Atrial fibrillation and perfusion of vital organs

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in population with an incidence increasing significantly over time and with an increased age. AF is associated with many risk factors, for example arterial hypertension, obesity, diabetes mellitus etc., which lead to development of atrial substrate and can promote AF. Hemodynamic changes caused by these risk factor and by AF itself can influence kidney or brain perfusion, and lead to their damage. There is a lack of data on the magnitude of this adverse effect of AF. Specifically, it is unknown how AF can contribute to renal dysfunction. In addition, brain perfusion may be associated with cognitive dysfunction and this has not been studied in detail.