, Sarcoidosis
Renal / Electrolyte	Albuminuria, Electrolyte disturbances, Renal insufficiency
Rheum / Immune / Allergy	Collagen vascular disease, Interleukin 11, Rheumatic fever, Sarcoidosis
Sexual	No underlying causes
Trauma	Myocardial contusion
Urologic	No underlying causes
Miscellaneous	Channelopaties particularly abnormalities in the sodium channels, Hypoxia, Interleukin 11

Complete List of Underlying Causes of Atrial Fibrillation

(In alphabetical order)

• Acute myocardial infarction
• Age increase. 4% of those over 60 years and 8% of those over 80 years of age have atrial fibrillation.
• Albuminuria
• Alcohol and alcohol withdrawal
• Atherosclerosis
• Atrial ischemia or atrial infarction
• Atrial myxoma
• Atrial septal defect
• Breath spray which contains alcohol
• Bronchogenic carcinoma
• Caffeine
• Cardiac tumors
• Cardiomyopathy
• Channelopaties particularly abnormalities in the sodium channels
• Cocaine
• Coffee
• Collagen vascular disease
• Congestive heart failure
• Constrictive pericarditis
• Conivaptan
• Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery
• Coronary Artery Disease
• Diabetes
• Dilated cardiomyopathy
• Electrolyte disturbance
• Endocarditis
• Esophageal surgery
• Ethanol
• Familial atrial fibrillation type 1
• Familial atrial fibrillation type 3
• Genetics
• HOCM
• Hypertension
• Hyperthyroidism
• Hypothermia
• Hypothyroidism
• Hypoxia
• Interleukin 11
• Left ventricular hypertrophy
• Lung cancer
• Lutembacher syndrome
• Methamphetamines
• Mitral regurgitation
• Mitral stenosis
• Myocardial infarction
• Myocarditis
• Obesity
• Pericarditis and pericardial disease in general
• Pheochromocytoma
• Pneumonia
• Porfimer sodium
• Pulmonary embolism
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Renal insufficiency
• Rheumatic fever
• Sarcoidosis
• ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)
• Stimulants
• Stroke
• Subarachnoid hemorrhage
• Tea
• Tricuspid regurgitation
• Tricuspid stenosis
• Unstable angina
• Valvular heart disease

Loan Atrial Fibrillation

In about 10% of patients no underlying cause is identified. This condition is called lone atrial fibrillation.