Exercise rehab can lessen severity, frequency and recurrence of irregular heart rhythm

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GeorgeN
Being in the latter category, I empirically found that long duration high intensity exercise was a trigger.

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question posed
A recent meta-study concludes that cardiac rehabilitation/exercise can reduce the frequency and severity of atrial fibrillation. The supposition is: "promotes favorable atrial remodeling, including reduced atrial stiffness and fibrosis." Does decreased stiffness automatically imply decreased fibrosis, or can stiffness be improved while fibrosis is static? And does decreased stiffness in the setting of static fibrosis reduce AF burden on its own? Will it help predict the outcome of AF catheter ablation? Or is fibrosis really the primary driver of all of this, independent of stiffness?

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Gemini
This is a fantastic and insightful set of questions that delves into the complexities of atrial remodeling in atrial fibrillation (AF). The relationship between atrial stiffness and fibrosis is nuanced, and your line of questioning reflects ongoing areas of research in cardiology.

Let's break down each point:

### Does decreased stiffness automatically imply decreased fibrosis, or can stiffness be improved while fibrosis is static?

**No, decreased stiffness does not automatically imply decreased fibrosis.** This is a critical distinction.

* **Fibrosis** refers to the excessive accumulation of stiff, inelastic collagen fibers in the atrial tissue. It's a structural change, representing scar tissue or interstitial collagen deposition. It's a key component of structural remodeling.
* **Stiffness (or compliance)** refers to the mechanical property of the atrial wall – how easily it stretches or distends in response to pressure changes. While fibrosis is a major *contributor* to increased stiffness, it's not the only factor.

**Stiffness can be improved even if the underlying fibrosis is static (or not significantly reduced) due to several mechanisms:**

1. **Reduced Atrial Pressure/Volume Overload:** Chronic conditions like hypertension or heart failure lead to increased pressure and volume in the atria. This sustained stretch can activate fibroblasts and promote fibrosis. Even without reversing existing fibrosis, reducing the *load* on the atrium (e.g., through blood pressure control, heart failure management, or exercise-induced improvements in cardiac function) can improve its compliance and reduce functional stiffness. The "stretch-induced fibroblast activation" is a key mechanism linking pressure/volume to fibrosis.
2. **Improved Extracellular Matrix (ECM) Organization (without full reversal of fibrosis):** The ECM is a complex network that includes collagen, but also other proteins like elastin, proteoglycans, and glycoproteins. Exercise, and other therapeutic interventions, might lead to a more organized or "healthier" ECM structure, even if the total amount of collagen (fibrosis) isn't drastically reduced. This re-organization could improve the elastic properties of the atrial wall.
3. **Reduced Inflammation and Oxidative Stress:** Fibrosis is often driven by chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. Exercise can reduce systemic inflammation and improve antioxidant defenses. While existing fibrosis might persist, mitigating these drivers can prevent further stiffening and potentially improve the "quality" of the tissue.
4. **Improved Myocyte Function/Contractility:** While fibrosis affects the non-contractile tissue, improvements in cardiomyocyte (heart muscle cell) function through exercise can also influence overall atrial mechanics and compliance.

Therefore, it's plausible that cardiac rehabilitation could lead to a reduction in atrial stiffness by addressing various factors, even if the absolute amount of fibrotic tissue remains largely unchanged in the short to medium term. The wording "promotes favorable atrial remodeling, including reduced atrial stiffness and fibrosis" in the meta-study is crucial: they are two *related* but potentially *separable* aspects of favorable remodeling.

### Does decreased stiffness in the setting of static fibrosis reduce AF burden on its own?

**Yes, it is highly likely that decreased stiffness, even with static fibrosis, can reduce AF burden on its own.**

* **Impact on Triggers:** A stiffer, less compliant atrium can lead to higher atrial pressures, which can stretch the pulmonary veins and the atrial myocardium. This stretch itself is a known trigger for AF, initiating abnormal electrical activity. Reducing stiffness (and thus often pressure) lessens this mechanical trigger.
* **Impact on Substrate:** While fibrosis creates heterogeneous conduction pathways (a substrate for re-entry), a stiffer atrium (even without new fibrosis) can also contribute to the AF substrate by:
* **Increasing wall stress:** High wall stress itself can contribute to electrical instability.
* **Altering conduction velocity:** Stiffer tissue can lead to slower or more anisotropic (directional) conduction, which facilitates re-entry.
* **Promoting electrical remodeling:** Elevated atrial pressure can directly cause electrical remodeling, such as shortening of the atrial refractory period, which makes the atrium more prone to AF.

So, even if the "fibrotic roadmap" for electrical propagation remains, improving the mechanical environment (reducing stiffness and pressure) can make it less likely for new triggers to emerge and may make the existing substrate less "excitable" or less prone to sustaining AF.

### Will it help predict the outcome of AF catheter ablation?

**Yes, both atrial stiffness and fibrosis are increasingly recognized as important predictors of AF catheter ablation outcome.**

* **Fibrosis as a Predictor:** The extent and pattern of atrial fibrosis (often assessed by Late Gadolinium Enhancement MRI - LGE-MRI) is a strong, independent predictor of AF ablation success. More extensive fibrosis typically correlates with lower ablation success rates and higher recurrence rates. This is because fibrosis creates complex, stable re-entry circuits that are difficult to ablate, and it can also serve as a barrier to effective lesion creation.
* **Stiffness as a Predictor:** Atrial stiffness (often assessed non-invasively by echocardiographic measures like LA stiffness index or reservoir strain) is also an emerging predictor. Higher baseline atrial stiffness is associated with worse ablation outcomes. This is likely because stiffness reflects a more advanced stage of atrial cardiomyopathy and implies a more established pro-arrhythmic substrate that may not be fully amenable to isolated lesion sets.
* **Synergistic Prediction:** Combining assessments of both fibrosis and stiffness (and other structural and functional parameters) likely provides the most comprehensive prognostic information for ablation success. If cardiac rehabilitation can positively influence these parameters, it stands to reason that it could improve ablation outcomes by optimizing the atrial substrate beforehand.

### Is fibrosis really the primary driver of all of this, independent of stiffness?

**Fibrosis is often considered a *primary structural driver* of AF perpetuation and progression, but it does not operate *independent* of stiffness or other remodeling processes.**

* **Fibrosis as a Substrate:** Fibrosis physically disrupts the normal electrical conduction pathways in the atria, creating areas of slow conduction, block, and electrical heterogeneity that are perfect conditions for re-entrant circuits – the main mechanism sustaining AF. This direct electrophysiological effect is why fibrosis is considered so critical.
* **Stiffness as a Consequence and Contributor:** While fibrosis *causes* stiffness, stiffness also *perpetuates* the problem. Increased stiffness leads to higher atrial pressures, which, in turn, can induce further stretch, inflammation, and fibroblast activation, creating a vicious cycle that *promotes more fibrosis*.
* **Multifactorial Nature:** AF is a disease of complex "remodeling" that involves not just structural changes (fibrosis, stiffness, dilation) but also electrical remodeling (ion channel changes), autonomic remodeling (nerve system imbalance), and inflammatory processes. All these factors interact.

So, while fibrosis is a central player, especially in persistent AF, it's not entirely independent. It's part of a cascade where it contributes to stiffness, and stiffness then feeds back to promote more fibrosis and other arrhythmogenic changes. Cardiac rehabilitation likely addresses multiple facets of this remodeling process simultaneously, leading to a synergistic benefit.

In essence, the meta-study's conclusion highlights the exciting potential of lifestyle interventions to favorably remodel the atria. By impacting both the structural (fibrosis) and mechanical (stiffness) properties, cardiac rehab offers a powerful non-pharmacological strategy to reduce AF burden and potentially improve the success of more invasive treatments like ablation.

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Yuxi

Being in the latter category, I empirically found that long duration high intensity exercise was a trigger.

Could you clarify what you mean by “long duration”? How long is that — over an hour?

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mjamesone
Could you clarify what you mean by “long duration”? How long is that — over an hour?

Not simply "long duration" but long duration and high intensity. For example, an hour-long aerobic class or a two-hour moderate hike, even with intervals of higher intensity, might be fine. But running and long training hours for marathons might not be. Much has been written on this, including Haywire Heart, by Dr. John Mandrola. Dr. John Day als writes about this.

Jim