Heterogeneous atrial wall thickness and stretch promote scroll waves anchoring during atrial fibrillation.

Aims: Atrial dilatation and myocardial stretch are strongly associated with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the mechanisms by which the three-dimensional (3D) atrial architecture and heterogeneous stretch contribute to AF perpetuation are incompletely understood. We compared AF dynamics during stretch-related AF (pressure: 12 cmH(2)O) in normal sheep hearts (n = 5) and in persistent AF (PtAF, n = 8)-remodelled hearts subjected to prolonged atrial tachypacing.