Causes of atrial fibrillation: organic heart disease is the most common

Atrial fibrillation is a very common type of arrhythmia. If not treated in time, it can cause serious complications, such as heart failure and sudden death. To treat atrial fibrillation, you need to find the cause. Common causes include organic heart diseases, such as congenital heart disease, and external causes such as smoking and drinking.

1. Organic heart disease (35%):

Such as cor pulmonale (incidence rate is 4% to 5%, mostly paroxysmal, the attacks will decrease after respiratory function improves), chronic constrictive pericarditis; congenital heart disease, etc., atrial fibrillation all belongs to focal origin atrial fibrillation with increased automaticity, while some paroxysmal, some persistent and chronic atrial fibrillation are caused by local micro-reentry mechanisms in the atrium, pulmonary veins and vena cava.

2. Preexcitation syndrome (20%):

This may be because the refractory period of the bypass pathway in patients with preexcitation syndrome is very short. Once the reentry conditions are established, the impulse through the bypass pathway increases, and this impulse reenters the left atrium during the stress period, which can induce atrial fibrillation. The incidence of preexcitation-complicated atrial fibrillation is 11.5% to 39%. Preexcitation syndrome-complicated atrial fibrillation is considered to be a serious condition because the bypass pathway does not have the protective effect of physiological conduction delay like the atrioventricular node. Therefore, the ventricular rate transmitted through the bypass pathway is mostly above 180 beats/min, seriously affecting the heart's blood output.

3. Other diseases (15%):

Excessive drinking and smoking, emotional agitation, excessive smoking, urination, etc. can directly cause atrial fibrillation or induce it on the basis of existing heart disease.

4. Familial atrial fibrillation (10%):

It is caused by gene mutation and the inheritance mode is AD. It mostly occurs after adulthood and is paroxysmal. Atrial fibrillation occurs and ends unknowingly. The symptoms of atrial fibrillation are mild and are mostly induced by fatigue, mental stress, infection, pain, drinking, smoking, etc. Heart function remains normal and the prognosis is generally good.

5. Unknown cause (5%):

Idiopathic atrial fibrillation in healthy people often has no evidence of organic heart disease.