Gut microbiome and atrial fibrillation - results from a large population-based study

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an important heart rhythm disorder in aging populations. The gut microbiome composition has been previously related to cardiovascular disease risk factors. Whether the gut microbial profile is also associated with the risk of AF remains unknown. Methods We examined the associations of prevalent and incident AF with gut microbiota in the FINRISK 2002 study, a random population sample of 6763 individuals. We replicated our findings in an independent case–control cohort of 138 individuals in Hamburg, Germany. Findings Multivariable-adjusted regression models revealed that prevalent AF (N = 116) was associated with nine microbial genera. Incident AF (N = 5…