Exercise and Atrial Fibrillation: Current Evidence, Knowledge Gaps, and Future Directions
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, contributing to significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. The relationship between physical exercise and AF is complex, with studies showing both beneficial and potentially adverse effects. Moreover, evidence suggests a U...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IMR Press
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Reviews in Cardiovascular Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://www.imrpress.com/journal/RCM/26/7/10.31083/RCM39200 |
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| author | Hoang Nhat Pham Mahmoud H. Abdelnabi Ramzi Ibrahim Enkhtsogt Sainbayar Hong Hieu Truong Eiad Habib Girish Pathangey George Bcharah Amitoj Singh Reza Arsanjani Anwar A. Chahal Dan Sorajja |
| author_facet | Hoang Nhat Pham Mahmoud H. Abdelnabi Ramzi Ibrahim Enkhtsogt Sainbayar Hong Hieu Truong Eiad Habib Girish Pathangey George Bcharah Amitoj Singh Reza Arsanjani Anwar A. Chahal Dan Sorajja |
| author_sort | Hoang Nhat Pham |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, contributing to significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. The relationship between physical exercise and AF is complex, with studies showing both beneficial and potentially adverse effects. Moreover, evidence suggests a U-shaped association between exercise intensity and AF risk. Moderate exercise has been shown to reduce AF burden by improving cardiovascular risk factors, enhancing autonomic regulation, and mitigating atrial fibrosis. In contrast, excessively high-intensity endurance exercise may increase AF risk, particularly in young athletes, due to atrial stretching, dilation, fibrosis, autonomic imbalances, and heightened inflammation. The current guidelines emphasize exercise as a core lifestyle intervention for AF management, recommending moderate-intensity aerobic activity for optimal outcomes. This review examines the current evidence on the effects of exercise on AF, identifies knowledge gaps, and proposes potential future research directions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cd4e31bad98e4fb5be30b804dd30c130 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1530-6550 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | IMR Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Reviews in Cardiovascular Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-cd4e31bad98e4fb5be30b804dd30c1302025-08-20T03:44:28ZengIMR PressReviews in Cardiovascular Medicine1530-65502025-07-012673920010.31083/RCM39200S1530-6550(25)01891-5Exercise and Atrial Fibrillation: Current Evidence, Knowledge Gaps, and Future DirectionsHoang Nhat Pham0Mahmoud H. Abdelnabi1Ramzi Ibrahim2Enkhtsogt Sainbayar3Hong Hieu Truong4Eiad Habib5Girish Pathangey6George Bcharah7Amitoj Singh8Reza Arsanjani9Anwar A. Chahal10Dan Sorajja11Department of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USADepartment of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ 85054, USADepartment of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ 85054, USADepartment of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USADepartment of Internal Medicine, Ascension Saint Francis, Evanston, IL 60202, USADepartment of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ 85054, USADepartment of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ 85054, USAMayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ 85054, USADepartment of Cardiology, Sarver Heart Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USADepartment of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ 85054, USADepartment of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55901, USADepartment of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ 85054, USAAtrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, contributing to significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. The relationship between physical exercise and AF is complex, with studies showing both beneficial and potentially adverse effects. Moreover, evidence suggests a U-shaped association between exercise intensity and AF risk. Moderate exercise has been shown to reduce AF burden by improving cardiovascular risk factors, enhancing autonomic regulation, and mitigating atrial fibrosis. In contrast, excessively high-intensity endurance exercise may increase AF risk, particularly in young athletes, due to atrial stretching, dilation, fibrosis, autonomic imbalances, and heightened inflammation. The current guidelines emphasize exercise as a core lifestyle intervention for AF management, recommending moderate-intensity aerobic activity for optimal outcomes. This review examines the current evidence on the effects of exercise on AF, identifies knowledge gaps, and proposes potential future research directions.https://www.imrpress.com/journal/RCM/26/7/10.31083/RCM39200atrial fibrillation (af)exercise intensitymoderate-intensity exerciseendurance exerciseaf burdencardiorespiratory fitness (crf)cardiovascular risk |
| spellingShingle | Hoang Nhat Pham Mahmoud H. Abdelnabi Ramzi Ibrahim Enkhtsogt Sainbayar Hong Hieu Truong Eiad Habib Girish Pathangey George Bcharah Amitoj Singh Reza Arsanjani Anwar A. Chahal Dan Sorajja Exercise and Atrial Fibrillation: Current Evidence, Knowledge Gaps, and Future Directions Reviews in Cardiovascular Medicine atrial fibrillation (af) exercise intensity moderate-intensity exercise endurance exercise af burden cardiorespiratory fitness (crf) cardiovascular risk |
| title | Exercise and Atrial Fibrillation: Current Evidence, Knowledge Gaps, and Future Directions |
| title_full | Exercise and Atrial Fibrillation: Current Evidence, Knowledge Gaps, and Future Directions |
| title_fullStr | Exercise and Atrial Fibrillation: Current Evidence, Knowledge Gaps, and Future Directions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exercise and Atrial Fibrillation: Current Evidence, Knowledge Gaps, and Future Directions |
| title_short | Exercise and Atrial Fibrillation: Current Evidence, Knowledge Gaps, and Future Directions |
| title_sort | exercise and atrial fibrillation current evidence knowledge gaps and future directions |
| topic | atrial fibrillation (af) exercise intensity moderate-intensity exercise endurance exercise af burden cardiorespiratory fitness (crf) cardiovascular risk |
| url | https://www.imrpress.com/journal/RCM/26/7/10.31083/RCM39200 |
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