CASP8, as the initiator caspase in the death-receptor pathway, was closely related to AS and AF:upregulated CASP8 could increase the recurrence risk of atrial fibrillation, and activating CASP8 gene in smooth muscle cell in apoptosis processes could influence the progression of AS (Charitakis et al., 2019; Xue et al., 2024; Li et al., 2002; Carlotti et al., 2005). Here, CASP8 is linked to atrial fibrillation.