Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone System (RAAS), Inflammation, and Post-Operative Atrial Fibrillation (AF)

Summary

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most prevalent, sustained type of irregular heartbeat and affects over 2 million Americans. Post-operative AF, which leads to significant morbidity and a prolonged hospital stay, complicates 20% to 40% of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) surgical procedures. While recent studies indicate that interruption of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system by either angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition or AT1 receptor antagonism decreases the incidence of AF following a heart attack or cardioversion (electric shock to the heart), its effect on the incidence of post-operative AF has not been throughly studied. Studies in both animals and humans suggest that inflammation-induced atrial remodeling plays an important role in the cause of AF. Recent studies also provide evidence that activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system induces inflammation, myocyte injury, proarrhythmic electrical remodeling, and fibrosis through aldosterone.

Timeline

Start

2005-04

Primary completion

2010-07

Completion

2010-08

Publications

• Results Billings FT 4th, Pretorius M, Siew ED, Yu C, Brown NJ. Early postoperative statin therapy is associated with a lower incidence of acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2010 Dec;24(6):913-20. doi: 10.1053/j.jvca.2010.03.024.
• Results Fleming GA, Murray KT, Yu C, Byrne JG, Greelish JP, Petracek MR, Hoff SJ, Ball SK, Brown NJ, Pretorius M. Milrinone use is associated with postoperative atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery. Circulation. 2008 Oct 14;118(16):1619-25. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.108.790162. Epub 2008 Sep 29.
• Results Pretorius M, Murray KT, Yu C, Byrne JG, Billings FT 4th, Petracek MR, Greelish JP, Hoff SJ, Ball SK, Mishra V, Body SC, Brown NJ. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition or mineralocorticoid receptor blockade do not affect prevalence of atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Crit Care Med. 2012 Oct;40(10):2805-12. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0b013e31825b8be2.
• Hashimoto H, Yamada H, Murata M, Watanabe N. Diuretics for preventing and treating acute kidney injury. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2025 Jan 29;1(1):CD014937. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD014937.pub2.
• Sidorova TN, Mace LC, Wells KS, Yermalitskaya LV, Su PF, Shyr Y, Atkinson JB, Fogo AB, Prinsen JK, Byrne JG, Petracek MR, Greelish JP, Hoff SJ, Ball SK, Glabe CG, Brown NJ, Barnett JV, Murray KT. Hypertension is associated with preamyloid oligomers in human atrium: a missing link in atrial pathophysiology? J Am Heart Assoc. 2014 Dec 2;3(6):e001384. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.114.001384.
• Billings FT 4th, Pretorius M, Schildcrout JS, Mercaldo ND, Byrne JG, Ikizler TA, Brown NJ. Obesity and oxidative stress predict AKI after cardiac surgery. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2012 Jul;23(7):1221-8. doi: 10.1681/ASN.2011090940. Epub 2012 May 24.

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