Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia in clinical practice and a major risk factor for stroke, heart failure, hospitalization and mortality [1–3]. It affects approximately 1–2% of the general population and its incidence doubles with each decade after 50 years [1, 4]. Numerous underlying risk factors for AF are well established. They include age, sex, hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart failure, diabetes, chronic pulmonary disease, and obesity [1, 5, 6].
