Reverse atrial electrical remodeling: a systematic review.

Atrial remodeling is a term introduced in 1995 to describe alterations in atrial structure or function. Atrial electrical remodeling is characterized by a reduction of refractory period and action potential duration, dispersion in refractoriness, and a reduction in conduction velocity of impulse propagation. Numerous animal and human studies have demonstrated that atrial electrical remodeling impairs normal atrial conduction and provides an environment for ectopic and re-entrant activity, thus creating a substrate for the initiation or maintenance of atrial fibrillation. Interestingly, atrial electrical remodeling has been shown to be reversible. In this systematic review, we examine the occurrence of reverse atrial electrical remodeling in various clinical settings.