Epidemiology of Atrial Fibrillation: Trends, Insights, and Global Challenges

Dear Colleagues,

Atrial fibrillation (AF) affects over 60 million individuals worldwide and is associated with a significantly increased risk of stroke, heart failure, and all-cause mortality. With the global aging of the population, both the prevalence and healthcare burden of AF are steadily increasing, underscoring the urgent need for optimized strategies for its prevention, early detection, and management. Historically, AF diagnosis was reliant on documentation via standard 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG). However, the diagnostic landscape has evolved with the advent of continuous rhythm monitoring technologies, including wearable devices employing optical sensors and artificial intelligence-based algorithms. These innovations facilitate earlier detection and the timely initiation of therapy, particularly anticoagulation, to mitigate thromboembolic risk. Contemporary AF management has shifted toward an integrated, patient-centered model. Multidisciplinary care teams address modifiable risk factors and comorbidities while tailoring treatment strategies, which include rate and rhythm control through pharmacological therapy, electrical cardioversion, and catheter ablation. The recent introduction of pulsed field ablation (PFA), a novel non-thermal energy modality, offers enhanced procedural safety and efficiency and may represent a paradigm shift in interventional therapy. This Special Topic examines the global impact of AF and reviews emerging innovations in diagnostics, pharmacotherapy, and individualized care models aimed at improving clinical outcomes and reducing stroke incidence.

Dr. Tomer Ziv-Baran
Dr. Moshe Katz
Topic Editors