Browsing by Subject "Atrial fibrillation"

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    Análisis del remodelado anatomoeléctrico auricular para la predicción del éxito de la ablación quirúrgica concomitante de la fibrilación auricular a largo plazo
    (Elsevier, 2016-05) Martín, Elio; Hornero, Fernando; Rieta, José Joaquín; Hernández, Antonio; Paredes, Federico; Mena, Armando; Gil, Óscar; Cánovas López, Sergio; García, Rafael; Martínez León, Juan; Cirugía, Pediatría y Obstetricia y Ginecología
    Objetivo Identificación de parámetros de remodelado auricular anatomoeléctrico preoperatorios que permitan seleccionar un subgrupo de pacientes favorable al restablecimiento del ritmo sinusal (RS) a largo plazo tras ablación quirúrgica concomitante de fibrilación auricular (FA) persistente-permanente. Métodos Cincuenta pacientes consecutivos sometidos a ablación quirúrgica concomitante de FA persistente-permanente por patrón Maze IV mediante crioblación y radiofrecuencia bipolar. Preoperatorio: se consideraron variables demográficas, morbilidad, tiempo de evolución de FA, estudio de ecocardiografía transtorácica y registro de electrocadiograma digital para análisis de organización de señal de ondas f (entropía muestral [SampEn]). Valoración de la asociación individual y conjunta de los parámetros de remodelado auricular con la restauración de RS mediante área bajo la curva ROC (ABC). Resultados Seguimiento medio 22,32 ± 3,19 meses. Tiempo medio de evolución de FA 4,00 ± 4,28 años. Diámetro auricular izquierdo medio 49,90 ± 8,18 mm (rango = 32–81 mm). Restauración RS 62% al cierre del seguimiento. Los parámetros que mejor se asociaron con la restauración de RS postoperatorio fueron el diámetro auricular izquierdo (ABC = 0,848) y SampEn (ABC = 0,845). Hallados puntos de corte para ambos en 50 mm y 0,0857, respectivamente; se obtuvo un modelo con capacidad predictiva ABC = 0,893. Conclusiones El análisis del grado de remodelado auricular anatomoeléctrico preoperatorio mediante variables indirectas incruentas podría ser útil para seleccionar los pacientes más favorables para el restablecimiento de RS tras ablación concomitante de FA. ---------------------------
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    Association of body mass index with clinical outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation: a report from the FANTASIIA registry
    Bertomeu-Gonzalez, Vicente; Moreno-Arribas, José; Esteve-Pastor, María Asunción; Roldan-Rabadán, Inmaculada; Muñiz, Javier; Raña-Miguez, Paula; Ruiz-Ortiz, Martín; Cequier, Ángel; Bertomeu-Martinez, Vicente; Badimón, Lina; Anguita, Manuel; Lip, Gregory Y.H.; Marin Ortuño, Francisco; Medicina
    Background-—Obesity and atrial fibrillation (AF) frequently coexist and independently increase mortality. We sought to assess the association between obesity and adverse events in patients receiving oral anticoagulants for AF. Methods and Results-—Consecutive AF outpatients receiving anticoagulant agents (both vitamin K antagonists and direct oral anticoagulants) were recruited into the FANTASIIA (Atrial fibrillation: influence of the level and type of anticoagulation on the incidence of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke) registry. This observational, multicenter, and prospective registry of AF patients analyzes the quality of anticoagulation, incidence of events, and differences between oral anticoagulant therapies. We analyzed baseline patient characteristics according to body mass index, normal: <25 kg/m2, overweight: 25–30 kg/m2, and obese: ≥30 kg/m2), assessing allcause mortality, stroke, major bleeding and major adverse cardiovascular events (a composite of ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, and total mortality) at 3 years’ follow-up. In this secondary prespecified substudy, the association of weight on prognosis was evaluated. We recruited 1956 patients (56% men, mean age 73.8 9.4 years): 358 (18.3%) had normal body mass index, 871(44.5%) were overweight, and 727 (37.2%) were obese. Obese patients were younger (P<0.01) and had more comorbidities. Mean time in the therapeutic range was similar across body mass index categories (P=0.42). After a median follow-up of 1070 days, 255 patients died (13%), 45 had a stroke (2.3%), 146 a major bleeding episode (7.5%) and 168 a major adverse ardiovascular event (8.6%). Event rates were similar between groups for total mortality (P=0.29), stroke (P=0.90), major bleeding (P=0.31), and major adverse cardiovascular events (P=0.24). On multivariate Cox analysis, body mass index was not independently associated with all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, stroke, major bleeding, or major adverse cardiovascular events. Conclusions-—In this prospective cohort of patients anticoagulated for AF, obesity was highly prevalent and was associated with more comorbidities, but not with poor prognosis.
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    Atrial fibrillation management in older heart failure patients: a complex clinical problem
    (Wichtig Publishing, 2016-09-22) Pulignano, Giovanni; Del Sindaco, Donatella; Tinti, Maria Denitza; Tolone, Stefano; Minardi, Giovanni; Lax Pérez, Antonio Manuel; Uguccioni, Massimo; Medicina
    Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF), two problems of growing prevalence as a consequence of the ageing population, are associated with high morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. AF and HF also share common risk factors and pathophysiologic processes such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, and valvular heart disease often occur together. Although elderly patients with both HF and AF are affected by worse symptoms and poorer prognosis, there is a paucity of data on appropriate management of these patients. Methods: PubMed was searched for studies on AF and older patients using the terms atrial fibrillation, elderly, heart failure, cognitive impairment, frailty, stroke, and anticoagulants.Results: The clinical picture of HF patients with AF is complex and heterogeneous with a higher prevalence of frailty, cognitive impairment, and disability. Because of the association of mental and physical impairment to non-administration of oral anticoagulants (OACs), screening for these simple variables in clinical practice may allow better strategies for intervention in this high-risk population. Since novel direct OACs (NOACs) have a more favorable risk-benefit profile, they may be preferable to vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) in many frail elderly patients, especially those at higher risk of falls. Moreover, NOACs are simple to administer and monitor and may be associated with better adherence and safety in patients with cognitive deficits and mobility impairments. Conclusions: Large multicenter longitudinal studies are needed to examine the effects of VKAs and NOACs on long-term cognitive function and frailty; future studies should include geriatric conditions.
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    Cessation of oral anticoagulation is an important risk factor for stroke and mortality in atrial fibrillation patients
    (2017) Rivera Caravaca, José Miguel; Roldán Schilling, Vanessa; Esteve Pastor, María Asunción; Valdés Chávarri, Mariano; Vicente García, Vicente; Lip, Gregory YH; Marín Ortuño, Francisco; Enfermería
    Oral anticoagulation (OAC) is highly effective preventing stroke and mortality in AF, but withdrawal is common in the elderly, when high bleeding risk and when are difficulties achieving an optimal time in therapeutic range (TTR). We analysed the rate of OAC cessation, predisposing factors to cessation and the relation to clinical outcomes in a large ‘real world’ cohort of AF patients over a long follow-up period. Consecutive non-valvular AF outpatients clinically stables for six months were recruited. Rates of cardiovascular events, major bleeding and mortality were recorded and related to OAC cessation. We included 1361 patients (48.7 % male; aged 76, IQR 71–81), followed-up for a median of 6.5 years. During follow-up, 244 patients suffered thrombotic events, 250 suffered from major bleeding and 551 patients died. 10 % of patients stopped OAC. After OAC withdrawal, there were 36 thromboembolic events (22 strokes), 10 major bleedings and 75 deaths. OAC cessation was independently associated with adverse cardiovascular events (HR 1.45; 95 % CI 1.01–2.08), stroke/TIA (HR 1.85; 1.17–2.94) and all-cause mortality (HR 1.30; 1.02–1.67). Independent predictors of OAC cessation were age 80 (HR 2.29; 1.60–3.29), previous coronary artery disease (HR 0.32; 0.15–0.71), major bleeding (HR 5.00; 3.49–7.15), heart failure (HR 2.38; 1.26-4.47), cancer (HR 5.24; 3.25–8.44) and renal impairment developed during follow-up (HR 2.70; 1.26–5.75). In conclusion, in non-valvular AF patients, cessation of OAC was independently associated with the risk of stroke, adverse cardiovascular events and mortality. Bleeding events and some variables associated with higher bleeding risk are responsible for OAC cessation.
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    Clinical profile and prognosis in patients on oral anticoagulation before admission for COVID-19
    (Wiley, 2020) Rivera-Caravaca, José Miguel; Núñez-Gil, Iván J.; Vivas, David; Viana-Llamas, María C.; Uribarri, Aitor; Becerra-Muñoz, Víctor Manuel; Trabattoni, Daniela; Fernández Rozas, Inmaculada; Feltes, Gisela; López-Pais, Javier; El-Battrawy, Ibrahim; Macaya, Carlos; Fernández-Ortiz, Antonio; Estrada, Vicente; Marín Ortuño, Francisco; Enfermería
    Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) shows high morbidity and mortality, particularly in patients with concomitant cardiovascular diseases. Some of these patients are under oral anticoagulation (OAC) at admission, but to date, there are no data on the clinical profile, prognosis and risk factors of such patients during hospitalization for COVID-19. Design: Subanalysis of the international ‘real-world’ HOPE COVID-19 registry. All patients with prior OAC at hospital admission for COVID-19 were suitable for the study. All-cause mortality was the primary endpoint. Results: From 1002 patients included, 110 (60.9% male, median age of 81.5 [IQR 75-87] years, median Short-Form Charlson Comorbidity Index [CCI] of 1 [IQR 1-3]) were on OAC at admission, mainly for atrial fibrillation and venous thromboembolism. After propensity score matching, 67.9% of these patients died during hospitalization, which translated into a significantly higher mortality risk compared to patients without prior OAC (HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.08-2.16). After multivariate Cox regression analysis, respiratory insufficiency during hospitalization (HR 6.02, 95% CI 2.18-16.62), systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) during hospitalization (HR 2.29, 95% CI 1.34-3.91) and the Short-Form CCI (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.03-1.49) were the main risk factors for mortality in patients on prior OAC. Conclusions: Compared to patients without prior OAC, COVID-19 patients on OAC therapy at hospital admission showed lower survival and higher mortality risk. In these patients on OAC therapy, the prevalence of several comorbidities is high. Respiratory insufficiency and SIRS during hospitalization, as well as higher comorbidity, pointed out those anticoagulated patients with increased mortality risk.
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    Endothelial activation, cell-cell interactions, and inflammatory pathways in postoperative atrial fibrillation following cardiac surgery
    (Elsevier, 2024-11-26) López-Gálvez, Raquel; Rivera Caravaca, José Miguel; Mandaglio-Collados, Darío; Ruiz Alcaraz, Antonio José; Lahoz-Tornos, Álvaro; Hernández Romero, Diana; Orenes-Piñero, Esteban; Ramos-Bratos, María Pilar; Martínez Cáceres, Carlos Manuel; Carpes, Marina; Arribas Leal, José María; Cánovas López, Sergio Juan; Lip, Gregory Y.H.; Marín Ortuño, Francisco; Bioquímica y Biología Molecular B e Inmunología; Facultad de Biología
    Background. Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is common after cardiac surgery and related to endothelial activation and systemic inflammation. Herein, we investigate the pathophysiological mechanisms of AF through endothelial activation and cell-cell interactions related to the development of POAF. Methods. Patients without previous AF undergoing cardiac surgery were studied. Permanent AF patients were included as positive controls. Interleukin (IL)-6, Von Willebrand factor (vWF), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and high sensitivity troponin T (hsTnT) were evaluated by electrochemiluminescence. Vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and human Growth Differentiation Factor 15 (GDF-15) were assessed by ELISA. Connexins (Cxs) 40 and 43 were measured by tissue immunolabelling, and apoptosis by TUNEL assay. Results. We included 117 patients (median age 67: 27.8% female): 17 with permanent AF; 27 with POAF, and 73 with non-AF. Patients with permanent AF and POAF had higher levels of NT-proBNP, hs-TnT, apoptotic nuclei, and decreased Cx43 expression, compared to non-AF patients (all p-value <0.05). VCAM-1 and GDF-15 were significantly higher in permanent AF vs. non-AF (p = 0.013 and p = 0.035). Conclusions. Greater endothelial activation and inflammation in AF patients compared to those without AF were found. The proinflammatory state in AF patients, in addition to the lower expression of Cx43, seems to be associated with atrial remodeling processes occurring in AF.
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    Impact of particulate matter on the incidence of atrial fibrillation and the risk of adverse clinical outcomes: a review
    (Elsevier, 2023-04-04) Mandaglio-Collados, Darío; López-Gálvez, Raquel; Ruiz Alcaraz, Antonio José; López-García, Cecilia; Roldán Schilling, Vanessa; Lip, Gregory Y.H.; Marín Ortuño, Francisco; Rivera Caravaca, José Miguel; Bioquímica y Biología Molecular B e Inmunología; Facultad de Biología
    Background. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common and increases the risk of stroke and mortality. Previous studies have suggested that air pollution is an important risk factor for new-onset AF. Herein, we review the evidence regarding: 1) the association between exposure to particulate matter (PM) and new-onset AF, and 2) the risk of worse clinical outcomes in patients with pre-existent AF and their relation to PM exposure. Methods. A selection of studies between 2000 and 2023 linking PM exposure and AF was performed through searches in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Results. 17 studies from different geographical areas demonstrated that exposure to PM was associated with an increased risk of new-onset AF, although the results were heterogeneous regarding the temporal pattern (short- or long-term) ultimately related to AF. Most of the studies concluded that the risk of new-onset AF increased between 2 %–18 % per 10 μg/m3 increment in PM2.5 or PM10 concentrations, whereas the incidence (percentage of change of incidence) increased between 0.29 %–2.95 % per 10 μg/m3 increment in PM2.5 or PM10. Evidence about the association between PM and adverse events in patients with pre-existent AF was scarce but 4 studies showed a higher risk of mortality and stroke (between 8 %–64 % in terms of hazard ratio) in patients with pre-existent AF when PM exposure was higher. Conclusions. Exposure to PM (both PM2.5 and PM10) is a risk factor for AF, and a risk factor for mortality and stroke in patients who already suffer from AF. Since the relationship between PM and AF is independent of the region of the world, PM should be considered as a global risk factor for both AF and worse clinical outcomes in AF patients. Specific measures to prevent air pollution exposure need to be adopted.
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    Molecular mechanisms of postoperative atrial fibrillation in patients with obstructive sleep apnea
    (Wiley, 2023-04-28) López Gálvez, Raquel; Rivera Caravaca, José Miguel; Mandaglio Collados, Darío; Lahoz, Álvaro; Carpes, Marina; Arribas, José María; Cánovas López, Sergio; Lip, Gregory Y. H.; Marín, Francisco; Martínez Cáceres, Carlos Manuel; Orenes-Piñero, Esteban; Hernández Romero, Diana; Cirugía, Pediatría y Obstetricia y Ginecología
    Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) promotes atrial remodeling and fibrosis, providing a substrate for atrial fibrillation (AF). Herein, we investigate the pathophysiological mechanisms of AF in association with OSA in a cohort of cardiac surgery patients. A prospective study including patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Biomarkers reflective of AF pathophysiology (interleukin [IL-6], C-reactive protein [CRP], von Willebrand factor [vWF], N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide [NT-proBNP], high-sensitivity Troponin T [hs-TnT], and Galectin-3 [Gal-3]) was assessed by functional or immunological assays. miRNAs involved in AF were analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Using atrial tissue samples, fibrosis was assessed by Masson's trichrome. Connexin 40 and 43 (Cx40; Cx43) were evaluated by immunolabeling. Fifty-six patients (15 with OSA and 41 non-OSA) were included in this hypothesis-generating pilot study. OSA group had a higher incidence of postoperative AF (POAF) (46.7% vs. 19.5%; p = .042), presented an increased risk of POAF (OR 3.61, 95% CI 1.01–12.92), and had significantly higher baseline levels of NT-proBNP (p = .044), vWF (p = .049), Gal-3 (p = .009), IL-6 (p = .002), and CRP (p = .003). This group presented lower levels of miR-21 and miR-208 (both p < .05). Also, lower Cx40 levels in POAF and/or OSA patients (50.0% vs. 81.8%, p = .033) were found. The presence of interstitial fibrosis (according to myocardial collagen by Masson's trichrome) was raised in OSA patients (86.7% vs. 53.7%, p = .024). Several biomarkers and miRNAs involved in inflammation and fibrosis were dysregulated in OSA patients, which together with a higher degree of interstitial fibrosis, altered miRNA, and Cxs expression predisposes to the development of a substrate that increases the AF risk.
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    Predicting performance of the HASBLED and ORBIT bleeding risk scores in patients with atrial fibrillation treated with Rivaroxaban: Observation from the prospective EMIR registry
    (Oxford University Press, 2022-11-01) Esteve Pastor, Maria Asunción; Rivera Caravaca, José Miguel; Roldán Schilling, Vanessa; Sanmaritin Fernandez, Marcelo; Arribas, Fernando; Masjuan, Jaime; Barrios, Vivencio; Cosin Sales, Juan; Freixa Pamies, Ramon; Recalde, Esteban; Perez-Cabeza, Alejandro; Vazquez Rodriguez, Manuel; Rafols, Carles; Anguita, Manuel; Lip, Gregory Y; Marin Ortuño, Francisco; Medicina
    Background Assessing bleeding risk during the decision-making process of starting oral anticoagulation (OAC) therapy in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients is essential. Several bleeding risk scores have been proposed for vitamin K antagonist users but, few studies have focused on validation of these bleeding risk scores in patients taking direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). The aim was to compare the predictive ability of HAS-BLED and ORBIT bleeding risk scores in AF patients taking rivaroxaban in the EMIR (‘Estudio observacional para la identificación de los factores de riesgo asociados a eventos cardiovasculares mayores en pacientes con fibrilación auricular no valvular tratados con un anticoagulante oral directo [Rivaroxaban]) Study. Methods and results EMIR Study was an observational, multicenter, post-authorization, and prospective study that involved AF patients under OAC with rivaroxaban at least 6 months before enrolment. We analysed baseline clinical characteristics and adverse events after 2.5 years of follow-up and validated the predictive ability of HAS-BLED and ORBIT scores for major bleeding (MB) events. We analysed 1433 patients with mean age of 74.2 ± 9.7 (44.5% female). Mean HAS-BLED score was 1.6 ± 1.0 and ORBIT score was 1.1 ± 1.2. The ORBIT score categorised a higher proportion of patients as ‘low-risk’ (87.1%) compared with 53.5% using the HAS-BLED score. There were 33 MB events (1.04%/year) and 87 patients died (2.73%/year). Both HAS-BLED and ORBIT had a good predictive ability for MB{Area under the curve (AUC) 0.770, [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.693–0.847; P <0.001] and AUC 0.765 (95% CI 0.672–0.858; P <0.001), respectively}. There was a non-significant difference for discriminative ability of the two tested scores (P = 0.930) and risk reclassification in terms of net reclassification improvement (NRI) −5.7 (95% CI −42.4–31.1; P = 0.762). HAS-BLED score showed the best calibration and ORBIT score showed the largest mismatch in calibration, particularly in higher predicted risk patients. Conclusion In a prospective real-world AF population under rivaroxaban from EMIR registry, the HAS-BLED score had good predictive performance and calibration compared with ORBIT score for MB events. ORBIT score presented worse calibration than HAS-BLED in this DOAC treated population.
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    Refining stroke and bleeding prediction in atrial fibrillation by adding consecutive biomarkers to clinical risk scores
    (2019) Rivera Caravaca, José Miguel; Marín Ortuño, Francisco; Vílchez Aguilera, Juan Antonio; Gálvez, Josefa; Esteve-Pastor, María Asunción; Vicente García, Vicente; Lip, Gregory YH; Roldán Schilling, Vanessa; Enfermería
    Background and Purpose: Current European guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation suggest using biomarkers to refine the risk stratification process. However, it is unclear whether ≥2 biomarkers incrementally improve risk prediction beyond 1 biomarker alone. We investigated whether the predictive performance of CHA2DS2-VASc and HASBLED scores could be enhanced by incrementally adding consecutive different biomarkers in real-world atrial fibrillation patients taking vitamin K antagonists therapy. Methods: We included 940 atrial fibrillation patients stable on vitamin K antagonists (international normalized ratio, 2.0–3.0) for at least the previous 6 months. At inclusion, VWF (von Willebrand factor), high-sensitivity troponin T, NTproBNP (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide), high-sensitivity IL (interleukin)-6, fibrin monomers, and BTP (β-trace protein) concentrations were quantified. During follow-up, all adverse events were recorded, and biomarkers were added to CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores depending on the C index. Results: During 6.5 (4.3–7.9) years, there were 98 ischemic strokes (1.60% per year) and 172 major bleeds (1.60% per year). After the addition of biomarkers, the predictive performance of CHA2DS2-VASc was not significantly increased, although the model with 3 biomarkers (ie, NT-proBNP+BTP+VWF) showed a low gain in sensitivity (integrated discrimination improvement, 2.70%; P<0.001). The predictive performance of HAS-BLED was enhanced in all biomarker-based models, with the best prediction shown by the model with 3 biomarkers (ie, VWF+NT-proBNP+high-sensitivity IL-6; C index, 0.600 [95% CI, 0.561–0.625] versus 0.639 [95% CI, 0.607–0.669]; P=0.025). This model also confirmed an increased sensitivity (integrated discrimination improvement, 5.20%; P<0.001) and positive reclassification (net reclassification improvement, 19.20%; P=0.020). Conclusions: By adding consecutive biomarkers, the predictive ability of CHA2DS2-VASc for ischemic stroke was not increased, whereas the predictive ability of HAS-BLED for major bleeding was only slightly enhanced. The net benefit and clinical usefulness of the biomarker-based models were marginal in comparison to the original scores based on clinical factors.
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    The Atrial Fibrillation Better Care (ABC) Pathway and Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: the Prospective Murcia AF Project Phase II Cohort
    (2023) Rivera Caravaca, José Miguel; Roldán Schilling, Vanessa; Martinez Montesinos, Lorena; Vicente García, Vicente; Lip, Gregory Y; Marin, Francisco; Medicina
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    Von Willebrand factor is associated with atrial fibrillation development in ischaemic patients after cardiac surgery
    (Oxford University Press, 2016-09) Lahoz, Álvaro; Roldan, Vanessa; Jover, Eva; Romero Aniorte, Ana I.; Jara Rubio, Rubén; Arribas, José María; García Alberola, Arcadio; Cánovas López, Sergio; Valdés, Mariano; Marín, Francisco; Martínez Cáceres, Carlos Manuel; Hernández Romero, Diana; Cirugía, Pediatría y Obstetricia y Ginecología
    Aims Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with an increased morbidity and mortality after cardiac surgery. Von Willebrand factor (vWF) has been proposed as a biomarker of endothelial damage/dysfunction. We hypothesized that vWF levels could be used as valuable biomarker for AF occurrence after cardiac surgery. Moreover, we explored the potential association between vWF and tissue remodelling as possible implication in post-surgical AF. Methods and results We prospectively recruited 100 consecutive patients who undergoing programmed cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass and with no previous history of AF. Plasma vWF levels were determined from citrated plasma samples. Right atrial appendage tissue was obtained during cardiac surgery, and vWF expression as well as interstitial fibrosis was analysed by immunostaining and Masson's trichrome, respectively. We found raised vWF plasma levels in ischaemic vs. valvular patients (200.2 ± 66.3 vs. 157.2 ± 84.3 IU/dL; P = 0.015). Fibrosis degree was associated with plasma vWF levels. Plasma vWF was an independent prognostic marker for AF development in ischaemic patients [odds ratio, OR 6.44 (95% confidence interval, CI 1.40–36.57), P = 0.035]. Conclusion Plasma vWF levels are associated with tissue fibrosis in patients undergoing cardiac surgery and with post-surgical AF development in ischaemic patients. These findings suggest an association among vWF levels, atrial remodelling, and AF development. It is supported by higher vWF expression in right atrial tissue in ischaemic patients, who developed post-surgical AF.