Fatal attraction - A brief pathophysiology of the interaction between atrial fibrillation and myocardial ischemia

Atrial fibrillation and coronary artery disease are highly prevalent diseases in an aging population. They share risk factors and are frequently associated. Beyond their mere association, they impact on each other. The positive feed-back between atrial fibrillation and acute myocardial ischemia involves sympathetic activation and may result in sudden death.