Grant: Project Grant

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia whose incidence is increased with age, heart disease and ironically exercise. While exercise is invariably beneficial for the lower ventricular heart chambers, individuals engaging in intense and prolonged endurance get AF with a risk that is similar to that seen in heart disease patients. We have compelling evidence that the mechanisms driving AF in exercised mice is similar to that seen in AF due to heart disease, also rising with age. Moreover, our mechanism allows the identification of drug targets for AF treatment. Thus, we will identify the molecular and cellular pathways leading to AF broadly in all conditions associated with this arrhythmia and also identify novel therapies for AF treatment.