The prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) is constantly rising. Different studies have underlined the correlation between AF and modifiable risk factors such as obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension and sedentary lifestyle. Treatment of these comorbidities could significantly reduce the AF burden and the recurrence rate after cardioversion or ablation. These data should therefore lead to a paradigm shift in the management of AF. A strategy limited to catheter ablation or to the prescription of an antiarrhythmic drug is not sufficient. By analogy to angioplasty in coronary artery disease, the specific management of AF must be combined with the prevention and treatment of risk factors to increase the success rate.