Non-contractile heart cells help sustain persistent atrial fibrillation, study reveals

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common chronic cardiac arrhythmia in clinical practice, is very challenging to treat once it becomes persistent, after which spontaneous return to normal rhythm becomes highly unlikely. A multidisciplinary study led by the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC) and published in Circulation Research provides a new perspective on why this arrhythmia can persist long-term, highlighting the key role of non-contractile cardiac cells.