Atrial Fibrillation Susceptibility Alleles on Chromosome 4q25 Modulate Response to Catheter Ablation

In the last five years, increasing evidence has emerged for a genetic predisposition to atrial fibrillation (AF). Framingham Heart Study investigators observed that the odds of developing AF were three times higher for individuals with at least one parent in whom AF was diagnosed before the age of 75 than in those without a parental history of AF . Similarly, in a large group of Icelanders, the risk of developing AF was increased nearly five-fold if one parent was affected before the age of 60 . Furthermore, single rare genetic variants thought to be responsible for familial AF have been identified . Multiple genetic loci and mutations in ion channels, gap junction proteins , and signaling molecules have been described in Mendelian forms of AF. However, the extent to which genetic factors contribute to the more common forms of AF remained unclear until the advent of genome-wide association studies (GWAS).