OPINION ARTICLE doi: 10.3389/fgene.2014.00074

Atrial fibrillation (AF), as a sustained arrhythmia, is featured by uncoordinated atrial activation with the consequent dete-rioration of mechanical function in the atrium (Mestroni, 2003; Fye, 2006; Fatkin et al., 2007; Otway et al., 2007). A large amount of risk factors for AF have been identified including ageing, male sex, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, valvular diseases, and obesity (Benjamin et al., 1994; Krahn et al., 1995; Go et al., 2001). AF can cause several serious complications including congestive heart failure and stroke (Wolf et al., 1991; Benjamin et al., 1998; Kannel et al., 1998; Mestroni, 2003; Piccini et al., 2012). As amost prevalent type of arrhyth