Does Myocardial Infarction Beget Atrial Fibrillation and Atrial Fibrillation Beget Myocardial Infarction?

Atrial fibrillation (AF) affects millions of people worldwide.(1) It is already known several decades that AF is not a benign condition, and it's associated with a 5-fold increased risk of stroke, 3-fold increased risk of heart failure, and doubling of risk of dementia and death.(2-4) Myocardial infarction, and coronary heart disease, are traditional risk factors of AF,(5) however, whether myocardial infarction is a consequence of AF, has not been studied in great detail yet. The focus of current treatment for AF is pointed towards prevention of stroke. This is of utmost importance; however the other cardiovascular morbidities and mortality should not be overseen. An analysis of patients originally diagnosed with idiopathic AF, demonstrated that these patients develop frequently cardiovascular disease, including myocardial infarction and coronary artery disease.(6) An analysis of Medicare data emphasized the importance of cardiovascular events beyond stroke, such as heart failure, myocardial infarction and death in older adults with AF.(7).