Clinical, electrocardiographic and electrophysiological predictors of atrial fibrillation development in different cardiac substrates.

We performed a review of the current literature in order to evaluate clinical, electrocardiographic and electrophysiologic parameters predictive of atrial fibrillation development. Clinical parameters were obtained from two large observational studies (the Framingham heart study and the Cardiovascular health study). Different laboratoristic predictors were also reviewed: ECG-derived predictors, among which we separately evaluated those derived from the 12-lead surface ECG and those derived from the signal averaged P-wave, and other electrophysiologic predictors as atrial monophasic action potential analysis. We also evaluated the clinical value of these different parameters in atrial fibrillation in patients with no overt structural heart disease and in the most common clinical conditions known to be related to atrial fibrillation development such as hypertension, heart failure, cardiovascular surgery.