Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most common comorbidities in patients with atrial fibrillation, and the both diseases share a series of common risk factors. COPD promotes the occurrence and development of atrial fibrillation by variety of pathophysiological mechanisms, is the important factor affecting the prognosis of patient with atrial fibrillation, and results in an elevation of clinical adverse and cardiovascular death events. Atrial fibrillation also affects the treatment strategy and prognosis of COPD patients. Treatment plan for patients with both atrial fibrillation and COPD faced huge challenging.The research findings of home and abroad related to atrial fibrillation complicated with COPD were summarized in present paper from the aspects of epidemiology, pathophysiology mechanism, patient management, outcome and prognosis, in order to provide help for the integrated multidisciplinary management and individualized treatment for these patients.