MicroRNAs as Prognostic Biomarkers for Atrial Fibrillation Recurrence After Catheter Ablation: Current Evidence and Future Directions

Abstract

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Even though catheter ablation has emerged as an available and effective treatment for AF, recurrence remains a significant challenge. This review presents the existing evidence on the prognostic role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the prediction of AF recurrence after catheter ablation. We examined studies investigating the association between miRNA expression and post-ablation AF recurrence. Multiple miRNAs have been highlighted as potential biomarkers, which are involved in pathophysiological processes such as atrial remodeling, fibrosis, and inflammation. Despite some promising results, there has been significant heterogeneity across the studies. In this review, we demonstrate the potential miRNAs that can be routinely used as biomarkers of AF recurrence, and we identify areas that require further research to validate their clinical utility.