Commentary on: Pericardial Fat is Independently Associated with Human Atrial Fibrillation by Al Chekakie et al.

Obesity is an established risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF). In fact, it has been reported that the increasing prevalence of obesity in the United States could account for up to 60 % of the increasing incidence of age and sex adjusted AF. Adipose tissue has been shown to be highly metabolically active and secretes several proinflammatory mediators; however, different fat depots differ in metabolic and inflammatory activity.