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16,200 | Rationale and methods of the Advanced R<sup>2</sup>Eperfusion STrategies for Refractory Cardiac Arrest (ARREST) trial. | Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation has emerged as a prominent therapy for patients with refractory cardiac arrest. However, the optimal time of initiation remains unknown.</AbstractText>The aim was to assess the rate of survival to hospital discharge in adult patients with refractory ventricular fibrillation/pulseless ventricular tachycardia out-of-hospital cardiac arrest treated with 1 of 2 local standards of care: (1) early venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation-facilitated resuscitation for circulatory support and percutaneous coronary intervention, when needed, or (2) standard advanced cardiac life support resuscitation.</AbstractText>Phase II, single-center, partially blinded, prospective, intention-to-treat, safety and efficacy clinical trial.</AbstractText>Adults (aged 18-75), initial out-of-hospital cardiac arrest rhythm of ventricular fibrillation/pulseless ventricular tachycardia, no ROSC following 3 shocks, body morphology to accommodate a Lund University Cardiac Arrest System automated cardiopulmonary resuscitation device, and transfer time of <30 minutes.</AbstractText>Hospital-based.</AbstractText>Primary: survival to hospital discharge. Secondary: safety, survival, and functional assessment at hospital discharge and 3 and 6 months, and cost.</AbstractText>Assuming success rates of 12% versus 37% in the 2 arms and 90% power, a type 1 error rate of .05, and a 15% rate of withdrawal prior to hospital discharge, the required sample size is N = 174 evaluated patients.</AbstractText>The ARREST trial will generate safety/effectiveness data and comparative costs associated with extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation, informing broader implementation and a definitive Phase III clinical trial.</AbstractText>Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,201 | Safety of magnetic resonance imaging scanning in patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy-defibrillators incorporating quadripolar left ventricular leads. | Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning of magnetic resonance (MR)-conditional cardiac implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) can be performed safely following specific protocols. MRI safety with cardiac resynchronization therapy-defibrillators (CRT-Ds) incorporating quadripolar left ventricular (LV) leads is less clear.</AbstractText>The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of ICDs and CRT-D systems with quadripolar LV leads after an MRI scan.</AbstractText>The ENABLE MRI Study included 230 subjects implanted with a Boston Scientific ImageReady ICD (n = 39) or CRT-D (n = 191) incorporating quadripolar LV leads undergoing nondiagnostic 1.5-T MRI scans (lumbar and thoracic spine imaging) a minimum of 6 weeks postimplant. Pacing capture thresholds (PCTs), sensing amplitudes (SAs), and impedances were measured before and 1 month post-MRI using the same programmed LV pacing vectors. The ability to sense/treat ventricular fibrillation (VF) was assessed in a subset of patients.</AbstractText>A total of 159 patients completed a protocol-required MRI scan (MRI Protection Mode turned on) with no scan-related complications. All right ventricular (RV) and left LV PCT and SA effectiveness endpoints were met: RV PCT 99% (145/146 patients), LV PCT 100% (120/120), RV SA 99% (145/146), and LV SA 98% (116/118). In no instances did MRI result in a change in pacing vector or lead revision. All episodes of VF were appropriately sensed and treated.</AbstractText>This first evaluation of predominantly CRT-D systems with quadripolar LV leads undergoing 1.5-T MRI confirmed that scanning was safe with no significant changes in RV/LV PCT, SA, programmed vectors, and VF treatment, thus suggesting that MRI in patients having a device with quadripolar leads can be performed without negative impact on CRT delivery.</AbstractText>Copyright © 2020 The Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,202 | Characterization of cardiac mechanics and incident atrial fibrillation in participants of the Cardiovascular Health Study. | Left atrial (LA) and left ventricular (LV) remodeling are associated with atrial fibrillation (AF). The prospective associations of impairment in cardiac mechanical function, as assessed by speckle-tracking echocardiography, with incident AF are less clear.</AbstractText>In the Cardiovascular Health Study, a community-based cohort of older adults, participants free of AF with echocardiograms of adequate quality for speckle tracking were included. We evaluated the associations of indices of cardiac mechanics (LA reservoir strain, LV longitudinal strain, and LV early diastolic strain rate) with incident AF.</AbstractText>Of 4341 participants with strain imaging, participants with lower LA reservoir strain were older, had more cardiometabolic risk factors, and had lower renal function at baseline. Over a median follow-up of 10 years, 497 (11.4%) participants developed AF. Compared with the highest quartile of LA reservoir strain, the lowest quartile of LA reservoir strain was associated with higher risk of AF after covariate adjustment, including LA volume and LV longitudinal strain (heart rate [HR], 1.80; 95% CI, 1.31-2.45; P < 0.001). The association of LA reservoir strain and AF was stronger in subgroups with higher blood pressure, NT-proBNP, and LA volumes. There were no associations of LV longitudinal strain and LV early diastolic strain rate with incident AF after adjustment for LA reservoir strain.</AbstractText>Lower LA reservoir strain was associated with incident AF, independent of LV mechanics, and with stronger associations in high-risk subgroups. These findings suggest that LA mechanical dysfunction precedes the development of AF. Therapies targeting LA mechanical dysfunction may prevent progression to AF.</AbstractText>This research was supported by contracts HHSN268201200036C, HHSN268200800007C, HHSN268201800001C, N01HC55222, N01HC85079, N01HC85080, N01HC85081, N01HC85082, N01HC85083, and N01HC85086 and grants KL2TR001424, R01HL107577, U01HL080295, and U01HL130114 from the NIH's National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), with additional contribution from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Additional support was provided by R01AG023629 from the National Institute on Aging (NIA). A full list of principal CHS investigators and institutions can be found at CHS-NHLBI.org.</AbstractText> |
16,203 | Changes of biventricular function after CABG surgery: does cardioplegia type matter? | we choose to evaluate, whether type of cardioplegia is an important predictor to determine biventricular function changes after CABG.</AbstractText>81 patients who underwent CABG surgery and matched inclusion criteria were enrolled in this study. The exclusion criteria were acute MI within 30 days, impaired systolic left ventricle function (LVEF ⩽35%), atrial fibrillation.TTE was performed for all patients and echocardiographic parameters of biventricular geometry and function were assessed before CABG surgery, first postoperative day and 6 months after surgery. Cardioplegia type was randomly chosen. First group consisted of 49 patients (60.5%) when CC was performed and the others 32 patients (39.5%) formed the second - BC group.</AbstractText>Patients' demographic characteristics were similar in both groups, except the lower rates of AH and BSA in BC group (p = 0.015, p = 0.001 respectively)</i>. Longer duration of XCT and CBP time was observed in BC group (p = 0.019</i> and p = 0.028</i>). BC group patients showed more efficient right heart chambers size reduction (p = 0.001</i> for RV diameter; p = 0.015</i> for RA diameter) and better improvement of longitudinal RV function (p = 0.02</i> for TAPSE; p = 0.001</i> for RV S') 6 months after surgery when compared with CC group patients. RV global systolic function diminished in both groups postoperatively, but the reduction was higher in CC group, although the difference was significant in comparing early postoperative measurements with the late after CABG surgery (p = 0.03</i>). Changes of LV systolic function as well as diameter of LA did not differ between groups (p = 0.165</i> and p = 0.279</i>, respectively), while diastolic function improved significantly in BC group patients at the late follow-up period: E/e' decreased (p < 0.001)</i> and e' velocity of interventricular septum augmented significantly (p < 0.001).</i></AbstractText>BC is associated with better RV reverse remodelling and improvement of longitudinal RV function, as well as LV diastolic function improvement after CABG surgery.</AbstractText> |
16,204 | Spironolactone in Atrial Fibrillation With Preserved Cardiac Fraction: The IMPRESS-AF Trial. | Background Patients with permanent atrial fibrillation have poor outcomes, exercise capacity, and quality of life even on optimal anticoagulation. Based on mechanistic and observational data, we tested whether the mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist spironolactone can improve exercise capacity, E/e' ratio, and quality of life in patients with permanent atrial fibrillation and preserved ejection fraction. Methods and Results The double-masked, placebo-controlled IMPRESS-AF (Improved Exercise Tolerance in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction by Spironolactone on Myocardial Fibrosis in Atrial Fibrillation) trial (NCT02673463) randomized 250 stable patients with permanent atrial fibrillation and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction to spironolactone 25 mg daily or placebo. Patients were followed for 2 years. The primary efficacy outcome was peak oxygen consumption on cardiopulmonary exercise testing at 2 years. Secondary end points included 6-minute walk distance, E/e' ratio, quality of life, and hospital admissions. Spironolactone therapy did not improve peak oxygen consumption at 2 years (14.0 mL/min per kg [SD, 5.4]) compared with placebo (14.5 [5.1], adjusted treatment effect, -0.28; 95% CI, -1.27 to 0.71]; <i>P</i>=0.58). The findings were consistent across all sensitivity analyses. There were no differences in the 6-minute walking distance (adjusted treatment effect, -8.47 m; -31.9 to 14.9; <i>P</i>=0.48), E/e' ratio (adjusted treatment effect, -0.68; -1.52 to 0.17, <i>P</i>=0.12), or quality of life (<i>P</i>=0.74 for EuroQol-5 Dimensions, 5-level version quality of life questionnaire and <i>P</i>=0.84 for Minnesota Living with Heart Failure). At least 1 hospitalization occurred in 15% of patients in the spironolactone group and 23% in the placebo group (<i>P</i>=0.15). Estimated glomerular filtration rate was reduced by 6 mL/min in the spironolactone group with <1-unit reduction in controls (<i>P</i><0.001). Systolic blood pressure was reduced by 7.2 mm Hg (95% CI, 2.2-12.3) in the spironolactone group versus placebo (<i>P</i>=0.005). Conclusions Spironolactone therapy does not improve exercise capacity, E/e' ratio, or quality of life in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation and preserved ejection fraction. Registration UTL: https://www.clini​caltr​ial.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02673463. EudraCT number 2014-003702-33. |
16,205 | (S029) Managing therapeutic anticoagulation in bariatric surgery patients. | Patients that undergo bariatric surgery are at risk of bleeding. Some obesity-related comorbidities including venous thromboembolism and heart disease can often require therapeutic anticoagulation. Previous small institutional studies have demonstrated that bariatric surgery can be performed in this patient population. This study attempts to identify best practices in stopping and restarting therapeutic anticoagulation in patients undergoing bariatric surgery.</AbstractText>A retrospective analysis was completed of our institution's database using anticoagulant medications to identify patients on therapeutic anticoagulation. Patients not on therapeutic anticoagulation were excluded, as well as patients that were started on therapeutic anticoagulation only in the post-operative period or those whose anticoagulation was stopped and not restarted. Indications for anticoagulation were recorded, as well as patient demographics and comorbid conditions. The patient chart was examined for when anticoagulation was stopped before surgery, when it was restarted after surgery, and whether or not the patient was therapeutically bridged. Baseline and post-operative hemoglobin values were recorded, as well as bleeding events, transfusions, reoperation, length of stay, and readmissions. Binary variables were compared across groups using Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests, and continuous variables were analyzed using T test.</AbstractText>There were 2933 bariatric operations performed between January 1, 2012 and August 31, 2019. Of these patients, 64 were on therapeutic anticoagulation before and after the operation for one or more indications, including history of VTE (39), atrial fibrillation (27), clotting disorder (6), ventricular assist device (5), previous PCI (4), or mechanical valve (2). There were 4 (6.2%) patients that experienced bleeding events. All four patients were on Coumadin pre-operatively. Three patients experienced extraluminal bleeding, and one patient had intraluminal bleeding, and all events occurred within 72 h of the operation. All four patients had their anticoagulation restarted prior to the bleeding event becoming evident, with anticoagulation in these patients restarted an average of 1.25 days after surgery. There were no conditions that predisposed a patient to bleeding. There was no significant difference in amount of time anticoagulation was stopped before surgery in bleeding versus non-bleeding patients, and there appeared to be no increased risk of bleeding in patients that were on therapeutic bridging therapy. There were no thrombotic complications from the interruption in anticoagulation therapy.</AbstractText>Bariatric surgery can be safely performed in patients on therapeutic anticoagulation, though this population is at greater risk for bleeding complications in the perioperative period. Meticulous hemostasis in the operating room is the most important aspect of preventing bleeding complications.</AbstractText> |
16,206 | A Medico-Socio-Economic Analysis of TeleEKG in Ivory Coast. | <b><i>Background:</i></b><i>TeleEKG is gradually being integrated into the care offered to the most isolated Ivorian populations, however, no medico-socio-economic analysis of its impact has yet been conducted.</i><b><i>Introduction:</i></b><i>The aim of this study was to assess the medico-socio-economic impact of a teleEKG network in the provision of cardiology care in Ivory Coast.</i><b><i>Methods:</i></b><i>A retrospective study of the data transmitted by the 10 centers involved in the pilot phase of the teleEKG project from January 2015 to December 2017.</i><b><i>Results:</i></b><i>The average ratio between the cost to the patient of performing an electrocardiogram (EKG) according to the traditional practice and using a teleEKG was 3.8 ± 1.64. The distance avoided by the 6,045 patients was 1,074,090 km (average 177.7 km/patient). The 6,045 teleEKGs carried out over the period of the study produced a total revenue of 36,270,000 XOF (55,290 EUR) or an average revenue per site of 3,627,000 XOF (5,529 EUR). Dyspnea on exertion (22%), and hypertension (21%) were the main indications for performing the EKG, and left ventricular hypertrophy was the most common electrical anomaly detected (19.8%). Acute coronary syndrome with persistent ST segment elevation was diagnosed in 0.7% of cases (40 cases) and atrial fibrillation in 1.12% of cases (68 cases).</i><b><i>Discussion:</i></b><i>These results confirm the key role telemedicine can play in the treatment of heart conditions in rural populations and the economic sustainability of such telemedicine networks.</i><b><i>Conclusions:</i></b><i>teleEKG offers economic accessibility to cardiology care for isolated populations in Ivory Coast.</i> |
16,207 | Impact of Left Ventricular Function and Heart Failure Symptoms on Outcomes Post Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation in Heart Failure: CASTLE-AF Trial. | Recent data demonstrate promising effects on left ventricular dysfunction and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) improvement following ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with heart failure. We sought to study the relationship between LVEF, New York Heart Association class on presentation, and the end points of mortality and heart failure admissions in the CASTLE-AF study (Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation With Heart Failure) population. Furthermore, predictors for LVEF improvement were examined.</AbstractText>The CASTLE-AF patients with coexisting heart failure and AF (n=363) were randomized in a multicenter prospective controlled fashion to ablation (n=179) versus pharmacological therapy (n=184). Left ventricular function and New York Heart Association class were assessed at baseline (after randomization) and at each follow-up visit.</AbstractText>In the ablation arm, a significantly higher number of patients experienced an improvement in their LVEF to >35% at the end of the study (odds ratio, 2.17; P</i><0.001). Compared with the pharmacological therapy arm, both ablation patient groups with severe (<20%) or moderate/severe (≥20% and <35%) baseline LVEF had a significantly lower number of composite end points (hazard ratio [HR], 0.60; P</i>=0.006), all-cause mortality (HR, 0.54; P</i>=0.019), and cardiovascular hospitalizations (HR, 0.66; P</i>=0.017). In the ablation group, New York Heart Association I/II patients at the time of treatment had the strongest improvement in clinical outcomes (primary end point: HR, 0.43; P</i><0.001; mortality: HR, 0.30; P</i>=0.001).</AbstractText>Compared with pharmacological treatment, AF ablation was associated with a significant improvement in LVEF, independent from the severity of left ventricular dysfunction. AF ablation should be performed at early stages of the patient's heart failure symptoms.</AbstractText> |
16,208 | Timing of intervention in asymptomatic patients with valvular heart disease. | Current management of valvular heart disease (VHD) seeks to optimize long-term outcome by timely intervention. Recommendations for treatment of patients with symptoms due to severe valvular disease are based on a foundation of solid evidence. However, when to intervene in asymptomatic patients remains controversial and decision requires careful individual weighing of the potential benefits against the risk of intervention and its long-term consequences. The primary rationale for earlier intervention is prevention of irreversible left ventricular (LV) myocardial changes that might result in later clinical symptoms and adverse cardiac events. A number of outcome predictors have been identified that facilitate decision-making. This review summarizes current recommendations and discusses recently published data that challenge them suggesting even earlier intervention. In adults with asymptomatic aortic stenosis (AS), emerging risk markers include very severe valve obstruction, elevated serum natriuretic peptide levels, and imaging evidence of myocardial fibrosis or increased extracellular myocardial volume. Currently, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is not recommended for treatment of asymptomatic severe AS although this may change in the future. In patients with aortic regurgitation (AR), the potential benefit of early intervention in preventing LV dilation and dysfunction must be balanced against the long-term risk of a prosthetic valve, a particular concern because severe AR often occurs in younger patients with a congenital bicuspid valve. In patients with mitral stenosis, the option of transcatheter mitral balloon valvotomy tilts the balance towards earlier intervention to prevent atrial fibrillation, embolic events, and pulmonary hypertension. When chronic severe mitral regurgitation is due to mitral valve prolapse, anatomic features consistent with a high likelihood of a successful and durable valve repair favour early intervention. The optimal timing of intervention in adults with VHD is a constantly changing threshold that depends not only on the severity of valve disease but also on the safety, efficacy, and long-term durability of our treatment options. |
16,209 | Long-Term Outcome in High-Risk Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy After Primary Prevention Defibrillator Implants. | The implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is effective for preventing sudden death in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. However, data on performance and complications of implanted ICDs over particularly long time periods to inform clinical practice is presently incomplete.</AbstractText>The study cohort comprises 217 consecutive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients with primary prevention ICDs implanted before 2008 and followed for ≥10 years (mean 12±4; range to 31).</AbstractText>Patients were 38±17 years at implant and 45 (21%) experienced appropriate interventions terminating ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation. The majority of ICD discharges occurred ≥5 years after implant (29 patients; 64%), including ≥10 years in 16 patients (36%). Initial device therapy increased in frequency from 2.3% of patients at <1 year to 8.5% of patients at ≥10-years after implant (P</i>=0.005). Inappropriate ICD shocks in 39 patients occurred most commonly <5 years after implant (54%) and decreased in frequency with increasing time from implant (from 9.7% of patients at <5 years to 3.8% at ≥10 years, P</i>=0.02). Other major device complications including infection and lead fractures and dislodgement occurred in 27 patients (12%) but did not increase in frequency over follow-up after implant (P</i>=0.47). There were no arrhythmic sudden death events among the 217 patients with ICD.</AbstractText>In hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, after a primary prevention implant, ICD therapy often followed prolonged periods of device dormancy and increased progressively in frequency over time, including one-third of patients with initial therapy after 5 to 9 years, and an additional one-third of patients at ≥10 years. Frequency of inappropriate shocks decreased over follow-up, likely reflecting standard changes in device programming, while occurrence of device complications, such as lead fractures/infection, did not increase during follow-up.</AbstractText> |
16,210 | Current behavior of sudden cardiac arrest and sudden death. | Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and sudden death (SD) continue to be a global public health problem, although the true incidence is unknown, it is estimated that they are responsible for 30% of cardiac origin mortality and may represent 20% of total mortality in adults. Unfortunately, the majority of cases occur in the general population, at the out-of-hospital level, in homes and in people who were not known to have heart disease. Although the majority of SCA victims are considered to be of cardiac origin and more frequent ischemic, it is not possible to rule out other causes only with the clinical diagnosis. Autopsy, histological, and toxicological studies are necessary in all victims of SCA and SD to determine the precise cause of death; when these studies are carried out, causes of non-cardiac origin have been found in up to 40% of victims. The type of arrhythmia responsible for an episode of SCA and SD has changed over the years, now asystole and pulseless electrical activity are detected more frequently than ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia. These and other aspects that we consider important in the current behavior of SCA and SD are analyzed in this article.<CopyrightInformation>Copyright: © 2020 Permanyer.</CopyrightInformation></Abstract><AuthorList CompleteYN="Y"><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Rodríguez-Reyes</LastName><ForeName>Humberto</ForeName><Initials>H</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Research, Sociedad Cardiovascular y Arritmias (SOCAyA), Aguascalientes, Mexico.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Muñoz-Gutiérrez</LastName><ForeName>Mayela</ForeName><Initials>M</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Research, Sociedad Cardiovascular y Arritmias (SOCAyA), Aguascalientes, Mexico.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Salas-Pacheco</LastName><ForeName>José L</ForeName><Initials>JL</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Research, Sociedad Cardiovascular y Arritmias (SOCAyA), Aguascalientes, Mexico.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author></AuthorList><Language>eng</Language><PublicationTypeList><PublicationType UI="D016428">Journal Article</PublicationType><PublicationType UI="D016454">Review</PublicationType></PublicationTypeList><VernacularTitle>Comportamiento actual del paro cardíaco súbito y muerte súbitos.</VernacularTitle></Article><MedlineJournalInfo><Country>Mexico</Country><MedlineTA>Arch Cardiol Mex</MedlineTA><NlmUniqueID>101126728</NlmUniqueID><ISSNLinking>1665-1731</ISSNLinking></MedlineJournalInfo><CitationSubset>IM</CitationSubset><MeshHeadingList><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D000328" MajorTopicYN="N">Adult</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D001145" MajorTopicYN="N">Arrhythmias, Cardiac</DescriptorName><QualifierName UI="Q000150" MajorTopicYN="Y">complications</QualifierName><QualifierName UI="Q000453" MajorTopicYN="N">epidemiology</QualifierName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D001344" MajorTopicYN="N">Autopsy</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D002423" MajorTopicYN="N">Cause of Death</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D016757" MajorTopicYN="N">Death, Sudden, Cardiac</DescriptorName><QualifierName UI="Q000453" MajorTopicYN="Y">epidemiology</QualifierName><QualifierName UI="Q000209" MajorTopicYN="N">etiology</QualifierName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D014943" MajorTopicYN="Y">Global Health</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D006801" MajorTopicYN="N">Humans</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D015994" MajorTopicYN="N">Incidence</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D011634" MajorTopicYN="N">Public Health</DescriptorName></MeshHeading></MeshHeadingList><OtherAbstract Type="Publisher" Language="spa">El paro cardíaco súbito (PCS) y la muerte súbita (MS) continúan siendo un problema de salud pública mundial; aunque su verdadera incidencia se desconoce, se calcula que producen el 30% de la mortalidad de origen cardíaco y pueden representar el 20% de la mortalidad total en los adultos. Desafortunadamente, la mayor parte de los casos se presenta en la población general, de forma extrahospitalaria, en los hogares y en personas que no se conocían portadoras de cardiopatía. Aunque se considera que la mayoría de las víctimas de PCS es de origen cardíaco, y que es más frecuente el isquémico, no es posible descartar otras causas sólo con el diagnóstico clínico. Son necesarios la necropsia y los estudios histológicos y toxicológicos en todas las víctimas de PCS y MS para determinar la causa precisa de la muerte; cuando estos estudios se efectúan se han encontrado causas de origen no cardíaco hasta en 40% de las personas. El tipo de arritmia causante de un episodio de PCS y MS ha cambiado a través de los años; ahora se detectan con mayor frecuencia asistolia y actividad eléctrica sin pulso (AESP) que la fibrilación ventricular (FV) o la taquicardia ventricular sin pulso (TVSP). Estos y otros aspectos de importancia en el comportamiento actual del PCS y la MS se analizan en este artículo. |
16,211 | High efficiency and workflow of His bundle pacing and atrioventricular node ablation guided by three-dimensional mapping system. | Atrioventricular node (AVN) ablation combined with His bundle pacing is an effective strategy for permanent atrial fibrillation (AF) with rapid ventricular rate refractory to pharmacological therapy. We aimed to access the feasibility and efficiency of His bundle pacing and AVN ablation guided by three-dimensional (3-D) mapping system throughout the procedure.</AbstractText>Eighteen patients with permanent AF with refractory rate and symptoms were referred for His bundle pacing and AVN ablation guided by 3-D mapping (CARTO3). Electroanatomic 3-D mapping of the right atrium and right ventricle was performed by the ablation catheter with CARTO 3 system, followed by the visualization of the leads for implantation and AVN ablation.</AbstractText>Implantation of His bundle and ventricular leads and AVN ablation were achieved successfully with the help of 3-D mapping in 17 patients. Selective His bundle pacing was achieved in five patients (29.4%), and the other (70.6%) were nonselective His bundle pacing. The mean procedure duration was 99.4 ± 16.4 minutes. The mean fluoroscopy time was 7.0 ± 2.6 minutes. The time spent on His lead implantation was 6.1 ± 3.2 minutes. One patient experienced AVN ablation from left side under aortic valves due to no effect of ablation in right atrium.</AbstractText>His bundle pacing and AVN ablation guided by throughout real-time 3-D mapping system are of high-efficiency and feasibility.</AbstractText>© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,212 | Right ventricle in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. | Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) affects half of all patients with heart failure. While previously neglected, the right ventricle (RV) has sparked interest in recent years as a means for better understanding this condition and as a potential therapeutic target.Right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) is present in 4%-50% of patients with HFpEF. The RV is intimately connected to the pulmonary circulation, and pulmonary hypertension is commonly implicated in the pathophysiology of RVD. The development of RVD in HFpEF may also be driven by comorbidities, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obesity, obstructive sleep apnoea and atrial fibrillation. The evaluation of RVD is particularly challenging due to anatomical and structural factors, as well as unique physiological characteristics of this chamber like load and interventricular dependency. Fractional area change, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion and tricuspid annular systolic velocity are commonly used measurements of RV function. Speckle tracking echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) are also gaining attention as important tools for the assessment of RV structure, fibre deformation and systolic performance. Further research is needed to confirm the utility and prognostic significance of RV [<sup>18</sup>F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography imaging as FDG accumulation is suggested to increase with progressive RVD. Targeted pharmacotherapy with phosphodiesterase inhibitors, guanylate-cyclase stimulators, nitrates and inhaled inorganic nitrites have yet to demonstrate improvement in RVD, compelling the need for evaluation and discovery of novel pharmacological interventions for this entity. |
16,213 | Precision Cardiac Arrest Resuscitation Based on Etiology. | Cardiac arrest results from a broad range of etiologies that can be broadly grouped as sudden and asphyxial. Animal studies point to differences in injury pathways invoked in the heart and brain that drive injury and outcome after these different forms of cardiac arrest. Present guidelines largely ignore etiology in their management recommendations. Existing clinical data reveal significant heterogeneity in the utility of presently employed resuscitation and postresuscitation strategies based on etiology. The development of future neuroprotective and cardioprotective therapies should also take etiology into consideration to optimize the chances for successful translation. |
16,214 | Leadless pacemaker for patients following cardiac valve intervention. | Permanent pacing is common after valve intervention. The presence of a conventional pacemaker in this population is recognized as a risk factor for infectious events. Therefore, a leadless pacing system could be the preferred strategy when permanent pacing is required after valve intervention.</AbstractText>To report periprocedural outcomes and follow-up of patients undergoing implantation of a leadless pacing system after valve intervention.</AbstractText>Patients with previous valve intervention at the time of attempted implantation of a leadless pacemaker (Micra™, Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA) were included, and were compared with a control group (patients also implanted with Micra™ without valve intervention).</AbstractText>Among a total of 170 Micra™ implantation procedures, 54 patients (31.8%) had a history of valve intervention: 28 after aortic valve replacement; 10 after mitral valve replacement; one after single tricuspid valvuloplasty; and 15 after multiple valve surgery. Median age of the patients was 82.5 (77.0-86.0) years and 53.7% were male. Patients with previous valve intervention had a higher incidence of arterial hypertension (P=0.014) and ischaemic heart disease (P=0.040). The primary indications for permanent pacing after valve intervention were high-degree atrioventricular block (59.3%) and atrial fibrillation with bradycardia (27.8%). Micra™ was successfully implanted in all patients (n=170) without any procedure-related major complications. During a median follow-up of 12 months, electrical performance was excellent and similar in both groups. Also, a similar reduction in left ventricular ejection fraction was observed at 12 months in both groups, which was correlated with the percentage of right ventricular pacing.</AbstractText>A leadless pacemaker is safe and efficient after valve intervention, and therefore represents an effective pacing option in patients after valve intervention.</AbstractText>Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,215 | Leadless pacemaker implantation under direct visualization during valve surgery. | The leadless cardiac pacemaker is typically implanted percutaneously and has been widely used for patients who have already undergone valve surgery. We sought to determine the feasibility and safety of implanting the leadless pacemaker under direct visualization during valve surgery.</AbstractText>We performed a retrospective analysis of consecutive adult patients (n = 15) who underwent implantation of a leadless pacemaker under direct visualization at the time of valve surgery. Indications for single-chamber pacing were sick sinus syndrome with pauses (53.3%), atrial fibrillation with slow ventricular rates (13.3%) or complete heart block (6.6%), and elevated risk for postoperative heart block (26.6%). Leadless pacemaker performance and pacing percentage were assessed.</AbstractText>Patients' age was 67.5 ± 17 years, 6 patients (40%) were male, and 14 patients (93%) had atrial fibrillation. Isolated tricuspid valve replacement was performed in 5 patients (33.3%), and the remainder underwent multivalve surgery that included concomitant tricuspid valve repair/replacement. In 93% of the patients (n = 14), the immediate post-cardiopulmonary bypass pacing thresholds were normal (≤2.0 V at 0.24 ms) and normalized in the remaining patient by the next morning. The impedance/sensing values were normal and stable through follow-up (151 ± 119 days) in all patients. Reliable leadless pacemaker performance allowed for deferral of temporary epicardial wires in 11 patients (73%). There were no procedural complications or device malfunction.</AbstractText>Leadless cardiac pacemaker implantation during valve surgery is feasible and safe. This hybrid approach to pacing may simplify the perioperative management of patients undergoing valve surgery who have an indication for single-chamber pacing.</AbstractText>Copyright © 2020 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,216 | Fitness to Drive After Syncope and/or in Cardiovascular Disease - An Overview and Practical Advice. | The risk of syncope occurring while driving has implications for personal and public safety. Little is thought about the medical considerations related to the driving of motor vehicles. Physicians treating patients with cardiovascular disease need to acquire basic competences to be able to advise them about their fitness to drive. Current knowledge, governmental regulations, and recommendations concerning fitness to drive in patients with syncope and/or cardiovascular disease are presented. Narrative review with educational and clinical advice. Cardiovascular disease can make a driver lose control of a vehicle without warning and thereby lead to an accident. The main pathophysiological mechanisms of sudden loss of control are disturbances of brain perfusion (eg, syncope with or without cardiac arrhythmia, sudden cardiac death due to ventricular fibrillation or asystole, stroke, etc.) and marked general weakness (eg, after major surgery or in heart failure). Patients with syncope and/or cardiovascular disease should be properly advised by their physicians about their fitness to drive, and restrictions should be documented. |
16,217 | Heart failure hospitalizations and costs in ICD/CRT-D recipients following replacement or upgrade: the DECODE registry. | The aim of this study is to report heart failure hospitalization (HFH) rates and associated costs within 12 months following implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)/cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) device replacement or upgrade from ICD to CRT-D.</AbstractText>The DEtect long-term COmplications after icD rEplacement (DECODE) was a prospective, single-arm, multicentre cohort study that explored complications in ICD/CRT-D recipients. All clinical and survival data at 12 months were prospectively analysed. For each adjudicated HFH, admission and discharge dates and ICD-9-CM diagnosis and procedure codes were recorded. The reimbursement for each HFH was calculated for each diagnosis-related group code. Between 2013 and 2015, 983 patients (mean age 71 years, male 76%, mean left ventricular ejection fraction 35%, and New York Heart Association Class I/II 75.6%) were enrolled. Patients underwent device replacement (900; 91.6%, 446 ICD/454 CRT-D) or ICD upgrade to CRT-D (83; 8.4%). Post-replacement hospitalizations occurred in 220 patients, with the primary discharge diagnosis identifying cardiovascular causes in 175 patients (80%). Fifty-five (5.6%) patients experienced at least one HFH. Overall, 91 HFH events occurred (9.6% event rate, 95% confidence interval: 7.7-11.7) in 70 patients; 66 (6.7%) patients died, 40 (60.6%) of cardiovascular causes. The HFH rate was significantly higher following upgrades, and the occurrence of HFH was associated with an 11-fold increased mortality risk (95% confidence interval: 5.9-20.5, P < 0.0001). Medical diagnosis-related group accounted for 91.2% of HFH; the mean cost per HFH was €5662 ± 9497, and the mean cost per patient was €9369 ± 12 687. On multivariate analysis, predictors of HFH were atrial fibrillation, chronic kidney disease, and all-cause hospitalization within 30 days prior to the procedure.</AbstractText>In the DECODE registry, HFH and mortality rates in the year following ICD/CRT-D replacement or upgrade were low. In this particular subset, underlying cardiac disease was the main driver of HFH, mortality, and higher healthcare expenditures.</AbstractText>© 2020 The Authors. ESC Heart Failure published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,218 | Cardiac Arrhythmia Prevention in Ischemia and Reperfusion by Low-Dose Dietary Fish Oil Supplementation in Rats. | Supplementing animal diets with fish oil increases myocardial omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids [ω-3 (n-3) PUFA], lowers heart rate, and prevents malignant cardiac arrhythmias. In contrast to epidemiological reports, results of some human clinical trials and of unphysiologically high doses employed in animal studies call into question the application of dietary ω-3 PUFA for cardioprotection.</AbstractText>This study tested the hypothesis that low ω-3 PUFA dietary thresholds for myocardial incorporation in rats, equivalent in dose to what humans derive from eating fish, can reduce heart rate and arrhythmia vulnerability.</AbstractText>Male Sprague-Dawley rats (12-15 wk old) were fed isoenergetic diets containing 10% fat for 4-5 wk. The control diet (CON) contained 5.5% beef tallow, 2.5% sunflower seed oil, and 2% olive oil. Fish oil diets contained high-DHA tuna oil, exchanged for olive oil: 0.31% [fish oil group 1 (FO1)] (human equivalent EPA + DHA 570 mg/d); 1.25% [fish oil group 2 (FO2)] (equivalent EPA + DHA 2.3 g/d). Anaesthetized rats (pentobarbital, 60 mg/kg intraperitoneally) were subjected in vivo to 15-min cardiac ischemia by left coronary artery occlusion and then reperfusion, with arrhythmias detected by electrocardiogram.</AbstractText>Fish oil dose dependently modulated myocardial membrane fatty acids (DHA mean ± SEM: CON, 5.0 ± 0.2%; FO1, 13.1 ± 0.9%; FO2, 18.3 ± 0.4%; n = 4-5; P-trend < 0.001 ANOVA); resting heart rate (CON, 453 ± 6; FO1, 432 ± 4; FO2, 422 ± 5 bpm; n = 15-18; P-trend < 0.001); reduced ventricular fibrillation (VF) (CON, 89%; FO1, 60%; P = 0.052; FO2, 50%; n = 15-18; P = 0.013 chi square); and total arrhythmia severity (arrhythmia score: CON, 6.1 ± 0.4; FO1, 4.6 ± 0.5; FO2, 3.1 ± 0.7; n = 15-18; P-trend < 0.01) during ischemia and reperfusion (VF: Con, 86%; FO1, 22% P = 0.011; FO2, 8% P = 0.001; n = 7-12); (arrhythmia score: CON, 4.6 ± 0.3; FO1, 3.1 ± 0.3; FO2, 1.3 ± 0.3; n = 7-12; P-trend < 0.001).</AbstractText>Ventricular arrhythmias were prevented and heart rate was slowed by lower ω-3 PUFA intake in rats than previously reported, equivalent to human fish consumption and associated with increased myocardial DHA. The efficacy of low-dose fish oil demonstrates biological plausibility for nutritional ω-3 fatty acid-mediated cardioprotection and suggests that effectiveness in human clinical trials may be obscured by failure to exclude fish eaters.</AbstractText>Copyright © The Author(s) on behalf of the American Society for Nutrition 2020.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,219 | Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy in Dextrocardia with Situs Inversus. | Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is an acute reversible form of left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction extending beyond a coronary artery vascular territory usually due to physical or psychological stressors. Dextrocardia with situs inversus is a rare embryologic anomaly whereby the heart and aorta are mirrored on the contralateral side. We describe a case of a 93-year-old female with dextrocardia who presented with chest pain, atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response, and transient inferior ST elevation. Coronary angiography demonstrated an eccentric mid right coronary artery (RCA) lesion and apical ballooning consistent with concurrent takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC). To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of this dual pathology in a patient with dextrocardia, highlighting the procedural and diagnostic complexity in the setting of a rare anatomicvariant. |
16,220 | Flipping syncope: The case of an adolescent athlete with syncopal episodes ultimately diagnosed with catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. | Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) is a channelopathy which can lead to fatal ventricular arrhythmias. The diagnosis can be challenging due to a wide variety of clinical presentations. In this case, we describe the unusual presentation and subsequent workup of a young patient who was ultimately diagnosed with CPVT. |
16,221 | Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction or non-cardiac dyspnea in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: The role of left atrial strain. | Diagnosis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) in patients with dyspnea and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) is challenging. Speckle tracking-derived left atrial strain (LAS) provides an accurate estimate of left ventricular (LV) filling pressures and left atrial (LA) phasic function. However, data on clinical utility of LAS in patients with dyspnea and AF are scarce.</AbstractText>To assess relationship between the LAS and the probability of HFpEF in patients with dyspnea and paroxysmal AF.</AbstractText>The study included 205 consecutive patients (62 ± 10 years, 58% males) with dyspnea (NYHA≥II), paroxysmal AF and preserved LV ejection fraction (≥50%), who underwent speckle tracking echocardiography during sinus rhythm. Probability of HFpEF was estimated using H2</sub>FPEF and HFA-PEFF scores, which combine clinical characteristics, echocardiographic parameters and natriuretic peptides.</AbstractText>Patients with high probability of HFpEF were significantly older, had higher body mass index, NT-proBNP, E/e', pulmonary artery pressure and larger LA volume index than patients in low-to-intermediate probability groups (all p < 0.05). All components of LAS and LA strain rate showed proportional impairment with increasing probability of HFpEF (all p < 0.05). Out of the speckle tracking-derived parameters, reservoir LAS showed the largest area under the curve (AUC = 0.78, p < 0.001) and the strongest independent predictive value (OR: 1.22, 95% CI 1.08-1.38) to identify patients with high probability of HFpEF.</AbstractText>Reservoir LAS shows a high diagnostic performance to distinguish HFpEF from non-cardiac causes of dyspnea in symptomatic patients with paroxysmal AF.</AbstractText>Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,222 | Predictors of 1-year survival in South African transcatheter aortic valve implant candidates. | Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has undergone rapid expansion internationally over the past 15 years. In view of resource constraints in developing countries, a major challenge in applying this technology lies in identifying patients most likely to benefit. The development of a risk prediction model for TAVI has proved elusive, with a reported area under the curve (AUC) of 0.6 - 0.65. The available models were developed in a First-World setting and may not be applicable to South Africa (SA).</AbstractText>To evaluate novel indicators and to develop a TAVI risk prediction model unique to the SA context. The current work represents the important initial steps of derivation cohort risk model development and internal validation.</AbstractText>Seven-year experience with 244 successive TAVI implants in three centres in Western Cape Province, SA, was used to derive risk parameters. All outcomes are reported in accordance with the Valve Academic Research Consortium definitions. Multiple preprocedural variables were assessed for their impact on 1-year survival using univariate and multivariate models.</AbstractText>Factors found not to correlate with 1-year survival included age, renal function and aortic valve gradients. The commonly used surgical risk prediction models (Society of Thoracic Surgeons score and EuroSCORE) showed no correlation with outcomes. Factors found to correlate best with 1-year survival on multivariate analysis were preprocedural body mass index (BMI) (favouring higher BMI), preprocedural left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVED) and ejection fraction (EF) (favouring smaller LVED and higher EF), absence of atrial fibrillation, and three novel parameters: independent living, ability to drive a car, and independent food acquisition/cooking. Discriminant analysis of these factors yielded an AUC of 0.8 (95% confidence interval 0.7 - 0.9) to predict 1-year survival, with resubstitution sensitivities and specificities of 72% and 71%, respectively.</AbstractText>Apart from existing predictors, we identified three novel risk predictors (independent living, ability to drive a car, and independent food acquisition/cooking) for 1-year survival in TAVI candidates. These novel parameters performed well in this early evaluation, with an AUC for predicting 1-year survival higher than the AUCs for many of the internationally derived parameters. The parameters are inexpensive and easy to obtain at the initial patient visit. If validated prospectively in external cohorts, they may be applicable to other resource-constrained environments.</AbstractText> |
16,223 | Implications of Genetic Testing in Dilated Cardiomyopathy. | Genetic analysis is a first-tier test in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Electrical phenotypes are common in genetic DCM, but their exact contribution to the clinical course and outcome is unknown. We determined the prevalence of pathogenic gene variants in a large unselected DCM population and determined the role of electrical phenotypes in association with outcome.</AbstractText>This study included 689 patients with DCM from the Maastricht Cardiomyopathy Registry, undergoing genetic evaluation using a 48 cardiomyopathy-associated gene-panel, echocardiography, endomyocardial biopsies, and Holter monitoring. Upon detection of a pathogenic variant in a patient with DCM, familial segregation was performed. Outcome was defined as cardiovascular death, heart transplantation, heart failure hospitalization, and/or occurrence of life-threatening arrhythmias.</AbstractText>A (likely) pathogenic gene variant was found in 19% of patients, varying from 36% in familial to 13% in nonfamilial DCM. Family segregation analysis showed familial disease in 46% of patients with DCM who were initially deemed nonfamilial by history. Overall, 18% of patients with a nongenetic risk factor had a pathogenic gene variant. Almost all pathogenic gene variants occurred in just 12 genes previously shown to have robust disease association with DCM. Genetic DCM was independently associated with electrical phenotypes such as atrial fibrillation, nonsustained ventricular tachycardia, and atrioventricular block and inversely correlated with the presence of a left bundle branch block (P</i><0.01). After a median follow-up of 4 years, event-free survival was reduced in genetic versus patients with nongenetic DCM (P</i>=0.01). This effect on outcome was mediated by the associated electrical phenotypes of genetic DCM (P</i><0.001).</AbstractText>One in 5 patients with an established nongenetic risk factor or a nonfamilial disease still carries a pathogenic gene variant. Genetic DCM is characterized by a profile of electrical phenotypes (atrial fibrillation, nonsustained ventricular tachycardia, and atrioventricular block), which carries increased risk for adverse outcomes. Based on these findings, we envisage a broader role for genetic testing in DCM.</AbstractText> |
16,224 | 2020 Heart Failure Society of South Africa perspective on the 2016 European Society of Cardiology Chronic Heart Failure Guidelines. | Heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is a condition frequently encountered by healthcare professionals and, in order to achieve the best outcomes for patients, needs to be managed optimally. This guideline document is based on the European Society of Cardiology Guidelines for the treatment of acute and chronic heart failure published in 2016, and summarises what is considered the best current management of patients with the condition. It provides information on the definition, diagnosis and epidemiology of HFrEF in the African context. The best evidence-based treatments for HFrEF are discussed, including established therapies (beta-blockers, ACE-i/ARBs, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs), diuretics) that form the cornerstone of heart failure management as well as therapies that have only recently entered clinical use (angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI), sodium/glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors). Guidance is offered in terms of more invasive therapies (revascularisation, implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) by implantation of a biventricular pacemaker with (CRT-D) or without (CRT-P) an ICD, left ventricular assist device (LVAD) use and heart transplantation) in order to ensure efficient use of these expensive treatment modalities in a resource-limited environment. Furthermore, additional therapies (digoxin, hydralazine and nitrates, ivabradine, iron supplementation) are discussed and advice is provided on general preventive strategies (vaccinations). Sections to discuss conditions that are particularly prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa (HIV-associated cardiomyopathy (CMO), peripartum CMO, rheumatic heart disease, atrial fibrillation) have been added to further improve clinical care for these commonly encountered disease processes. You are encouraged to read the complete 2016 ESC Heart Failure guideline: Ponikowski P, Voors AA, Anker SD, et al.; on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. 2016 ESC guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure. Eur Heart J 2016,37:2129-2200. |
16,225 | Temperature Variability Does Not Attenuate the Beneficial Effects of Therapeutic Hypothermia on Cellular Apoptosis and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in the Cerebral Cortex of a Swine Cardiac Arrest Model. | Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) plays a vital role in mediating apoptosis in the brain following cardiac arrest (CA). Studies have shown that therapeutic hypothermia (TH) provides neuroprotection through anti-apoptosis; however, the effects of temperature variability in TH on the brain remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the different effects of temperature variability through extracorporeal membrane oxygenation on apoptosis and ERS in the brain following CA.</AbstractText>Eighteen male domestic pigs underwent 6-min duration of no-flow induced by ventricular fibrillation. Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation was then performed, and the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) was achieved. The animals were randomly assigned to the following groups: normothermia, non-temperature variability, and temperature variability. TH (core temperature, 33-35 °C) was maintained for 24 h post-ROSC, and the animals were rewarmed for 8 h. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry for Bax and Bcl-2 transcripts and proteins, respectively, were used to investigate apoptosis in the cerebral cortex. Expression levels of the ERS molecules, GRP78 and CHOP, were also detected by qRT-PCR, and cellular morphology was evaluated using transmission electron microscopy.</AbstractText>qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry results revealed that TH significantly increased the expression levels of Bcl-2 and GRP78 and decreased that of Bax and CHOP than under normothermia conditions. Compared to the non-temperature variability group, temperature variability did not decrease the expression levels of Bcl-2 and GRP78 and not increase the levels of Bax and CHOP. Endoplasmic reticulum ultrastructural changes were significantly improved under TH. No statistical difference was observed between the temperature variability and non-temperature variability groups.</AbstractText>TH can reduce neuronal apoptosis by ERS, while temperature variability does not attenuate this beneficial effect.</AbstractText> |
16,226 | [A Giant Papillary Fibroelastoma in the Right Ventricle]. | Papillary fibroelastoma (PFE) accounts for approximately 8% of benign primary cardiac tumors. PFE frequently develops in the left heart system, such as the aortic valve and the mitral valve. We report a case of a giant PFE in the right ventricle. The patient was an 83-year-old woman with a history of chronic atrial fibrillation, diabetes, and hypertension. She had experienced palpitation and shortness of breath for several years. A giant mobile tumor was observed in the right ventricle by transthoracic echocardiography, and its extirpation was performed. Intraoperatively, a giant tumor of 3 cm in diameter was observed on the right ventricular side of the posterior tricuspid leaflet. As the tumor strongly adhered to the tendinous cords, it was unavoidable to resect the tendinous cords. Thus, a tricuspid valve repair was performed in addition to the tumor extirpation. The patient was diagnosed with papillary fibroelastoma by pathological examination. |
16,227 | Prediction of Lethal Arrhythmic Events Through Remote Monitoring Using Heart Rate Variability Analysis in Patients with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator. | We prospectively collected device and heart rate data through remote monitoring (RM) of patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). The objective was to identify the predictors of lethal arrhythmic events (VT/VF).Thirty-three patients (mean age: 50 years) with ICDs [with functionality of heart rate variability (HRV) analysis] were divided into two groups [VT/VF (+), VT/VF (-) ]. Clinical, device (ventricular lead impedance; amplitude of ventricular electrogram), and HRV data were compared between the two groups. The NN interval-index (SDNNi) was calculated for every 5 minutes, and the mean, maximum, minimum, and standard deviation of SDNNi during the 24-hour period were used.During the observation period of 13 ± 10 months, 10 patients experienced VT/VF events. Total mean, max, and min SDNNi were higher in the VT/VF (+) than the VT/VF (-) group (132.9 ± 9.3 versus 93.5 ± 6.1, P = 0.0013; 214.6 ± 10.6 versus 167.0 ± 7.0, P = 0.0007; 71.2 ± 7.5 versus 43.9 ± 4.9, P = 0.0047). On logistic regression analysis, a total mean SDNNi of 100.1, max SDNNi of 185.0 and min SDNNi of 52.0 as cut-off values for prediction of a VT/VF event demonstrated significant receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves (AUC = 0.86, P = 0.0007; AUC = 0.84, P = 0.0005; AUC = 0.78, P = 0.0030). The max ΔSDNNi, i.e., difference from baseline SDNNi, and min ΔSDNNi in 7 and 28 days preceding VT/VF events were significant predictors of VT/VF events.Time-domain HRV analysis through a RM system may help identify patients at high risk of lethal arrhythmic events; in addition, it may help predict the occurrence of lethal arrhythmic events in specific cases. |
16,228 | [Availability of a novel cardiotoxicity evaluation system using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived atrial-like myocytes]. | It is reported that the incidence of atrial arrhythmias has been increasing year by year and it might increase from now on. Although not only aging but pharmaceutical drug treatments might relate to atrial arrhythmias, experimental method to detect drug-induced atrial arrhythmias has not been established so far. Therefore, we induced differentiation of atrial-like cardiomyocytes from human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell, and clarified their characteristics and verified their dug responsiveness. Atrial-like cardiomyocytes were induced by adding retinoic acid (RA) during the process of myocardial differentiation, and their character was compared to RA-untreated cardiomyocytes. In gene expression and membrane potential analysis, it was confirmed that the cells with or without RA treatment have the characters of atrial or ventricular like cardiomyocytes, respectively. In addition, it was also confirmed that atrial-like cardiomyocytes induced reentry-like conduction disorder, which is atrial arrhythmias. Furthermore, as a result of examining the responsiveness of various ion channel inhibitors using these cells, the inhibition of ultra-rapid delayed rectifier potassium current (I<sub>Kur</sub>) specifically existed in atrial muscle induced prolongation of PWD30cF (membrane potential duration at 30% depolarization corrected by Fridericia formula) only in atrial-like cardiomyocytes. In addition, ventricular-like cardiomyocytes alone exhibited an early after depolarization by treatment of rapid rectifier potassium current (I<sub>Kr</sub>) inhibitor which induced ventricular arrhythmia in clinical situation. Based on above evidences, current evaluation systems using human iPS cell-derived atrial-like cardiomyocytes might be a valuable tool for drug-induced atrial arrhythmias. |
16,229 | Rapid cycle deliberate practice improves and sustains paediatric resident PALS performance. | Paediatric cardiopulmonary arrest resuscitation is a critically important skill but infrequently used in clinical practice. Therefore, resuscitation knowledge relies heavily on formal training which is vulnerable to rapid knowledge decay. We evaluate knowledge and skill retention post-training using rapid cycle deliberate practice (RCDP).</AbstractText>Pilot, non-blinded, single-arm study.</AbstractText>Pediatric Simulation Center at Children's of Alabama.</AbstractText>42 paediatric residents at a large, tertiary care, academic children's hospital were enrolled in this simulation-based resuscitation study.</AbstractText>Each participant led a 7 min preintervention arrest scenario as a baseline test. After testing, participants were trained individually in the paediatric advanced life support (PALS) skills necessary for resuscitation of a patient in pulseless electrical activity and ventricular fibrillation using RCDP-a simulation method using frequent expert feedback and repeated opportunities for the learner to incorporate new learning. Immediately post-training, participants were retested as leaders of a different paediatric arrest scenario. 3 months post-training participants returned to complete a final simulation scenario.</AbstractText>To evaluate knowledge and skill retention following PALS training.</AbstractText>Preintervention data demonstrated poor baseline resident performance with an average PALS score of 52%. Performance improved to 94% immediately post-training and this improvement largely persisted at 3 months, with an average performance of 81%. In addition to improvements in performance, individual skills improved including communication, recognition of rhythms, early chest compressions and rapid administration of epinephrine or defibrillation.</AbstractText>RCDP training was associated with significant improvements in resident performance during simulated paediatric resuscitation and high retention of those improvements.</AbstractText>© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,230 | Competing risk analysis of ventricular arrhythmia events in heart failure patients with moderately compromised renal dysfunction. | Patients with impaired renal function were shown to have an attenuated benefit from implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. However, there are limited data on the competing risk of ventricular arrhythmia events and death by renal function in patients without severe disease. Therefore, we aimed to assess the competing risk of ventricular arrhythmia events and death by renal function.</AbstractText>We analysed 1782 patients (99%) enrolled in Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial-Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (MADIT-CRT) with glomerular filtration rate (GFR) data available. Cumulative incidence function curves were used to display the rate of ventricular tachycardia (VT), ventricular fibrillation (VF), and the competing risk of death without experiencing VT/VF. Multivariable Fine and Gray regression models and recurrent event analysis were performed. There were 355 (20%) patients with GFR < 52 and 1427 with GFR ≥ 52 (lowest quintile). The incidence of non-fatal VT/VF at 4 years was higher in patients with high GFR (26%) as compared to low GFR (16%), whereas rates of death without non-fatal VT/VF were 5% and 20% (P < 0.001). In Fine and Gray models, the low GFR group was 35% less likely to experience VT/VF compared to the high GFR [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.48-0.88, P = 0.005]. In contrast,death without experiencing VT/VF was 3.5-fold higher in the low GFR group (95% CI 2.38-5.12, P-value < 0.001). Recurrent event analysis consistently showed a lower risk of recurrent VT/VF, recurrent anti-tachycardia pacing only, and shock in the low GFR group.</AbstractText>We show, in a competing risk model, a lower risk of VT/VF events and a higher risk of mortality without an arrhythmic event in patients with moderate renal dysfunction in MADIT-CRT. These findings can be used for improved selection of patients for defibrillator therapy among CRT candidates.</AbstractText>https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00180271.</AbstractText>Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2020. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,231 | Large Animal Models of Heart Failure: A Translational Bridge to Clinical Success. | Preclinical large animal models of heart failure (HF) play a critical and expanding role in translating basic science findings to the development and clinical approval of novel therapeutics and devices. The complex combination of cardiovascular events and risk factors leading to HF has proved challenging for the development of new treatments for these patients. This state-of-the-art review presents historical and recent studies in porcine, ovine, and canine models of HF and outlines existing methodologies and physiological phenotypes. The translational importance of large animal studies to clinical success is also highlighted with an overview of recent devices approved by the Food and Drug Administration, together with preclinical HF animal studies used to aid both development and safety and/or efficacy testing. Increasing the use of large animal models of HF holds significant potential for identifying the novel mechanisms underlying the clinical condition and to improving physiological and economical translation of animal research to successfully treat human HF. |
16,232 | Efficacy of Implantable Cardioverter-defibrillators for Secondary Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death in Patients with End-stage Renal Disease. | End-stage renal disease (ESRD) constitutes a major burden on the health-care system in the United States, with more than 300,000 patients nationwide being treated with renal replacement therapy. Very few studies to date have evaluated the benefit of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation for secondary prevention in patients with ESRD. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of secondary-prevention ICDs in reducing all-cause mortality in patients on dialysis using the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) database. We queried the USRDS for relevant data between 2004 and 2010. Patients with diagnoses of ventricular fibrillation (VF), ventricular tachycardia (VT), or sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) were included in the study. Patients were excluded from the analysis if they were younger than 18 years; had missing age, sex, or race/ethnicity information; had experienced myocardial infarction; or had an ICD in situ at the time of VF, VT, or SCA diagnosis. The primary endpoint of this study was to determine the efficacy of secondary-prevention ICDs in reducing all-cause mortality in patients on dialysis. A total of 1,442 patients (3.4%) with ESRD had ICD insertion. Patients who received an ICD were predominantly younger, white males with lower Charlson Comorbidity Index and with fewer cardiovascular events. Survival at two years was 53% among those with an ICD relative to 27% among those without an ICD. In this study, we observed a substantial decrease in mortality in patients receiving an ICD for secondary prevention when compared with a cohort of similar patients with a history of VF, VT, or SCA. |
16,233 | Global vs local control of cardiac alternans in a 1D numerical model of human ventricular tissue. | Cardiac alternans is a proarrhythmic state in which the action potential duration (APD) of cardiac myocytes alternate between long and short values and often occurs under conditions of rapid pacing of cardiac tissue. In the ventricles, alternans is especially dangerous due to the life-threatening risk of developing arrhythmias, such as ventricular fibrillation. Alternans can be formed in periodically paced tissue as a result of pacing itself. Recently, it has been demonstrated that this pacing-induced alternans can be prevented by performing constant diastolic interval (DI) pacing, in which DI is independent of APD. However, constant DI pacing is difficult to implement in experimental settings since it requires the real-time measurement of APD. A more practical way was proposed based on electrocardiograms (ECGs), which give an indirect measure of the global DI relaxation period through the TR interval assessment. Previously, we demonstrated that constant TR pacing prevented alternans formation in isolated Langendorff-perfused rabbit hearts. However, the efficacy of "local" constant DI pacing vs "global" constant TR pacing in preventing alternans formation has never been investigated. Thus, the purpose of this study was to implement an ECG-based constant TR pacing in a 1D numerical model of human ventricular tissue and to compare the dynamical behavior of cardiac tissue with that resulted from a constant DI pacing. The results showed that both constant TR and constant DI pacing prevented the onset of alternans until lower basic cycle length when compared to periodic pacing. For longer cable lengths, constant TR pacing was shown to exhibit greater control on alternans than constant DI pacing. |
16,234 | Treatment of atrial fibrillation with third-degree atrioventricular block by pacing His bundle and left bundle branch: Case report. | Substantial advances in cardiac pacing technology have been developed in the past decades. However, efforts to improve pacing technology to achieve physiological electrical activity, such as with cardiac resynchronization therapy, are underway. Permanent His bundle pacing, which directly stimulates the His-Purkinje network and electrically activates both ventricles, simulates physiological electric activity in the heart, and has been considered an ideal pacing strategy to treat arrhythmias. For patients with atrial fibrillation complicated by third-degree atrioventricular block (AVB), permanent His bundle pacing is a better option than conventional right ventricular apical or septal pacing, the latter of which may be associated with risks, such as heart failure. However, His bundle pacing exhibits some shortcomings, including elevated pacing threshold, dislocation, and abnormal sensing.</AbstractText>A 69-year-old female patient who had atrial fibrillation (AF) complicated by third-degree AVB and who was treated with permanent His bundle pacing combined with left bundle branch pacing.</AbstractText>AF complicated by third-degree AVB.</AbstractText>We used the left bundle branch as a backup pacing site to overcome any shortcomings related to permanent His bundle pacing.</AbstractText>The patient recovered well without any events.</AbstractText>We selected His bundle pacing as the primary pacing, but also used left bundle branch pacing as a backup approach. If His bundle pacing results in an increased sensing threshold, pacing threshold changes, or dislocations, left bundle branch pacing can compensate for dysfunction of permanent deficiencies in His bundle pacing, preserving physiological pacing.</AbstractText> |
16,235 | Comparison of transvenous vs subcutaneous defibrillator therapy in patients with cardiac arrhythmia syndromes and genetic cardiomyopathies. | Inherited arrhythmia syndromes and genetic cardiomyopathies attribute in a significant proportion to sudden cardiac death. Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) are the cornerstone in the prevention of sudden death in high-risk patients. However, ICD therapy is also associated with high rates of inappropriate shocks and/or device-related complications especially in young patients.</AbstractText>To determine the outcome of high-risk patients with inherited arrhythmia syndromes and genetic cardiomyopathies comparing two defibrillator technologies.</AbstractText>Between 2010 and 2018, 183 consecutive patients from two large German tertiary care centers were enrolled in the study. The majority of patients (83%) had either cardiac channelopathies or idiopathic ventricular fibrillation without cardiac structural abnormalities, while the remaining 17% had a genetic cardiomyopathy (HCM/ARVC). Eighty-six patients (47%) received a transvenous ICD (TV-ICD), while a subcutaneous ICD (S-ICD) was implanted in another 97 patients (53%).</AbstractText>During a mean follow-up of 4.3 years, 30 patients had an appropriate ICD therapy (annual rate 3.8%). Fifteen patients experienced an inappropriate shock (annual rate 1.9%). Lead failure occurred in 17 (9%) patients and was less frequent in the S-ICD group (OR 0.48, 95%CI 0.38-0.62). Adverse defibrillator events, defined as a composite of inappropriate shocks and lead failure requiring surgical revision were significantly lower in the S-ICD group as compared to the TV-ICD group (OR 0.55, 95%CI 0.41-0.72). There was a non-significant trend towards lower appropriate shocks in the S-ICD group, that in combination with all-cause shocks yielded in a significantly higher freedom of any shock in the S-ICD group (RR 39%, p = 0.003). No deaths occurred during follow-up.</AbstractText>The present data favor the use of the subcutaneous ICD for patients with inherited arrhythmia syndromes and genetic cardiomyopathies who do not need anti-bradycardia pacing.</AbstractText>Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,236 | Ventricular Fibrillation Storm in Coronavirus 2019. | Cardiac arrhythmia is a known manifestation of novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Herein, we describe the clinical course of an otherwise healthy patient who experienced persistent ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation which is believed to be directly related to inflammation, as opposed to acute myocardial injury or medications that can prolong the QT interval. |
16,237 | Trends in Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction for Patients With a New Diagnosis of Heart Failure. | The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) guides treatment of heart failure, yet this data has not been systematically collected in large data sets. We sought to characterize the epidemiology of incident heart failure using the initial LVEF.</AbstractText>We identified 219 537 patients in the Veterans Affairs system between 2011 and 2017 who had an LVEF documented within 365 days before and 30 days after the heart failure diagnosis date. LVEF was obtained from natural language processing from imaging and provider notes. In multivariate analysis, we assessed characteristics associated with having an initial LVEF <40%.</AbstractText>Most patients were male and White; a plurality were within the 60 to 69 year age decile. A majority of patients had ischemic heart disease and a high burden of co-morbidities. Over time, presentation with an LVEF <40% became slightly less common, with a nadir in 2015. Presentation with an initial LVEF <40% was more common in younger patients, men, Black and Hispanic patients, an inpatient presentation, lower systolic blood pressure, lower pulse pressure, and higher heart rate. Ischemic heart disease, alcohol use disorder, peripheral arterial disease, and ventricular arrhythmias were associated with an initial LVEF <40%, while most other comorbid conditions (eg, atrial fibrillation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, malignancy) were more strongly associated with an initial LVEF >50%.</AbstractText>For patients with heart failure, particularly at the extremes of age, an initial preserved LVEF is common. In addition to clinical characteristics, certain races (Black and Hispanic) were more likely to present with a reduced LVEF. Further studies are needed to determine if racial differences are due to patient or health systems issues such as access to care.</AbstractText> |
16,238 | Left ventricular speckle tracking echocardiographic evaluation before and after TAVI. | To assess left ventricular (LV) function before and after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) using conventional echocardiographic parameters and global longitudinal LV strain (GLS) and compare outcomes between Edwards S3 and Evolut R valves.</AbstractText>Data were collected for consecutive patients undergoing TAVI at Hammersmith hospital between 2015 and 2018. Of the 303 patients, those with coronary artery disease and atrial fibrillation were excluded leading to a total of 85 patients, which constituted our study group. The mean follow-up was 49 ± 39 days. In total, 60% of patients were treated with Edwards S3 and 40% Evolut R. TAVI resulted in an early improvement of GLS (-13.96 to -15.25%, P = 0.01) but not ejection fraction (EF) (47.6 to 50.1%, P = 0.09). LV mass also improved, especially in patients with marked baseline LV hypertrophy (P < 0.001). There were no appreciable differences of LV function improvement and overall LV remodelling after TAVI between the two types of valves used (P = 0.14).</AbstractText>TAVI results in reverse remodelling and improvement of GLS, especially in patients with impaired baseline LV function. There were no differences in the extent of LV function improvement between Edwards S3 and Evolut R valves but there was a greater incidence of aortic regurgitation with Evolut R.</AbstractText>© 2020. The authors.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,239 | Early Rhythm-Control Therapy in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation. | Despite improvements in the management of atrial fibrillation, patients with this condition remain at increased risk for cardiovascular complications. It is unclear whether early rhythm-control therapy can reduce this risk.</AbstractText>In this international, investigator-initiated, parallel-group, open, blinded-outcome-assessment trial, we randomly assigned patients who had early atrial fibrillation (diagnosed ≤1 year before enrollment) and cardiovascular conditions to receive either early rhythm control or usual care. Early rhythm control included treatment with antiarrhythmic drugs or atrial fibrillation ablation after randomization. Usual care limited rhythm control to the management of atrial fibrillation-related symptoms. The first primary outcome was a composite of death from cardiovascular causes, stroke, or hospitalization with worsening of heart failure or acute coronary syndrome; the second primary outcome was the number of nights spent in the hospital per year. The primary safety outcome was a composite of death, stroke, or serious adverse events related to rhythm-control therapy. Secondary outcomes, including symptoms and left ventricular function, were also evaluated.</AbstractText>In 135 centers, 2789 patients with early atrial fibrillation (median time since diagnosis, 36 days) underwent randomization. The trial was stopped for efficacy at the third interim analysis after a median of 5.1 years of follow-up per patient. A first-primary-outcome event occurred in 249 of the patients assigned to early rhythm control (3.9 per 100 person-years) and in 316 patients assigned to usual care (5.0 per 100 person-years) (hazard ratio, 0.79; 96% confidence interval, 0.66 to 0.94; P = 0.005). The mean (±SD) number of nights spent in the hospital did not differ significantly between the groups (5.8±21.9 and 5.1±15.5 days per year, respectively; P = 0.23). The percentage of patients with a primary safety outcome event did not differ significantly between the groups; serious adverse events related to rhythm-control therapy occurred in 4.9% of the patients assigned to early rhythm control and 1.4% of the patients assigned to usual care. Symptoms and left ventricular function at 2 years did not differ significantly between the groups.</AbstractText>Early rhythm-control therapy was associated with a lower risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes than usual care among patients with early atrial fibrillation and cardiovascular conditions. (Funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research and others; EAST-AFNET 4 ISRCTN number, ISRCTN04708680; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01288352; EudraCT number, 2010-021258-20.).</AbstractText>Copyright © 2020 Massachusetts Medical Society.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,240 | Prophylactic Catheter Ablation of Ventricular Tachycardia in Ischemic Cardiomyopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Electrophysiology Collaborative Consortium for Metaanalysis - ELECTRAM Investigators. | Catheter ablation is an effective strategy for drug-refractory ventricular tachycardia (VT) in ischemic cardiomyopathy. We aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of outcomes of prophylactic catheter ablation (PCA) of Ventricular Tachycardia (VT) in ischemic cardiomyopathy patients.</AbstractText>We performed a comprehensive literature search through February 10, 2020, for all eligible randomized controlled trials that compared "PCA" versus "No PCA" for VT. Primary efficacy outcomes included - appropriate ICD therapy (composite of anti-tachycardia pacing and ICD shock), appropriate ICD shocks, electrical storm, cardiac mortality, and all-cause mortality. The primary safety outcome was any adverse events.</AbstractText>Four randomized controlled trials (N = 505) met inclusion criteria. Prophylactic catheter ablation was associated significant reduction in appropriate ICD therapies (RR 0.70; 95% CI 0.55 - 0.89, p = 0.004), appropriate ICD shocks (RR 0.57 95% CI 0.40 - 0.80, p = 0.001) with a trend towards reduced risk of electrical storm (RR 0.64; CI 0.39 - 1.05; p = 0.075) compared to "No PCA". There was no significant difference in cardiac mortality (RR 0.66, 95% CI 0.31 - 1.43, p = 0.29) and all-cause mortality (RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.52 - 1.82, p = 0.94) with similar adverse events (RR 1.46, 95% CI 0.73 - 2.95, p = 0.29) between two groups.</AbstractText>Prophylactic catheter ablation in ischemic cardiomyopathy patients was associated with a lower risk of ICD therapies, including ICD shocks and VT storm with no difference in cardiac and all-cause mortality.</AbstractText> |
16,241 | Impact of Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction and Cardiogenic Shock Receiving Coronary Revascularization with Percutaneous Ventricular Assist Device Support. | Manufacturer/federal drug administration (FDA) recommends inpatient initiation of dofetilide with the manufacturer providing an initiation algorithm. The outcomes of algorithm deviation have not been reported outside of clinical trials.</AbstractText>We sought to perform a chart review of all the patients admitted for inpatient initiation of dofetilide to report on the incidence of protocol deviations and their implications.</AbstractText>We performed a retrospective review of all patients over a 15-month periodwho were initiated on dofetilide for the very first time or reinitiated on dofetilide after a break of three months or more at our institution. We assessed data about patients who were given dofetilide without adherence to the protocol (i.e. protocol deviation).</AbstractText>A total of 189 patients were included in the study with a median age of 66 ± 9 years. Mean baseline QTc interval was 436 ± 32 msec, and 61% (116/189) were in atrial fibrillation (AF) at the time of dofetilide initiation. In 9% (17/189) of patients, the drug was discontinued due to intolerance or inefficacy. Therapy in 49% (93/189) of patients was noted to deviate from manufacturer recommended protocol with deviations more than once in some patients during the same hospitalization. Baseline QTc exceeding 440 msec(>500msec in conduction abnormalities) was the most frequent deviation (25%; 47/189).Ventricular tachyarrhythmia occurred in 4% (7/189) of patients, did not differ between patients, and occurred with and without protocol deviations (5% vs 2%; p = 0.27).</AbstractText>In our retrospective study, there were frequent deviations from the manufacturer-recommended algorithm guidelines for dofetilideinitation, primarily due to prolonged baseline QTc interval. The impact of these protocol deviations on drug discontinuation was uncertain; however, significant adverse events were higher in the deviation group compared to the group that fully adhered to the protocol. Further multicenter studies are warranted to clarify our findings.</AbstractText> |
16,242 | 32-year-old with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation after Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury. | A 32-year-old man presented with sudden loss of consciousness after passing urine with resultant trauma to the back of his neck. There were no palpitations prior. Examination revealed flaccid paralysis of all 4 limbs with priapism. Electrocardiogram demonstrated atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response. Laboratory showed normal potassium, magnesium, calcium, thyroid stimulating hormone and troponin I levels. Magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spine demonstrated left C4 facet dislocation with grade 1 spondylolisthesis of C4 over C5, with moderate to severe narrowing of the spinal canal with cord compression and oedema. Transthoracic echocardiogram demonstrated an ejection fraction of 60% and no valvular abnormalities. Left atrium size was normal. The atrial fibrillation subsequently spontaneously reverted to sinus rhythm without treatment. Clinicians should be aware that atrial fibrillation can occur in the context of traumatic spinal cord injury due to disruption of the autonomic pathways in the cervical spine. |
16,243 | Development and Validation of A Simple Clinical Risk Prediction Model for New-Onset Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation After Cardiac Surgery: Nopaf Score. | Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAFib) occurs in 20 to 40% of patients following cardiac surgery, and is associated with an increased perioperative morbidity and mortality. We aimed to develop and validate a simple clinical risk model for the prediction of POAFib after cardiac surgery.</AbstractText>An analytical single center retrospective cohort study was conducted, including consecutive patients undergoing cardiac surgery between 2004 and 2017 with POAFib. To create the predictive risk score, a logistic regression model was performed using a random sample of 75% of the population. Coefficients of the model were then converted to a numerical risk score, and three groups were defined: low risk (≤1 point), intermediate risk (2-5 points) and high risk (≥6 points). The score was validated using the remaining 25% of the patients. Discrimination was evaluated through the area under the curve (AUC) ROC, and calibration using the Hosmer-Lemeshow (HL) test, calibration plots, and ratio of expected and observed events (E/O).</AbstractText>Six thousand five hundred nine patients underwent cardiac surgery: 52% coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), 20% valve surgery, 14% combined (CABG and valve surgery) and 12% other. New-onset AF occurred in 1222 patients (18.77%). In the multivariate analysis, age, use of cardiopulmonary bypass pump, severe reduction in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), chronic renal disease and heart failure were independent risk factors for POAFib, while the use of statins was a protective factor. The NOPAF score was calculated by adding points for each independent risk predictor. In the derivation cohort, the AUC was 0.71 (CI95% 0.69-0.72), and in the validation cohort the model also showed good discrimination (AUC 0.67 IC 0.64-0.70) and excellent calibration (HL P = 0.24). The E/O ratio was 1 (CI 95%: 0.89-1.12). According to the risk category, POAFib occurred in 5% of low; 11% of intermediate and 27.7% of high risk patients in the derivation cohort (P <0.001), and 5.7%; 12.6%; and 23.6% in the validation cohort respectively (P <0.001).</AbstractText>From a large hospitalized population, we developed and validated a simple risk score named NOPAF, based on clinical variables that accurately stratifies the risk of POAFib. This score may help to identify high-risk patients prior to cardiac surgery, in order to strengthen postoperative atrial fibrillation prophylaxis.</AbstractText> |
16,244 | Inhibition of voltage-gated Na<sup>+</sup> currents by eleclazine in rat atrial and ventricular myocytes. | Atrial-ventricular differences in voltage-gated Na+</sup> currents might be exploited for atrial-selective antiarrhythmic drug action for the suppression of atrial fibrillation without risk of ventricular tachyarrhythmia. Eleclazine (GS-6615) is a putative antiarrhythmic drug with properties similar to the prototypical atrial-selective Na+</sup> channel blocker ranolazine that has been shown to be safe and well tolerated in patients.</AbstractText>The present study investigated atrial-ventricular differences in the biophysical properties and inhibition by eleclazine of voltage-gated Na+</sup> currents.</AbstractText>The fast and late components of whole-cell voltage-gated Na+</sup> currents (respectively, I</i> Na</sub> and I</i> NaL</sub>) were recorded at room temperature (∼22°C) from rat isolated atrial and ventricular myocytes.</AbstractText>Atrial I</i> Na</sub> activated at command potentials ∼5.5 mV more negative and inactivated at conditioning potentials ∼7 mV more negative than ventricular I</i> Na</sub>. There was no difference between atrial and ventricular myocytes in the eleclazine inhibition of I</i> NaL</sub> activated by 3 nM ATX-II (IC50</sub>s ∼200 nM). Eleclazine (10 μM) inhibited I</i> Na</sub> in atrial and ventricular myocytes in a use-dependent manner consistent with preferential activated state block. Eleclazine produced voltage-dependent instantaneous inhibition in atrial and ventricular myocytes; it caused a negative shift in voltage of half-maximal inactivation and slowed the recovery of I</i> Na</sub> from inactivation in both cell types.</AbstractText>Differences exist between rat atrial and ventricular myocytes in the biophysical properties of I</i> Na</sub>. The more negative voltage dependence of I</i> Na</sub> activation/inactivation in atrial myocytes underlies differences between the 2 cell types in the voltage dependence of instantaneous inhibition by eleclazine. Eleclazine warrants further investigation as an atrial-selective antiarrhythmic drug.</AbstractText>© 2020 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,245 | Left atrial diameter and atrial fibrillation, but not elevated NT-proBNP, predict the development of pulmonary hypertension in patients with HFpEF. | The determinants of pulmonary hypertension (PH) due to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) have been poorly investigated in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVD).</AbstractText>From July 1 2017 to March 31 2019, a total of 149 consecutive HFpEF patients hospitalized with CVD were enrolled in this prospective cross-sectional study. A systolic pulmonary artery pressure (PASP) > 35 mmHg estimated by echocardiography was defined as PH-HFpEF. Logistic regression was performed to establish predictors of PH in HFpEF patients.</AbstractText>Overall, the mean age of participants was 72 ± 11 years, and 74 (49.7%) patients were females. A total of 59 (39.6%) patients were diagnosed with PH-HFpEF by echocardiography. The left atrial diameter (LAD) was related to the ratio of the transmitral flow velocities/mitral annulus tissue velocities in early diastole (E/E') and the left ventricular diameter in systole (LVDs). N-Terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) was not found to be associated with LAD and impaired diastolic or systolic function of the left ventricle. Multivariable logistic regression showed that atrial fibrillation (AF) increased the risk of PH-HFpEF incidence 3.46-fold with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.44-8.32, P</i> = 0.005. Meanwhile, LAD ≥ 45 mm resulted in a 3.43-fold increased risk, 95% CI: 1.51-7.75, P</i> = 0.003. However, the significance levels of NT-proBNP, age and LVEF were underpowered in the regression model. Two variables, AF and LAD ≥ 45 mm, predicted the PH-HFpEF incidence (C-statistic = 0.773, 95% CI: 0.695-0.852, P</i> < 0.001).</AbstractText>Two parameters associated with electrical and anatomical remodelling of the left atrium were related to the incidence of PH in HFpEF patients with CVD.</AbstractText>Copyright and License information: Journal of Geriatric Cardiology 2020.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,246 | The Association of Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index (CAVI) with Biatrial Remodeling in Atrial Fibrillation. | Arterial stiffness results in elevated left ventricular filling pressure and can promote atrial remodeling due to chronic pressure overload. However, the impact of arterial stiffness on the process of atrial remodeling in association with atrial fibrillation (AF) has not been fully evaluated.</AbstractText>We enrolled 237 consecutive patients diagnosed with AF who had undergone ablation; data from 213 patients were analyzed. Cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) was used as a marker of arterial stiffness. The left atrial (LA) and right atrial (RA) volumes were determined by computed tomography imaging; atrial conduction and voltage amplitude were evaluated using a three-dimensional electromapping system used to guide the ablation procedure.</AbstractText>In univariate analysis, CAVI significantly correlated with atrial structural and electrical remodeling (LA volume index, r=0.297, P=0.001; RA volume index, r=0.252, P=0.004; LA conduction velocity, r=0.254, P= 0.003; LA mean voltage, r=-0.343, P=0.001, RA mean voltage; r=-0.245, P=0.015). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that CAVI and plasma levels of N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide were independent determinants of LA and RA remodeling, respectively. On the other hand, age and LA conduction velocity were independent variables with respect to CAVI. Age-adjusted CAVI was highest in long-standing persistent AF when compared with measures of persistent or paroxysmal AF.</AbstractText>CAVI was closely associated with biatrial remodeling in patients diagnosed with AF. These results suggest that arterial stiffness may play a significant role with respect to disease progression.</AbstractText> |
16,247 | Cardiac electrophysiology consultative experience at the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. | The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly altered the practice of cardiac electrophysiology around the world for the foreseeable future. Professional organizations have provided guidance for practitioners, but real-world examples of the consults and responsibilities cardiac electrophysiologists face during a surge of COVID-19 patients is lacking.</AbstractText>In this observational case series we report on 29 consecutive inpatient electrophysiology consultations at a major academic medical center in New York City, the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States, during a 2 week period from March 30-April 12, 2020, when 80% of hospital beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients, and the New York City metropolitan area accounted for 10% of COVID-19 cases worldwide.</AbstractText>Reasons for consultation included: Atrial tachyarrhythmia (31%), cardiac implantable electronic device management (28%), bradycardia (14%), QTc prolongation (10%), ventricular arrhythmia (7%), post-transcatheter aortic valve replacement conduction abnormality (3.5%), ventricular pre-excitation (3.5%), and paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (3.5%). Twenty-four patients (86%) were positive for COVID-19 by nasopharyngeal swab. All elective procedures were canceled, and only one urgent device implantation was performed. Thirteen patients (45%) required in-person evaluation and the remainder were managed remotely.</AbstractText>Our experience shows that the application of a massive alteration in workflow and personnel forced by the pandemic allowed our team to efficiently address the intersection of COVID-19 with a range of electrophysiology issues. This experience will prove useful as guidance for emerging hot spots or areas affected by future waves of the pandemic.</AbstractText>© 2020 Indian Heart Rhythm Society. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,248 | Ajmaline Testing and the Brugada Syndrome. | Brugada syndrome (BrS) diagnosis requires the presence of a typical type 1 ECG pattern. Owing to the spontaneous ECG variability, the real BrS prevalence in the general population remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of positive ajmaline challenge for BrS in a cohort of consecutive patients who underwent electrophysiological evaluation for different clinical reasons. All consecutive patients from 2008 to 2019 who underwent ajmaline testing were prospectively included. A total of 2,456 patients underwent ajmaline testing, 742 (30.2%) in the context of familial screening for BrS. In non-familial screening group (1,714) ajmaline testing resulted positive in 186 (10.9%). Indications for ajmaline testing were: suspicious BrS ECG in 23 cases (12.4%), palpitations in 27 (14.5%), syncope in 71 (38.2%), presyncope in 7 (3.8%), family history of sudden cardiac death in 18 (9.7%), documented ventricular arrhythmias in 12 (6.5%), unexplained cardiac arrest in 4 (2.2%), atrial fibrillation in 16 (8.5%), brady-arrhythmias in 1 (0.5%), and cerebrovascular accidents in 7 (3.7%). Compared with the overall population, ajmaline testing positive patients were younger (42.8 ± 15.5 vs 48.9 ± 20.4; p <0.001) and more frequently male (65.1% vs 56.3%; p = 0.023). Implantable cardioverter defibrillator was implanted in 84 patients (45.2%). During a median follow-up of 42.4 months, 12 appropriate shocks and 13 implantable cardioverter defibrillator related complications were reported. In conclusion, the BrS was diagnosed in an unexpected high proportion of patients that underwent ajmaline testing for a variety of cardiovascular symptoms. This can lead to an adequate counseling and clinical management in BrS patients. |
16,249 | Evaluation of late atrial enhancement by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. | Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a growing public health problem especially due to its association with thromboembolic phenomena. Among its risk factors, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has increased in incidence and is often under diagnosed. OSA increases the risk of AF by mechanisms not fully known, but it may lead to remodeling and structural alteration of the atria. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), in addition to assessing heart morphology, allows the identification of areas of fibrosis, including the atrium, by the late gadolinium enhancement technique (LGE) and could identify cases of OSA with potential atrial instability.</AbstractText>To evaluate the relationship of LGE atrial by CMR in patients with atrial fibrillation with OSA.</AbstractText>We selected 81 patients who were divided into four groups: Group 1: 20 OSA patients without AF, Group 2: 20 OSA and AF patients, Group 3: 21 patients with only atrial fibrillation without OSA and Group 4: 20 healthy patients without associated comorbidities. All underwent CMR for morphofunctional evaluation and LGE research.</AbstractText>The average age was 57.1+-10.59 years. Clinical variables such as hypertension (p = 0.24) and Diabetes Mellitus (p = 0.20) were not predictors of AF in OSA patients. Of the 40 cases with OSA, 18, 45% had severe obstructive disorder, and in this group AF was more prevalent. The mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 62.9% (+-7.46) and it did not differ between groups (p = 0.2). Patients with concomitant OSA and AF had significantly larger left atria (p < 0.001). Cases of OSA with AF showed significantly more atrial LGE (95% vs. 30%, p < 0.001), being an independent predictor in multivariate analysis (P < 0,001).</AbstractText>Atrial LGE is independently associated with the presence of AF in patients with OSA. These elements may help to identify cases of higher risk for developing AF in OSA patients in clinical practice.</AbstractText>Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,250 | 5-Fluorouracil Rechallenge After Cardiotoxicity. | BACKGROUND 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is a widely used intravenous chemotherapy agent that is highly effective in the treatment of a variety of solid malignancies. Cardiotoxicity related to 5-FU is a complex clinical entity associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Whether a patient who experienced a major cardiac side effect from 5-FU can be safely rechallenged with this drug is a clinical dilemma. CASE REPORT We present the case of a patient with stage III colorectal adenocarcinoma who experienced ventricular fibrillation during the first cycle of FOLFOX (5-FU, folinic acid, and oxaliplatin) regimen in the adjuvant setting. Post-resuscitation electrocardiogram revealed ST-elevation in the inferior leads with reciprocal changes. Coronary angiogram revealed no obstructive coronary artery disease. Cardiac workup led to the conclusion of probable fluorouracil-induced vasospasm as the cause of his cardiac arrest. He received implantable cardioverter defibrillator. The decision was made to hold 5-FU. At 3-month follow-up, there was evidence of progressive metastasis. After comprehensive risk-benefit discussions, the decision was made for palliative chemotherapy using 5-FU/leucovorin. A pre-treatment regimen including isosorbide dinitrate, diltiazem, and metoprolol was used. The patient tolerated 5-FU rechallenge without recurrent cardiovascular complication. CONCLUSIONS The cardiotoxicity profile of 5-FU can range from anginal chest pain to sudden cardiac death. When considering 5-FU rechallenge, clinicians should adopt a multidisciplinary approach, favor using prophylactic antianginal therapy, change to bolus dosing, and use continuous telemetry monitoring. Screening patients for dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency prior to 5-FU administration may facilitate an individualized strategy for optimal dosing and safety. |
16,251 | Intracardiac echocardiography-guided transseptal puncture for fluoroless catheter ablation of left-sided tachycardias. | Integration of intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) and 3D electroanatomic mapping (EAM) system allows transseptal punctures (TSP) without the use of fluoroscopy. Compared with fluoroscopy, ICE provides better visualization of the anatomy relevant to TSP and early recognition of complications. The aim was to evaluate efficacy and safety of entirely ICE-guided TSPs in patients who underwent fluoroless catheter ablation of left-sided tachycardias.</AbstractText>Consecutive 524 adult and pediatric patients referred to our institution from July 2014 to December 2019 were analyzed. Patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) were also included. All procedures were performed with ICE-guided TSP combined with 3D EAM. Adverse events following TSP and within 30 days of the procedure were analyzed.</AbstractText>Altogether 949 TSPs (363 double punctures, 76.5%) were performed in 586 fluoroless ablation procedures: 451 (77%) were ablation of atrial fibrillation or atypical flutter, 75 (12.8%) of left-sided accessory pathway, 33 (5.6%) of ventricular tachycardia, and 27 (4.6%) of focal atrial tachycardia. Forty-six (7.8%) procedures were performed in pediatric population and 36 procedures (6.1%) in patients with CIED. Only 2 TSPs were unsuccessful (2/949, 0.2%). Overall procedural complication rate was 1.9% (11/586 procedures). There was only 1 TSP-related pericardial tamponade (2/949, 0.2%). In CIED patients, there was 1 lead dislocation following TSP.</AbstractText>Entirely ICE-guided TSPs for different left-sided tachycardias can be safely and effectively performed in adult and pediatric population without the use of fluoroscopy. However, caution is advised in CIED patients due to possible lead dislocation risk.</AbstractText>© 2020. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,252 | Association between clinical risk factors and left ventricular function in patients with breast cancer following chemotherapy. | The sequential or concurrent use of two different types of agents such as anthracyclines and trastuzumab may increase myocardial injury and cancer therapeutics-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD), which is often the result of the combined detrimental effect of the two therapies for breast cancer patients. However, the association between clinical risk factors and left ventricular (LV) function in such patients is currently unclear. We studied 86 breast cancer patients with preserved LV ejection fraction (LVEF) and treated with anthracyclines, trastuzumab, or both. Echocardiography was performed before and 16 days after chemotherapy. In accordance with the current position paper, clinical risk factors for CTRCD were defined as: cumulative dose of doxorubicin > 240 mg/m<sup>2</sup>, age > 65-year-old, body mass index > 30 kg/m<sup>2</sup>, previous radiation therapy, B-type natriuretic peptide > 100 pg/mL, previous history of cardiovascular disease, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, diabetes, and smoking. The relative decrease in LVEF after chemotherapy for patients with more than four risk factors was significantly greater than that for patients without (- 9.3 ± 10.8% vs. - 2.2 ± 10.2%; p = 0.02). However, this finding did not apply to patients with more than one, two or three risk factors. Patients with more than four risk factors also tended to show a higher prevalence of CTRCD than those without (14.3% vs. 2.8%; p = 0.12). Moreover, the relative decrease in LVEF became greater as the number of risk factors increased. This study found multiple risk factors were associated with LV dysfunction following chemotherapy. Our findings can thus be expected to have clinical implications for better management of patients with breast cancer referred for chemotherapy. |
16,253 | Heart Rate-Induced Myocardial Ca<sup>2+</sup> Retention and Left Ventricular Volume Loss in Patients With Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction. | Background Increases in heart rate are thought to result in incomplete left ventricular (LV) relaxation and elevated filling pressures in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Experimental studies in isolated human myocardium have suggested that incomplete relaxation is a result of cellular Ca<sup>2+</sup> overload caused by increased myocardial Na<sup>+</sup> levels. We tested these heart rate paradigms in patients with HFpEF and referent controls without hypertension. Methods and Results In 22 fully sedated and instrumented patients (12 controls and 10 patients with HFpEF) in sinus rhythm with a preserved ejection fraction (≥50%) we assessed left-sided filling pressures and volumes in sinus rhythm and with atrial pacing (95 beats per minute and 125 beats per minute) before atrial fibrillation ablation. Coronary sinus blood samples and flow measurements were also obtained. Seven women and 15 men were studied (aged 59±10 years, ejection fraction 61%±4%). Patients with HFpEF had a history of hypertension, dyspnea on exertion, concentric LV remodeling and a dilated left atrium, whereas controls did not. Pacing at 125 beats per minute lowered the mean LV end-diastolic pressure in both groups (controls -4.3±4.1 mm Hg versus patients with HFpEF -8.5±6.0 mm Hg, <i>P</i>=0.08). Pacing also reduced LV end-diastolic volumes. The volume loss was about twice as much in the HFpEF group (controls -15%±14% versus patients with HFpEF -32%±11%, <i>P</i>=0.009). Coronary venous [Ca<sup>2+</sup>] increased after pacing at 125 beats per minute in patients with HFpEF but not in controls. [Na<sup>+</sup>] did not change. Conclusions Higher resting heart rates are associated with lower filling pressures in patients with and without HFpEF. Incomplete relaxation and LV filling at high heart rates lead to a reduction in LV volumes that is more pronounced in patients with HFpEF and may be associated with myocardial Ca<sup>2+</sup> retention. |
16,254 | Roles of MicroRNA-122 in Cardiovascular Fibrosis and Related Diseases. | Fibrotic diseases cause annually more than 800,000 deaths worldwide, where of the majority accounts for cardiovascular fibrosis, which is characterized by endothelial dysfunction, myocardial stiffening and reduced dispensability. MicroRNAs (miRs), small noncoding RNAs, play critical roles in cardiovascular dysfunction and related disorders. Intriguingly, there is a critical link among miR-122, cardiovascular fibrosis, sirtuin 6 (SIRT6) and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which was recently identified as a coreceptor for SARS-CoV2 and a negative regulator of the rennin-angiotensin system. MiR-122 overexpression appears to exacerbate the angiotensin II-mediated loss of autophagy and increased inflammation, apoptosis, extracellular matrix deposition, cardiovascular fibrosis and dysfunction by modulating the SIRT6-Elabela-ACE2, LGR4-β-catenin, TGFβ-CTGF and PTEN-PI3K-Akt signaling pathways. More importantly, the inhibition of miR-122 has proautophagic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and antifibrotic effects. Clinical and experimental studies clearly demonstrate that miR-122 functions as a crucial hallmark of fibrogenesis, cardiovascular injury and dysfunction. Additionally, the miR-122 level is related to the severity of hypertension, atherosclerosis, atrial fibrillation, acute myocardial infarction and heart failure, and miR-122 expression is a risk factor for these diseases. The miR-122 level has emerged as an early-warning biomarker cardiovascular fibrosis, and targeting miR-122 is a novel therapeutic approach against progression of cardiovascular dysfunction. Therefore, an increased understanding of the cardiovascular roles of miR-122 will help the development of effective interventions. This review summarizes the biogenesis of miR-122; regulatory effects and underlying mechanisms of miR-122 on cardiovascular fibrosis and related diseases; and its function as a potential specific biomarker for cardiovascular dysfunction. |
16,255 | Exendin-4 inhibits atrial arrhythmogenesis in a model of myocardial infarction-induced heart failure via the GLP-1 receptor signaling pathway. | Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1 receptor) agonists are considered to exert cardioprotective effects in models of acute and chronic heart disease. The present study aimed to investigate the role of exendin-4 (a GLP-1 receptor agonist) in atrial arrhythmogenesis in a model of myocardial infarction (MI)-induced heart failure and to elucidate the mechanisms underlying its effects. For this purpose, male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent sham surgery or left anterior descending artery ligation prior to being treated with saline/exendin-4/exendin-4 plus exendin9-39 (an antagonist of GLP-1 receptor) for 4 weeks. The effects of exendin-4 on atrial electrophysiology, atrial fibrosis and PI3K/AKT signaling were assessed. Rats with MI exhibited depressed left ventricular function, an enlarged left atrium volume, prolonged action potential duration, elevated atrial tachyarrhythmia inducibility, decreased conduction velocity and an increased total activation time, as well as total activation time dispersion and atrial fibrosis. However, these abnormalities were attenuated by treatment with the GLP-1 receptor agonist, exendin-4. Moreover, the expression levels of collagen I, collagen III, transforming growth factor-β1, phosphorylated PI3K and AKT levels in atrial tissues were upregulated in rats with MI. These changes were also attenuated by exendin-4. It was also found that these exedin-4-mediated attenutations were mitigated by the co-administration of exendin9-39 with exendin-4. Overall, the findings of the present study suggested that exendin-4 decreases susceptibility to atrial arrhythmogenesis, improves conduction properties and exerts antifibrotic effects via the GLP-1 receptor signaling pathway. These findings provide evidence for the potential use of GLP-1R in the treatment of atrial fibrillation. |
16,256 | Atrial Dysfunction in Patients With Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction and Atrial Fibrillation. | Paroxysmal and permanent atrial fibrillation (AF) are common in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).</AbstractText>This study sought to determine the implications of left atrial (LA) myopathy and dysrhythmia across the spectrum of AF burden in HFpEF.</AbstractText>Consecutive patients with HFpEF (n = 285) and control subjects (n = 146) underwent invasive exercise testing and echocardiographic assessment of cardiac structure, function, and pericardial restraint.</AbstractText>Patients with HFpEF were categorized into stages of AF progression: 181 (65%) had no history of AF, 49 (18%) had paroxysmal AF, and 48 (17%) had permanent AF. Patients with permanent AF were more congested with greater pulmonary vascular disease and lower cardiac output. LA volumes increased, while LA compliance, LA reservoir strain, and right ventricular function decreased with increasing AF burden. The presence of permanent AF was characterized by a distinct pathophysiology, with greater total heart volume caused by atrial dilatation, leading to elevated filling pressures through heightened pericardial restraint. Survival decreased with increasing AF burden. Ten-year progression to permanent AF was common, particularly in paroxysmal AF (52%), and the likelihood of AF progression increased with higher AF stage, poorer LA compliance, and lower LA strain.</AbstractText>LA compliance and mechanics progressively decline with increasing AF burden in HFpEF, increasing risk for new onset AF and progressive AF. These changes promote development of a unique phenotype of HFpEF characterized by heightened ventricular interaction, right heart failure, and worsening pulmonary vascular disease. Further study is required to identify therapeutic interventions targeting LA myopathy to improve outcomes in HFpEF.</AbstractText>Copyright © 2020 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,257 | Risk of arrhythmic events after alcohol septal ablation for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy using continuous implantable cardiac monitoring. | Alcohol septal ablation (ASA) in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) can lead to heart rhythm disturbances including complete heart block (CHB) and atrial and ventricular arrhythmias.</AbstractText>We aimed to evaluate the utility of long-term arrhythmia monitoring with an implantable cardiac monitor (ICM) after ASA.</AbstractText>Between February 2014 and March 2019, 56 patients with HCM undergoing ASA were enrolled in a prospective study and underwent ICM implantation. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to assess the rate of ICM-detected arrhythmic events.</AbstractText>The mean age was 59 ± 11 years, and 20 (36%) were women. The median (25th, 75th percentile) resting left ventricular outflow tract gradient obtained by echocardiography was 43 (22, 81) mm Hg. Greater than 1 septal perforating artery was injected in 48 patients (86%). The Kaplan-Meier cumulative rate of ICM-detected arrhythmic events at 18 months of follow-up was 71%, with an event rate of 43% occurring within 3 months of ASA. The cumulative rate of the ICM-detected first atrial fibrillation event at 18 months was 37%, and the corresponding rate of CHB was 19%. All atrial fibrillation and CHB events were actionable, leading to the initiation of anticoagulation and pacemaker implantation, respectively. No baseline demographic or procedural variables were identified as independent predictors of an increased risk of developing ICM-detected arrhythmic events.</AbstractText>After ASA, ICM is effective in capturing clinically actionable arrhythmic events in patients with HCM regardless of patient's baseline risk factors.</AbstractText>Copyright © 2020 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,258 | Circadian variation of in-hospital cardiac arrest. | Out of hospital cardiac arrests, especially those due to ventricular tachyarrhythmias, have higher incidence in the morning. It is unknown whether in-hospital cardiac arrests follow a similar pattern.</AbstractText>The purpose of this study was to analyze the circadian variation of in-hospital cardiac arrest incidence.</AbstractText>This retrospective review of data from the multicenter Get With The Guidelines-Resuscitation registry between 2000 and 2014 used multivariable hierarchical logistic regression analysis to examine circadian rhythm of in-hospital cardiac arrest over a 24-h cycle, stratified by initial shockable versus non-shockable rhythm.</AbstractText>Among 154,038 patients, initial rhythm was recorded as asystole or pulseless electrical activity (non-shockable) in 124,918 (81%), and ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia (shockable) in 29,120 (19%). Among non-shockable events, the highest relative proportion occurred during 0400-0759 (17.9%), followed by 0000-0359 (17.1%). For shockable rhythms the greatest relative proportion occurred between 2000-2359 (17.0%), followed by 1200-1559 (16.9%). Multivariable analysis showed that the relative risk of non-shockable compared to shockable arrest was slightly higher from midnight through 0359 (aOR 1.13; 95% CI 1.06-1.20, p < 0.001) and from 0400 through 0759 h (aOR 1.14; 95% CI 1.07-1.22, p < 0.001). Although statistically significant, the magnitude of difference in incidence by time of day was small in both groups.</AbstractText>Although small differences in the relative frequency of in-hospital cardiac arrest (both shockable and non-shockable rhythms) were noted during different time intervals, in-hospital cardiac arrest occurs with nearly equal frequency throughout the day. Our findings have important implications for hospital staffing models to ensure that quality of resuscitation care is consistent regardless of time.</AbstractText>Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,259 | Atrial fibrillation in dilated cardiomyopathy: Outcome prediction from an observational registry. | Little is known about the role of different types of atrial fibrillation (AF) in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). We investigated the epidemiological and prognostic impact of different types of AF in DCM during long-term follow-up.</AbstractText>We evaluated consecutive DCM patients enrolled in the Trieste Muscle Heart Disease Registry. Uni- and multivariable, extended Kaplan-Meier and propensity score-matching analyses were performed for a composite outcome including death/heart transplantation/ventricular-assist device implantation.</AbstractText>Out of 1181 DCM patients (71% males, age 49 ± 15 years, left ventricular ejection fraction 33 ± 11%), 46 (3.9%) had baseline permanent AF (permAF), while 66 (5.6%) had a history of paroxysmal/persistent AF. Compared with sinus rhythm (SR) patients, permAF patients were older (48 ± 15 vs. 61 ± 11 respectively, p = 0.001), were more frequently in NYHA class III-IV (18% vs. 30%, p = 0.002) and had larger left atrium diameter (40 ± 8 vs. 50 ± 10 mm, respectively). Paroxysmal/persistent AF patients had intermediate characteristics between permAF and SR. During a median follow-up of 135 (75-210) months, 63 patients developed permAF (0.45 new cases/100patients/year). At multivariable analysis, permAF as a time-dependent variable was an independent outcome predictor (HR 2.45; 95% C.I. 2.61-3.63, p < 0.001), together with creatinine, NYHA class, restrictive filling pattern and moderate-severe mitral regurgitation, while paroxysmal/persistent AF was neutral. Propensity score-matching analysis confirmed the higher rate of primary outcome events in patients with baseline or incident permAF versus patients without permAF during a very long-term follow-up (70% vs. 20%, p < 0.001).</AbstractText>PermAF in a large DCM cohort had low prevalence and incidence but had a relevant. prognostic role on hard outcomes.</AbstractText>Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,260 | Occlusion of the Right Ventricular Wall Branch of a Recessive Right Coronary Artery Resulting in Ventricular Fibrillation and Anterior ST-Segment Elevation-A Case Report. | <b>Background:</b> Right ventricular (RV) infarction is as an extremely rare cause of isolated anterior ST-segment elevation. Occlusion of the RV branch in a recessive right coronary artery (RCA) causing isolated RV infarction and only anterior ST-elevation is extremely rare. To date, the handful of such cases reports do not describe any arrhythmia associated with this presentation. Although ventricular fibrillation (VF) has been well-documented with interruption of flow in the conus branch of the RCA, here we describe VF occurring in a patient with occlusion of the RV branch of a recessive RCA presenting with isolated anterior ST-segment elevation. <b>Case:</b> A 51-year-old man presented with acute chest pain and isolated anterior ST-segment elevation on electrocardiogram (ECG). The patient developed ventricular fibrillation prior to coronary angiography requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Coronary angiography revealed an unobstructed left coronary system and a recessive right coronary artery with ostial occlusion of the RV branch which was treated with a drug eluting balloon, resulting in resolution of the chest pain and ECG changes. <b>Conclusion:</b> Isolated RV infarction due to RV branch occlusion can cause ECG changes mimic anterior left ventricular infarction. This presentation may be complicated by VF, even in the setting of a recessive RCA. |
16,261 | Ultrarapid Delayed Rectifier K<sup>+</sup> Channelopathies in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes. | Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia. About 5-15% of AF patients have a mutation in a cardiac gene, including mutations in <i>KCNA5</i>, encoding the K<sub>v</sub>1.5 α-subunit of the ion channel carrying the atrial-specific ultrarapid delayed rectifier K<sup>+</sup> current (I<sub>Kur</sub>). Both loss-of-function and gain-of-function AF-related mutations in <i>KCNA5</i> are known, but their effects on action potentials (APs) of human cardiomyocytes have been poorly studied. Here, we assessed the effects of wild-type and mutant I<sub>Kur</sub> on APs of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs). We found that atrial-like hiPSC-CMs, generated by a retinoic acid-based differentiation protocol, have APs with faster repolarization compared to ventricular-like hiPSC-CMs, resulting in shorter APs with a lower AP plateau. Native I<sub>Kur</sub>, measured as current sensitive to 50 μM 4-aminopyridine, was 1.88 ± 0.49 (mean ± SEM, <i>n</i> = 17) and 0.26 ± 0.26 pA/pF (<i>n</i> = 17) in atrial- and ventricular-like hiPSC-CMs, respectively. In both atrial- and ventricular-like hiPSC-CMs, I<sub>Kur</sub> blockade had minimal effects on AP parameters. Next, we used dynamic clamp to inject various amounts of a virtual I<sub>Kur</sub>, with characteristics as in freshly isolated human atrial myocytes, into 11 atrial-like and 10 ventricular-like hiPSC-CMs, in which native I<sub>Kur</sub> was blocked. Injection of I<sub>Kur</sub> with 100% density shortened the APs, with its effect being strongest on the AP duration at 20% repolarization (APD<sub>20</sub>) of atrial-like hiPSC-CMs. At I<sub>Kur</sub> densities < 100% (compared to 100%), simulating loss-of-function mutations, significant AP prolongation and raise of plateau were observed. At I<sub>Kur</sub> densities > 100%, simulating gain-of-function mutations, APD<sub>20</sub> was decreased in both atrial- and ventricular-like hiPSC-CMs, but only upon a strong increase in I<sub>Kur</sub>. In ventricular-like hiPSC-CMs, lowering of the plateau resulted in AP shortening. We conclude that a decrease in I<sub>Kur</sub>, mimicking loss-of-function mutations, has a stronger effect on the AP of hiPSC-CMs than an increase, mimicking gain-of-function mutations, whereas in ventricular-like hiPSC-CMs such increase results in AP shortening, causing their AP morphology to become more atrial-like. Effects of native I<sub>Kur</sub> modulation on atrial-like hiPSC-CMs are less pronounced than effects of virtual I<sub>Kur</sub> injection because I<sub>Kur</sub> density of atrial-like hiPSC-CMs is substantially smaller than that of freshly isolated human atrial myocytes. |
16,262 | Real-Time Ventricular Cancellation in Unipolar Atrial Fibrillation Electrograms. | Unipolar atrial fibrillation (AF) electrograms (EGMs) require far-field ventricle cancellation to recover hidden atrial activations. Current methods cannot achieve real-time cancellation because of the temporal delay they introduce. We propose a new real-time ventricular cancellation (RVC) method based on causal implementation optimized for real-time functioning. The method is similar to the classical average beat subtraction (ABS) method but it computes the ventricular contribution before the ventricular activation finishes. We compare the proposed method to the ABS on synthetic and real EGM databases for the time and frequency domains. All parameters and their optimal values are analyzed and validated. The RVC method provides a good reconstruction of the unipolar EGMs and a better local activation time detection than the classical approach with average F1scores 0.7307 and 0.7125, respectively. The spectral analysis shows that the average power after ventricular cancellation is reduced for frequency bands between 3 and 5.5 Hz, demonstrating that the proposed method removes the ventricular component present in the unipolar EGM signals compared to the ABS method. The phase mapping analysis on the RVC method presented lower error when comparing the annotated EGM cycles with the phase inversion intervals. In terms of performance ABS and RVC behave similarly, but the real-time capability of the latter justifies its preference over the offline implementations. In the clinical environment other online investigations, e.g., rotational activity assessment, dominant frequency or local activation time mapping, might benefit from the real-time potential of the proposed cancellation method. |
16,263 | Coronary vasospasm complicating atrial fibrillation ablation: a case report and review of the literature. | Radiofrequency ablation is one of the alternative treatment strategies in patients with atrial fibrillation. With the increasing number of such ablation procedures being performed it is important for the physicians to be aware of the associated complications. We present a very rare case of severe triple coronary vessel spasm during radiofrequency catheter ablation. The procedure was complicated by cardiac arrest secondary to ventricular fibrillation and cardiogenic shock requiring subsequent management with a temporary mechanical circulatory support device. Multi-vessel spasm is a rare and life-threatening complication leading to ventricular fibrillation and cardiac arrest. One should be extra vigilant in monitoring patients during extensive ablations and the procedure should be terminated at the earliest signs of ischemia in order to prevent this rare but fatal complication. |
16,264 | Model-Informed Development of Sotalol Loading and Dose Escalation Employing an Intravenous Infusion. | Sotalol is often employed to prevent recurrence of symptomatic atrial flutter/atrial fibrillation. Because sotalol can prolong the QT interval excessively causing ventricular arrhythmias, a 3-day in-hospital loading or dose escalation period is mandated with oral administration in the product label for patient safety. In patients with normal renal function, 3 days (five oral doses) are required to obtain steady state maximum sotalol concentration, which results in maximum QT prolongation. The aim of this study is to develop an intravenous to oral loading regime for sotalol therapy that reduces the 3-day in-hospital initiation or dose escalation with oral administration to 1 day without compromising patient safety.</AbstractText>Using model-informed drug development techniques, simulations were developed for initiation and dose escalation of sotalol therapy by employing an intravenous loading dose followed by oral sotalol administrations.</AbstractText>In patients with normal renal function, an initial 1-h loading dose of intravenous sotalol followed by two oral doses in 24 h has been developed permitting attainment of three maximum serum concentrations reflecting maximum QT prolongation in a 1-day observation period. Dosing regimens for patients with impaired renal function are also developed.</AbstractText>In patients with normal renal function, using an intravenous loading dose followed by oral administrations permits safe initiation or dose escalation of sotalol in 1 day instead of the 3-day dosing regimen with oral administration.</AbstractText>Copyright 2020, Somberg et al.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,265 | [Predictive value of N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide on outcome of elderly hospitalized non-heart failure patients]. | <b>Objective:</b> To investigate the predictive value of N-terminal type B natriuretic peptide（NT-proBNP) on the prognosis of elderly hospitalized patients without heart failure（non-heart failure). <b>Method:</b> Elderly patients aged 65 years or older, who were admitted to Beijing Hospital from September 2018 to February 2019, were enrolled in this study. Patients with clinical diagnosis of heart failure or left ventricular ejection fraction（LVEF)<50% were excluded. The patients were divided into 2 groups based on the serum NT-proBNP level: low NT-proBNP group （<125 ng/L) and high NT-proBNP group（≥125 ng/L). Patients were followed up at 3, 6, and 12 months after enrollment, and the major adverse events were recorded. The composite endpoint events included all-cause mortality, readmission or Emergency Department visits. Cardiovascular events include death, readmission or emergency room treatment due to cardiogenic shock, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, arrhythmia, heart failure or stroke/transient ischemic attack. <b>Results:</b> A total of 600 elderly patients with non-heart failure were included in the analysis. The average age was （74.9±6.5) years, including 304（50.7%) males. The median follow-up time was 344（265, 359) days. One hundred and seventy-eight（29.7%) composite endpoint events were recorded during the follow-up, 19（3.2%) patients died, and 12（2.0%) patients were lost to follow-up. There were 286(47.7%) cases in low NT-proBNP group and 314 cases（52.3%) in high NT-proBNP group. Patients were older, prevalence of atrial fibrillation and myocardial infarction was higher; MMSE scores and ADL scores, albumin and creatinine clearance rate were lower in high NT-proBNP group than in low NT-proBNP group（all <i>P</i><0.05). At 1-year follow-up, the incidence of composite endpoint events was significantly higher in high NT-proBNP group than in low NT-proBNP group（33.4%（105/314) vs. 24.8%（71/286), <i>P</i> = 0.02). Cardiovascular events were more common in high NT-proBNP group than in low NT-proBNP group（17.5%（55/314) vs. 8.4%（24/286), <i>P</i> = 0.001). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed both composite endpoint events（Log-rank <i>P</i>=0.016) and cardiovascular events（Log-rank <i>P</i>=0.001) were higher in high NT-proBNP group than in low NT-proBNP group. All-cause mortality was also significantly higher in highNT-proBNP group than in lowNT-proBNP group（4.8%（15/314) vs. 1.4%（4/286), <i>P</i> = 0.020), and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated borderline statistical significance（Log-rank <i>P</i> = 0.052). Cox proportional hazard regression analysis showed that after adjusting for age, sex, creatinine clearance rate, myocardial infarction, and atrial fibrillation, NT-proBNP remained as an independent risk factor for composite endpoint events（<i>HR</i>=1.376，95%<i>CI</i> 1.049-1.806, <i>P</i>=0.021), and cardiovascular events（<i>HR</i>=1.777, 95%<i>CI</i> 1.185-2.664, <i>P</i>=0.005), but not for all-cause mortality（<i>P</i>=0.206). <b>Conclusions:</b> NT-proBNP level at admission has important predictive value on rehospitalization and cardiovascular events for hospitalized elderly non-heart failure patients. NT-proBNP examination is helpful for risk stratification in this patient cohort.</Abstract><AuthorList CompleteYN="Y"><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Li</LastName><ForeName>Y Y</ForeName><Initials>YY</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Cardiology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China; Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Liang</LastName><ForeName>Y D</ForeName><Initials>YD</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Cardiology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Yao</LastName><ForeName>S M</ForeName><Initials>SM</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Cardiology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Zheng</LastName><ForeName>P P</ForeName><Initials>PP</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Cardiology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Zeng</LastName><ForeName>X Z</ForeName><Initials>XZ</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Cardiology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Cui</LastName><ForeName>L L</ForeName><Initials>LL</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Cardiology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Guo</LastName><ForeName>D</ForeName><Initials>D</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Cardiology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Wang</LastName><ForeName>H</ForeName><Initials>H</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Cardiology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author><Author ValidYN="Y"><LastName>Yang</LastName><ForeName>J F</ForeName><Initials>JF</Initials><AffiliationInfo><Affiliation>Department of Cardiology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China; Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China.</Affiliation></AffiliationInfo></Author></AuthorList><Language>chi</Language><GrantList CompleteYN="Y"><Grant><GrantID>D181100000218003</GrantID><Agency>Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission</Agency><Country/></Grant><Grant><GrantID>2018-I2M-1-002</GrantID><Agency>CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences</Agency><Country/></Grant><Grant><GrantID>2019PT320013</GrantID><Agency>Non-profit Central Research Institute Fund of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences</Agency><Country/></Grant></GrantList><PublicationTypeList><PublicationType UI="D016428">Journal Article</PublicationType></PublicationTypeList></Article><MedlineJournalInfo><Country>China</Country><MedlineTA>Zhonghua Xin Xue Guan Bing Za Zhi</MedlineTA><NlmUniqueID>7910682</NlmUniqueID><ISSNLinking>0253-3758</ISSNLinking></MedlineJournalInfo><ChemicalList><Chemical><RegistryNumber>0</RegistryNumber><NameOfSubstance UI="D015415">Biomarkers</NameOfSubstance></Chemical><Chemical><RegistryNumber>0</RegistryNumber><NameOfSubstance UI="D010446">Peptide Fragments</NameOfSubstance></Chemical><Chemical><RegistryNumber>114471-18-0</RegistryNumber><NameOfSubstance UI="D020097">Natriuretic Peptide, Brain</NameOfSubstance></Chemical></ChemicalList><CitationSubset>IM</CitationSubset><MeshHeadingList><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D000368" MajorTopicYN="N">Aged</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D000369" MajorTopicYN="N">Aged, 80 and over</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D015415" MajorTopicYN="N">Biomarkers</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D006333" MajorTopicYN="Y">Heart Failure</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D006801" MajorTopicYN="N">Humans</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D008297" MajorTopicYN="N">Male</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D020097" MajorTopicYN="Y">Natriuretic Peptide, Brain</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D010446" MajorTopicYN="N">Peptide Fragments</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D011379" MajorTopicYN="N">Prognosis</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D013318" MajorTopicYN="N">Stroke Volume</DescriptorName></MeshHeading><MeshHeading><DescriptorName UI="D016277" MajorTopicYN="N">Ventricular Function, Left</DescriptorName></MeshHeading></MeshHeadingList><OtherAbstract Type="Publisher" Language="chi"><b>目的：</b> 探讨N末端B型利钠肽原（NT-proBNP）对老年非心力衰竭（心衰）住院患者预后的预测价值。 <b>方法：</b> 前瞻性入选2018年9月至2019年2月在北京医院住院的年龄≥65岁的老年患者，排除临床诊断心衰或左心室射血分数（LVEF）<50%的患者。收集入选患者的临床资料。测定入选患者血NT-proBNP水平，并据此将患者分为2组，即低NT-proBNP（<125 ng/L）组和高NT-proBNP（≥125 ng/L）组。分别在患者入组后3、6和12个月进行门诊或电话随访，记录主要不良事件发生情况。终点事件包括心血管事件、全因死亡、各种原因再次入院或急诊室治疗以及包括上述所有事件的复合终点事件。心血管事件定义为因心原性休克、心肌梗死、心绞痛、心律失常、心衰、卒中/短暂性脑缺血发作、血运重建导致的死亡、再入院或急诊室治疗。采用Kaplan-Meier法绘制生存曲线，用Log-rank法比较不同组间生存曲线差异。采用多因素Cox回归模型分析NT-proBNP是否为老年非心衰住院患者终点事件的独立预测因子。 <b>结果：</b> 共入选老年非心衰住院患者600例，年龄（74.9±6.5）岁，其中男性304例（50.7%）。随访344（265，359）d，随访期间复合终点事件发生178例（29.7%），全因死亡19例（3.2%），失访12例（2.0%）。入选患者中，低NT-proBNP组286例（47.7%），高NT-proBNP组314例（52.3%）。与低NT-proBNP组比较，高NT-proBNP组患者年龄较大、合并心房颤动和心肌梗死的比例较高、认知水平和日常活动能力较低、白蛋白和内生肌酐清除率较低（<i>P</i>均<0.05）。1年随访结果显示，高NT-proBNP组患者复合终点事件发生率高于低NT-proBNP组［33.4%（105/314）比24.8%（71/286），<i>P</i>=0.02］，心血管事件发生率亦高于低NT-proBNP组［17.5%（55/314）比8.4%（24/286），<i>P</i>=0.001］，Kaplan-Meier生存分析结果亦显示出同样的趋势，高NT-proBNP组患者复合终点事件（Log-rank <i>P</i>=0.016）和心血管事件发生率（Log-rank <i>P</i>=0.001）均高于低NT-proBNP组。高NT-proBNP组患者的全因死亡率高于低NT-proBNP组［4.8%（15/314）比1.4%（4/286），<i>P</i>=0.020］，但Kaplan-Meier生存分析结果则显示二者差异无统计学意义（Log-rank <i>P</i>=0.052）。校正了年龄、性别、体重指数、舒张压、肌酐清除率、血红蛋白、白蛋白、高敏C反应蛋白、心肌梗死、心房颤动、躯体生活活动能力评估评分、工具性日常生活活动能力评估评分后，多因素Cox回归分析结果显示NT-proBNP是复合终点事件（<i>HR</i>=1.376，95%<i>CI</i> 1.049~1.806, <i>P</i>=0.021）和心血管事件（<i>HR</i>=1.777，95%<i>CI</i> 1.185~2.664, <i>P</i>=0.005）的独立预测因子，但不是全因死亡的独立预测因子（<i>P</i>=0.206）。 <b>结论：</b> NT-proBNP对老年非心衰住院患者的预后特别是再入院和心血管事件具有较好的预测价值，测定此类患者的NT-proBNP水平有助于快速识别远期预后不良的高危人群。. |
16,266 | A novel nonsense mutation in TNNT2 in a Chinese pedigree with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: A case report. | Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is an inherited myocardial disease and a common cause of sudden cardiac death, heart failure, atrial fibrillation and stroke. In families affected by HCM, genotyping is useful for identifying susceptible relatives. In the present study, we investigated the disease-causing mutations in a three-generation Chinese family with HCM using whole exome sequencing (WES).</AbstractText>The proband, a 50-year-old man, was diagnosed with HCM at the age of 41 years. He presented with an asymmetric hypertrophic interventricular septum and a maximum interventricular septum thickness of 18.04 mm. His third elder sister, niece and daughter were also clinically affected by HCM.</AbstractText>Autosomal dominant HCM.</AbstractText>Seven family members, including 4 affected members, accepted WES. The genetic variants were subsequently called using Genome Analysis Toolkit and annotated using the InterVar program. Following frequency filtration by the Genome Aggregation Database, the variants were evaluated using an in-house bioinformatics analysis pipeline.</AbstractText>HCM was transmitted as an autosomal dominant trait in the family. An extremely rare stop gained mutation, rs796925245 (g.1:201359630G>A, c.835C>T, p.Gln279Ter) in the troponin T2 (TNNT2) gene was identified as the disease-causing mutation. The stop gained mutation was predicted to result in a truncated troponin T protein in cardiac sarcomere. An adolescent family member who had normal echocardiographic measurements was found to carry the same disease-causing mutation.</AbstractText>A novel nonsense TNNT2 mutation was identified as the HCM-causing mutation in this Chinese pedigree. Since HCM shows a low penetrance by clinical criteria in adolescents, the adolescent mutation carrier, who is still clinically unaffected, should be offered routine follow-ups and sport activity recommendations to prevent adverse events including sudden cardiac death in the future.</AbstractText> |
16,267 | Posterior circulation stroke: an easily overlooked complication of catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation. | Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) has established itself as a safe and proven rhythm control strategy for selected patients with AF over the past decade. Thromboembolic complications of catheter ablation are becoming rare in anticoagulated patients with a risk of stroke reported as 0.3%. A particular challenge is posed by clinical presentation due to ischaemic stroke involving the posterior circulation following catheter ablation because of its substantial differences from the carotid territory stroke, making the timely diagnosis and treatment very difficult. It is crucial to keep an index of clinical suspicion in patients presenting with neurological deficits related to vertebrobasilar circulation following ablation. We describe the case of a man who presented with dizziness and palpitations after radiofrequency catheter ablation of AF. He was found to be in AF with a rapid ventricular response. His dizziness was initially attributed to the cardiac dysrhythmia. As his symptoms continued despite heart rate control, he underwent further investigations and was eventually diagnosed with a posterior circulation stroke resulting in left cerebellar infarction. He was treated with antiplatelet therapy and improved significantly over the following few days. We review and present an up-to-date brief literature review on the complications of catheter ablation of AF and describe pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnosis and treatment options for posterior circulation stroke after AF ablation. This case aims to raise awareness among clinicians about posterior circulation stroke after AF ablation. |
16,268 | Bretylium, a Class III Antiarrhythmic, Returns to the Market. | Bretylium, with an extensive pharmacologic and medicinal history, was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 1986 for "short-term prevention and treatment of ventricular fibrillation (VF) and treatment of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias and ventricular tachycardia (VT) unresponsive to adequate doses of a first-line antiarrhythmic agent, such as lidocaine." The NDA sponsor withdrew bretylium from the market in 2011, largely due to unavailability of raw materials required for its production; prior to this, bretylium was removed from the 2000 ACLS Guidelines algorithm for VF/pulseless VT given the challenges obtaining raw materials for drug manufacture. Recently, bretylium has been reintroduced into the US market by a generic pharmaceutical company with the same indications as before. This article provides a history of the salient trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of bretylium and looks to the future as bretylium finds its place in the modern day management of ventricular arrhythmia. |
16,269 | Spatial and Functional Distribution of <i>MYBPC3</i> Pathogenic Variants and Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. | Pathogenic variants in MYBPC3</i>, encoding cardiac MyBP-C (myosin binding protein C), are the most common cause of familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. A large number of unique MYBPC3</i> variants and relatively small genotyped hypertrophic cardiomyopathy cohorts have precluded detailed genotype-phenotype correlations.</AbstractText>Patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and MYBPC3</i> variants were identified from the Sarcomeric Human Cardiomyopathy Registry. Variant types and locations were analyzed, morphological severity was assessed, and time-event analysis was performed (composite clinical outcome of sudden death, class III/IV heart failure, left ventricular assist device/transplant, atrial fibrillation). For selected missense variants falling in enriched domains, myofilament localization and degradation rates were measured in vitro.</AbstractText>Among 4756 genotyped patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in Sarcomeric Human Cardiomyopathy Registry, 1316 patients were identified with adjudicated pathogenic truncating (N=234 unique variants, 1047 patients) or nontruncating (N=22 unique variants, 191 patients) variants in MYBPC3</i>. Truncating variants were evenly dispersed throughout the gene, and hypertrophy severity and outcomes were not associated with variant location (grouped by 5'-3' quartiles or by founder variant subgroup). Nontruncating pathogenic variants clustered in the C3, C6, and C10 domains (18 of 22, 82%, P</i><0.001 versus Genome Aggregation Database common variants) and were associated with similar hypertrophy severity and adverse event rates as observed with truncating variants. MyBP-C with variants in the C3, C6, and C10 domains was expressed in rat ventricular myocytes. C10 mutant MyBP-C failed to incorporate into myofilaments and degradation rates were accelerated by ≈90%, while C3 and C6 mutant MyBP-C incorporated normally with degradation rate similar to wild-type.</AbstractText>Truncating variants account for 91% of MYBPC3</i> pathogenic variants and cause similar clinical severity and outcomes regardless of location, consistent with locus-independent loss-of-function. Nontruncating MYBPC3</i> pathogenic variants are regionally clustered, and a subset also cause loss of function through failure of myofilament incorporation and rapid degradation. Cardiac morphology and clinical outcomes are similar in patients with truncating versus nontruncating variants.</AbstractText> |
16,270 | Prolonged QT Interval in SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Prevalence and Prognosis. | The prognostic value of a prolonged QT interval in SARS-Cov2 infection is not well known.</AbstractText>To determine whether the presence of a prolonged QT on admission is an independent factor for mortality in SARS-Cov2 hospitalized patients.</AbstractText>Single-center cohort of 623 consecutive patients with positive polymerase-chain-reaction test (PCR) to SARS Cov2, recruited from 27 February to 7 April 2020. An electrocardiogram was taken on these patients within the first 48 h after diagnosis and before the administration of any medication with a known effect on QT interval. A prolonged QT interval was defined as a corrected QT (QTc) interval >480 milliseconds. Patients were followed up with until 10 May 2020.</AbstractText>Sixty-one patients (9.8%) had prolonged QTc and only 3.2% had a baseline QTc > 500 milliseconds. Patients with prolonged QTc were older, had more comorbidities, and higher levels of immune-inflammatory markers. There were no episodes of ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation during hospitalization. All-cause death was higher in patients with prolonged QTc (41.0% vs. 8.7%, p</i> < 0.001, multivariable HR 2.68 (1.58-4.55), p</i> < 0.001).</AbstractText>Almost 10% of patients with COVID-19 infection have a prolonged QTc interval on admission. A prolonged QTc was independently associated with a higher mortality even after adjustment for age, comorbidities, and treatment with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin. An electrocardiogram should be included on admission to identify high-risk SARS-CoV-2 patients.</AbstractText> |
16,271 | Recurrent attack of acute myocardial infarction complicated with ventricular fibrillation due to coronary vasospasm within a myocardial bridge: a case report. | Myocardial bridge (MB) often an inoffensive condition that goes in one or more of the coronary arteries through the heart muscle instead of lying on its surface. MBs sometimes leads to myocardial ischemic symptoms such as chest pain, even an occurrence of myocardial infarction. However, reports of severe and recurrent cardiac adverse events related to the MBs are rare.</AbstractText>A 44-year-old male patient who suffered from a four-hour crushing chest pain ten years ago, was diagnosed as acute anterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The initial findings of coronary angiography (CAG) showed MB was located in the middle part of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). The patient was managed medically. Another re-attack of similar previous chest pain characteristics occured just after 3 days of discharge. Supra-arterial myotomy and CABG were the next adopted management. Postoperative progression was uneventful. However, 32 months after surgical treatment, the patient experienced an abrupt onset of chest pain accompanied by loss of consciousness. The ECG showed ventricular fibrillation (VF). After electrical cardioversion, an immediate CAG followed by CTA was performed which excluded thrombus or acute occlusion in the native coronary artery and an occlusion was observed at the end of the left internal mammary artery. An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) was successfully performed for prevention of malignant arrhythmia. During ten years of follow-up, no complications have been identified.</AbstractText>Although MB is mostly benign, it may lead to significant cardiovascular consequences. Supra-arterial myotomy is an appropriate treatment option for this patient who failed to optimal medical therapy. Furthermore, ICD implantation must be considered in order to prevent malignant ventricular arrhythmia caused by continuous spasm resulting in ischemia. Further investigations are required to confirm the clinical effectiveness of these procedures.</AbstractText> |
16,272 | Adverse remodeling in atrial fibrillation following isolated aortic valve replacement surgery. | Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia with adverse clinical outcomes. Aortic valve replacement (AVR) is one of the most frequently performed cardiac surgeries, although there is scarce evidence on arrhythmic outcomes. We aimed to evaluate AF during the first year post- isolated aortic valve replacement surgery and its clinical, analytical, and echocardiographic predictors.</AbstractText>Severe aortic stenosis patients with no prior atrial fibrillation submitted to isolated aortic valve replacement surgery were included in our study, of which 316 remained in sinus rhythm and 24 developed AF. We performed logistic regression searching for AF predictors and a longitudinal comparison between pre and post-operative echocardiographic data.</AbstractText>Postoperative AF (POAF), diabetes, and follow-up indexed Left Atrium Diameter (iLAD) were significantly higher in the group of patients developing AF. POAF and iLAD were independent AF predictors at follow-up. No differences between groups were found regarding baseline and follow-up echocardiographic data except for indexed Left Ventricle End-diastolic Diameter (LVED), which failed to decrease after surgery in the AF group.</AbstractText>POAF and iLAD independently predicted AF at 1 year following isolated AVR surgery in aortic stenosis patients with no AF history. iLVED did not decrease significantly at follow-up in AF patients, possibly reflecting adverse ventricular remodeling.</AbstractText> |
16,273 | Arrhythmia in COVID-19. | The current outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) also known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has quickly progressed to a global pandemic. There are well-documented cardiac complications of COVID-19 in patients with and without prior cardiovascular disease. The cardiac complications include myocarditis, heart failure, and acute coronary syndrome resulting from coronary artery thrombosis or SARS-CoV-2-related plaque ruptures. There is growing evidence showing that arrhythmias are also one of the major complications. Myocardial inflammation caused by viral infection leads to electrophysiological and structural remodeling as a possible mechanism for arrhythmia. This could also be the mechanism through which SARS-CoV-2 leads to different arrhythmias. In this review article, we discuss arrhythmia manifestations in COVID-19. |
16,274 | Electrical Storm in COVID-19. | COVID-19 is a global pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2. Infection is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Individuals with pre-existing cardiovascular disease or evidence of myocardial injury are at risk for severe disease and death. Little is understood about the mechanisms of myocardial injury or life-threatening cardiovascular sequelae. (<b>Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.</b>). |
16,275 | Association Between Atrial Fibrillation and Sudden Cardiac Death: Pathophysiological and Epidemiological Insights. | Emerging evidence suggests that atrial fibrillation (AF) may be associated with an increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). However, AF shares risk factors with numerous cardiac conditions, including coronary heart disease and heart failure-the 2 most common substrates for SCD-making the AF-SCD relationship particularly challenging to address. A careful consideration of confounding factors is essential, since interventions for AF will be effective in reducing SCD only if there is a causal association between these 2 conditions. In this translational review, we detail the plausible underlying pathophysiological mechanisms through which AF may promote or lead to SCD, as well as the existing epidemiological evidence supporting an association between AF and SCD. While the role of AF in predicting SCD in the general population appears limited and not established, AF might be integrated to improve risk stratification in some specific phenotypes. Optimal AF management, including that of its associated conditions, appears to be of interest to prevent AF-related SCD, especially because the AF-SCD relationship is in part driven by heart failure. |
16,276 | Implantable cardioverter defibrillators - the past, present and future. | Since their formal introduction in 1980, implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) have undergone innumerable design modifications through several generations. They are indispensable today in successfully managing fatal ventricular arrhythmias. Their role in averting sudden cardiac death is recognized beyond doubt. Their applications and indications have continuously expanded over the last two decades. This article reviews the salient features in the evolution of ICDs, their current indications, recent advances and future directions. With more advanced detection algorithms, the potential integration with leadless pacing, and the possibility to serve as a remote monitoring device to recognize atrial fibrillation, acute ischemia, or electrolyte imbalance, the application of ICDs is rapidly evolving. |
16,277 | The Use of <sup>99m</sup>Tc-Methoxy-isobutyl-isonitrile (sestaMIBI) Uptake on Scintigraphy (<sup>99m</sup>-STS) in Amiodarone-Induced Thyrotoxicosis: Case Series and Review of the Literature. | Amiodarone is a class III antiarrhythmic drug, used by cardiologists to treat arrhythmia including atrial fibrillation (A fib) and ventricular fibrillation. However, amiodarone is associated with endocrine dysfunction including both hypo- and hyperthyroidism. In the literature, two types of amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis (AIT) were described: AIT-1 and AIT-2. Mixed AIT also called AIT type 3 (AIT-3) has been described in the literature when the cases do not have a typical presentation. In order to differentiate different types of AIT, various clinical, biochemical, and radiological tools have been proposed. The use of <sup>99m</sup>Tc-methoxy-isobutyl-isonitrile (sestaMIBI) uptake on scintigraphy (<sup>99m</sup>-STS) has been suggested in the literature in only few studies (no large retrospective or prospective studies have been established in the United States). We present a case series describing 5 patients presenting to the University of Arizona with AIT where we used <sup>99m</sup>-STS to assess in diagnosis and treatment of different types of AIT followed by a review of the literature. |
16,278 | Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation for Management of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in a Patient with Fulminant Myocarditis. | A 68-year-old male with a witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest while jogging who was managed with extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) is presented. The patient was found to be in refractory ventricular fibrillation by emergency medical service personnel and underwent advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) protocol with placement of an automated chest compression device. He was emergently transported to the cardiac catheterization laboratory. Due to refractory ventricular fibrillation, he was placed on venoarterial extracorporeal membranous oxygenation (VA-ECMO). Coronary angiography at that time showed nonobstructive coronary artery disease. Management with VA-ECMO and other supportive measures were continued for 5 days, after which a cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was performed with findings consistent with acute myocarditis. His condition substantially improved, and he was discharged from the hospital with good neurologic and functional status. Fulminant myocarditis is often fatal, but aggressive supportive measures with novel ECPR protocols may result in recovery, as it happened in this case. |
16,279 | Lacosamide-induced recurrent ventricular fibrillation: A case report. | Lacosamide, a new antiepileptic drug, acts at central nervous system level but may also affect the heart, increasing the risk of cardiac arrhythmias. Only few cases of lacosamide-induced cardiac dysrhythmia have been published. We report a case of several episodes of a life-threatening ventricular fibrillation requiring cardioversion following the first doses of lacosamide as adjunctive epilepsy treatment. |
16,280 | Predictors of long-term mortality after catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia in a contemporary cohort of patients with structural heart disease. | Ablation of ventricular tachycardias (VTs) in patients with structural heart disease has been established in the past decades as an effective and safe treatment. However, the prognosis and long-term outcome remains poor.</AbstractText>We investigated 309 patients with ischaemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) and non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) (186 ICM, 123 NICM; 271 males; mean age 64.1 ± 12 years; ejection fraction 34 ± 13%) after ≥1 VT ablations over a mean follow-up period of 34 ± 28 months. Electrical storm was the indication for 224 patients (73%), whereas 86 patients (28%) underwent epicardial as well as endocardial ablation. During follow-up, 132 patients (43%) experienced VT recurrence and 97 (31%) died. Ischaemic cardiomyopathy and NICM patients showed comparable results, regarding procedural endpoints, complications, VT recurrence and survival. The Cox-regression analysis for all-cause mortality revealed that the presence of higher left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV; P < 0.001), male gender (P = 0.018), atrial fibrillation (AF; P < 0.001), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; P = 0.001), antiarrhythmic drugs during the follow-up (P < 0.001), polymorphic VTs (P = 0.028), and periprocedural complications (P = 0.001) were independent predictors of mortality.</AbstractText>Ischaemic cardiomyopathy and NICM patients undergoing VT ablation had comparable results regarding procedural endpoints, complications, VT recurrence and 3-year mortality. Higher LVEDV, male gender, COPD, AF, polymorphic VTs, use of antiarrhythmics, and periprocedural complications are strong and independent predictors for increased mortality. The PAINESD score accurately predicted the long-term outcome in our cohort.</AbstractText>Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2020. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,281 | Left atrial fibrosis predicts left ventricular ejection fraction response after atrial fibrillation ablation in heart failure patients: the Fibrosis-HF Study. | Atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) often coexist. Catheter ablation has been reported to restore left ventricular (LV) function but patients benefit differently. This study investigated the correlation between left atrial (LA) fibrosis extent and LV ejection fraction (LVEF) recovery after AF ablation.</AbstractText>In this study, 103 patients [64 years, 69% men, 79% persistent AF, LVEF 33% interquartile range (IQR) (25-38)] undergoing first time AF ablation were investigated. Identification of LA fibrosis and selection of ablation strategy were based on sinus rhythm voltage mapping. Continuous rhythm monitoring was used to assess ablation success. Improvement in post-ablation LVEF was measured as primary study endpoint. An absolute increase in post-ablation LVEF ≥10% was defined as 'Super Response'. Left atrial fibrosis was present in 38% of patients. After ablation LVEF increased by absolute 15% (IQR 6-25) (P < 0.001). Left ventricular ejection fraction improvement was higher in patients without LA fibrosis [15% (IQR 10-25) vs. 10% (IQR 0-20), P < 0.001]. An inverse correlation between LVEF improvement and the extent of LA fibrosis was found (R2 = 0.931). In multivariate analysis, the presence of LA fibrosis was the only independent predictor for failing LVEF improvement [odds ratio 7.2 (95% confidence interval 2.2-23.4), P < 0.001]. Echocardiographic 'Super Response' was observed in 55/64 (86%) patients without and 21/39 (54%) patients with LA fibrosis, respectively (P < 0.001).</AbstractText>Presence and extent of LA fibrosis predict LVEF response in HF patients undergoing AF ablation. The assessment of LA fibrosis may impact prognostic stratification and clinical management in HF patients with AF.</AbstractText>Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2020. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,282 | Atrial fibrillation detection by the subcutaneous defibrillator: real-world clinical performances and implications from a multicentre study. | No data exist concerning the clinical performances of the subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD) atrial fibrillation (AF) detection algorithm. We aimed to study the performances and implications of the latter in a 'real-world' setting.</AbstractText>Between July 2017 and August 2019, 155 consecutive S-ICD recipients were included. Endpoint of the study was the incidence of de novo or recurrent AF using a combined on-site and remote-monitoring follow-up approach. After a mean follow-up of 13 ± 8 months, 2531 AF alerts were generated for 55 patients. A blinded analysis of the 1950 subcutaneous electrocardiograms available was performed. Among them 47% were true AF, 23% were premature atrial contractions or non-sustained AF, 29% were premature ventricular contractions or non-sustained ventricular tachycardia, and 1% were misdetection. Fourteen percent (21/155) patients had at least one correct diagnosis of AF by the S-ICD algorithm. One patient presented symptomatic paroxysmal AF not diagnosed by the S-ICD algorithm (false negative patient). Patient-based sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values were respectively 95%, 74%, 38%, and 99%. Among patients with at least one correct diagnosis of AF, 38% (8/21) had subsequent clinical implications (anticoagulation initiation or rhythm control therapies).</AbstractText>The S-ICD AF detection algorithm yields a high sensitivity for AF diagnosis. Low specificity and positive predictive value contribute to a high remote monitoring-notification workload and underline the necessity of a manual analysis. Atrial fibrillation diagnosis by the S-ICD AF detection algorithm might lead to significant therapeutic adjustments.</AbstractText>Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2020. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,283 | The effect of 5-day course of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin combination on QT interval in non-ICU COVID19(+) patients. | The combination of Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and azithromycin showed effectiveness as a treatment for COVID-19 and is being used widely all around the world. Despite that those drugs are known to cause prolonged QT interval individually there is no study assessing the impact of this combination on electrocardiography (ECG). This study aimed to assess the impact of a 5-day course of HCQ and azithromycin combination on ECG in non-ICU COVID19(+) patients.</AbstractText>In this retrospective observational study, we enrolled 109 COVID19(+) patients who required non-ICU hospitalization. All patients received 5-day protocol of HCQ and azithromycin combination. On-treatment ECGs were repeated 3-6 h after the second HCQ loading dose and 48-72 h after the first dose of the combination. ECGs were assessed in terms of rhythm, PR interval, QRS duration, QT and QTc intervals. Baseline and on-treatment ECG findings were compared. Demographic characteristics, laboratory results were recorded. Daily phone call-visit or bed-side visit were performed by attending physician.</AbstractText>Of the 109 patients included in the study, the mean age was 57.3 ± 14.4 years and 48 (44%) were male. Mean baseline PR interval was 158.47 ± 25.10 ms, QRS duration was 94.00 ± 20.55 ms, QTc interval was 435.28 ± 32.78 ms, 415.67 ± 28.51, 412.07 ± 25.65 according to Bazett's, Fridericia's and Framingham Heart Study formulas respectively. ∆PR was -2.94 ± 19.93 ms (p = .55), ∆QRS duration was 5.18 ± 8.94 ms (p = .03). ∆QTc interval was 6.64 ± 9.60 ms (p = .5), 10.67 ± 9.9 ms (p = .19), 14.14 ± 9.68 ms (p = .16) according to Bazett's, Fridericia's and Framingham Heart Study formulas respectively. There were no statistically significant differences between QTc intervals. No ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation or significant conduction delay was seen during follow-up. There was no death or worsening heart function.</AbstractText>The 5-day course of HCQ- AZM combination did not lead to clinically significant QT prolongation and other conduction delays compared to baseline ECG in non-ICU COVID19(+) patients.</AbstractText>Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,284 | Daily Exposure to Air Pollution Particulate Matter Is Associated with Atrial Fibrillation in High-Risk Patients. | Several epidemiological studies found an association between acute exposure to fine particulate matter of less than 2.5 μm and 10 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM<sub>2.5</sub> and PM<sub>10</sub>) and cardiovascular diseases, ventricular fibrillation incidence and mortality. The effects of pollution on atrial fibrillation (AF) beyond the first several hours of exposure remain controversial. A total of 145 patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (ICD-CRT), or pacemakers were enrolled in this multicentric prospective study. Daily levels of PM<sub>2.5</sub> and PM<sub>10</sub> were collected from monitoring stations within 20 km of the patient's residence. A Firth Logistic Regression model was used to evaluate the association between AF and daily exposure to PM<sub>2.5</sub> and PM<sub>10</sub>. Exposure levels to PM<sub>2.5</sub> and PM<sub>10</sub> were moderate, being above the World Health Organization (WHO) PM<sub>2.5</sub> and PM<sub>10</sub> thresholds of 25 μg/m<sup>3</sup> and 50 μg/m<sup>3</sup>, respectively, on 26% and 18% of the follow-up days. An association was found between daily levels of PM<sub>2.5</sub> and PM<sub>10</sub> and AF (95% confidence intervals (CIs) of 1.34-2.40 and 1.44-4.28, respectively) for an increase of 50 µg/m<sup>3</sup> above the WHO threshold. Daily exposure to moderate PM<sub>2.5</sub> and PM<sub>10</sub> levels is associated with AF in patients who are not prone to AF. |
16,285 | Left atrial emptying fraction determined during atrial fibrillation predicts maintenance of sinus rhythm after direct current cardioversion in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation. | Echocardiography is the basic imaging technique used to determine the odds of maintaining sinus rhythm (SR) following direct current cardioversion (DCCV) for persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). However, most studies are focused on the echocardiographic parameters obtained during SR resulting from successful DCCV. The aim of this study was to assess the value of the echocardiographic parameters measured before DCCV for the prognosis of SR maintenance after DCCV. The study included 146 patients with persistent AF who underwent DCCV. Clinical and echocardiographic data were collected directly before DCCV and, for patients with SR, one month, six months, and 12 months after DCCV. We found that left atrial emptying fraction (LAEF) assessed during atrial fibrillation was significantly larger in the group with SR maintenance after 12 months than in the group with AF recurrence (30.8±8.3 vs. 24.6±10.4%; p<0.001). In multivariable logistic regression analysis with a model containing echocardiographic parameters, LAEF (OR 1.053; 95% CI 1.011-1.096; p = 0.013) and the E/e'mean ratio (OR 0.883; 95% CI 0.788-0.990; p = 0.033) were independent predictors of SR maintenance. Analyzing a model including clinical and echocardiographic variables, only LAEF (OR 1.046; 95% CI 1-1.095; p = 0.049) and beta-blockers used before DCCV (OR 14.694; 95% CI 1.622-133.139; p = 0.017) were independent predictors of SR maintenance after 12 months. Our results indicate that LAEF measured during AF is a significant predictor of SR maintenance in the 12 months following DCCV due to persistent AF. Our findings confirm the recently raised hypothesis about the superiority of echocardiographic parameters assessing mechanical remodeling over parameters assessing structural remodeling of left atrium in predicting sinus rhythm maintenance after electrical cardioversion. |
16,286 | Congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries. | Congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (cc-TGA, also known as L-transposition) is a rare condition that represents approximately 0.5% of congenital heart disease. It is characterized by atrioventricular and ventriculoarterial discordance. Patients with cc-TGA are at risk for cardiac arrhythmias due to abnormalities of the conduction system. We present an autopsy case of a 49-year-old man with cc-TGA who died unexpectedly, likely as a result of a fatal arrhythmia. This case illustrates the cardiac pathology characteristic of cc-TGA and describes how to grossly identify inversion of the atrioventricular valves. |
16,287 | Does the mean 24-h pulse rate from ambulatory blood pressure monitoring reflect the mean 24-h ventricular rate from Holter electrocardiogram in atrial fibrillation patients? | Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) on the oscillometric method is applicable in patients with atrial fibrillation, but the mean pulse rate is or not similar to the ventricular rate from the Holter in atrial fibrillation patients remains unknown.</AbstractText>This study included 228 persistent atrial fibrillation patients who received simultaneous 24-h ABPM and 24-h Holter. The mean 24-h pulse rate and the mean 24-h ventricular rate were calculated, and mVR-mPR was used to reflect the difference between them. The SD of 24-h pulse rate values was calculated as SD-pulse rate. Furthermore, according to the SD-pulse rate, the patients were divided into ≤5, 6-10, 11-15 and >15 bpm subgroups.</AbstractText>For the total population, the mean 24-h pulse rate is positively correlated with the mean 24-h ventricular rate, and the Bland-Altman plot showed quite wide 95% limits. As the SD-pulse rate increased, the 24-h mVR-mPR also increased. The mean 24-h mVR-mPR was 0.5 bpm when SD-pulse rate ≤5, 3.5 bpm when SD-pulse rate of 6-10, 7.6 bpm when SD-pulse rate of 11-15, and 12.5 bpm when SD-pulse rate >15 bpm, respectively. Meanwhile, in the SD-pulse rate 0-10 subgroup, the 95% limits were only from -13.8 to 19.7 bpm, while in the >10 subgroup, these values were from -19.5 to 36.5 bpm.</AbstractText>The mean 24-h pulse rate should not be used to represent the true ventricular rate for all atrial fibrillation patients. However, when lower the SD-pulse rate, the mVR-mPR becomes smaller.</AbstractText> |
16,288 | Fever-Induced Brugada-Pattern Electrocardiogram. | Brugada syndrome is an increasingly recognized syndrome characterized by a particular electrocardiography (ECG) pattern and clinical criteria and has a high incidence of sudden death in patients with structurally normal hearts. The Brugada ECG pattern can be unmasked by drugs, ischemia, and fever.</AbstractText>We present the case of a 47-year-old man who presented to the emergency department with flu-like symptoms and syncope. On arrival, he was febrile and his ECG showed a Brugada pattern. Although this pattern resolved once his fever resolved, the cardiologists were concerned that his syncopal episode might have been due to ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation, and the patient was admitted for implantable cardiac defibrillator placement. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Fever and other stressors can unmask a Brugada pattern on ECG, and if patients have concerning clinical criteria, they should receive emergent cardiology follow-up.</AbstractText>Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,289 | Atrial Arrhythmias in Clinically Manifest Cardiac Sarcoidosis: Incidence, Burden, Predictors, and Outcomes. | Background Recent data have suggested a substantial incidence of atrial arrhythmias (AAs) in cardiac sarcoidosis (CS). Our study aims were to first assess how often AAs are the presenting feature of previously undiagnosed CS. Second, we used prospective follow-up data from implanted devices to investigate AA incidence, burden, predictors, and response to immunosuppression. Methods and Results This project is a substudy of the CHASM-CS (Cardiac Sarcoidosis Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study; NCT01477359). Inclusion criteria were presentation with clinically manifest cardiac sarcoidosis, treatment-naive status, and implanted with a device that reported accurate AA burden. Data were collected at each device interrogation visit for all patients and all potential episodes of AA were adjudicated. For each intervisit period, the total AA burden was obtained. A total of 33 patients met the inclusion criteria (aged 56.1±7.7 years, 45.5% women). Only 1 patient had important AAs as a part of the initial CS presentation. During a median follow-up of 49.1 months, 11 of 33 patients (33.3%) had device-detected AAs, and only 2 (6.1%) had a clinically significant AA burden. Both patients had reduced burden after CS was successfully treated and there was no residual fluorodeoxyglucose uptake on positron emission tomography scan. Conclusions First, we found that AAs are a rare presenting feature of clinically manifest cardiac sarcoidosis. Second, AAs occurred in a minority of patients at follow-up; the burden was very low in most patients. Only 2 patients had clinically significant AA burden, and both had a reduction after CS was treated. Registration URL: https://www.clini​caltr​ials.gov; unique identifier NCT01477359. |
16,290 | COVID-19 infection and cardiac arrhythmias. | As the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic marches unrelentingly, more patients with cardiac arrhythmias are emerging due to the effects of the virus on the respiratory and cardiovascular (CV) systems and the systemic inflammation that it incurs, and also as a result of the proarrhythmic effects of COVID-19 pharmacotherapies and other drug interactions and the associated autonomic imbalance that enhance arrhythmogenicity. The most worrisome of all arrhythmogenic mechanisms is the QT prolonging effect of various anti-COVID pharmacotherapies that can lead to polymorphic ventricular tachycardia in the form of torsade des pointes and sudden cardiac death. It is therefore imperative to monitor the QT interval during treatment; however, conventional approaches to such monitoring increase the transmission risk for the staff and strain the health system. Hence, there is dire need for contactless monitoring and telemetry for inpatients, especially those admitted to the intensive care unit, as well as for outpatients needing continued management. In this context, recent technological advances have ushered in a new era in implementing digital health monitoring tools that circumvent these obstacles. All these issues are herein discussed and a large body of recent relevant data are reviewed. |
16,291 | Exercise-induced ventricular tachycardia in a case with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy taking cibenzoline. | We report a 17-year-old woman with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) successfully resuscitated from ventricular fibrillation while taking cibenzoline. During exercise-stress testing before implanting an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, ventricular tachycardia was induced and thought to be a proarrhythmia due to the use-dependent effect of the Na channel blockade with cibenzoline. In patients with arrhythmogenic substrates such as HCM, it is critical to pay attention to the proarrhythmic effects of class I antiarrhythmic drugs while increasing heart rate. |
16,292 | Clinical characteristics and prognosis of hospitalized COVID-19 patients with incident sustained tachyarrhythmias: A multicenter observational study. | Little is still known about the prognostic impact of incident arrhythmias in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and predictors of sustained tachyarrhythmias in hospitalized patients with COVID-19, and their potential association with disease severity and in-hospital mortality.</AbstractText>This was a retrospective multicenter observation study including consecutive patients with laboratory confirmed COVID-19 admitted to emergency department of ten Italian Hospitals from 15 February to 15 March 2020. The prevalence and the type of incident sustained arrhythmias have been collected. The correlation between the most prevalent arrhythmias and both baseline characteristics and the development of ARDS and in-hospital mortality has been evaluated.</AbstractText>414 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 (66.9 ± 15.0 years, 61.1% male) were included in the present study. During a median follow-up of 28 days (IQR: 12-45), the most frequent incident sustained arrhythmia was AF (N: 71; 17.1%), of which 50 (12.1%) were new-onset and 21 (5.1%) were recurrent, followed by VT (N: 14, 3.4%) and supraventricular arrhythmias (N: 5, 1.2%). Incident AF, both new-onset and recurrent, did not affect the risk of severe adverse events including ARDS and death during hospitalization; in contrast, incident VT significantly increased the risk of in-hospital mortality (RR: 2.55; P: .003).</AbstractText>AF is the more frequent incident tachyarrhythmia; however, it not seems associated to ARDS development and death. On the other hand, incident VT is a not frequent but independent predictor of in-hospital mortality among hospitalized COVID-19 patients.</AbstractText>© 2020 Stichting European Society for Clinical Investigation Journal Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,293 | Injection of contrast medium through a delivery sheath reveals interventricular septal vascular injury in a case of left bundle branch pacing. | A 70-year-old woman with symptomatic bradycardia caused by persistent atrial fibrillation and atrioventricular block was referred to our institution for pacemaker implantation. After we failed to obtain adequate His bundle capture thresholds (>2.5 V at 1.0 ms) at three pacing sites, left bundle branch pacing was attempted as an alternative technique. The tip of the 3830 lead was screwed towards the left side of the interventricular septum. Contrast medium was injected through the C315 sheath, which was placed close to the right side of the interventricular septum to determine the exact depth of the 3830 lead inside the septum. Unexpectedly, the vessels in the interventricular septum were revealed by the contrast, which showed that the lead had penetrated one of the septal vessels. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a patient in whom injection of a contrast agent through a delivery sheath showed damage to the interventricular septal vessels. Findings from this case suggest that injection of contrast medium through a C315 sheath that is placed close to the interventricular septum is a potential method for excluding damage to interventricular septal vessels. |
16,294 | Primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillators in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy-Are there predictors of appropriate therapy? | Identifying patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) who warrant a primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is crucial. ICDs are effective in terminating life-threatening arrhythmias; however, ICDs carry risks of complications.</AbstractText>The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence and predictors of appropriate ICD therapies, inappropriate shocks, and device-related complications in patients with HCM and primary prevention ICDs.</AbstractText>All patients with HCM who underwent primary prevention ICD implantation at Toronto General Hospital between September 2000 and December 2017 were identified. Therapies (shocks or antitachycardia pacing) for ventricular tachycardia >180 beats/min or ventricular fibrillation were considered appropriate.</AbstractText>Three hundred two patients were followed for a mean 6.1 ± 4.3 years (1801 patient-years of follow-up). Thirty-eight patients (12.6%) received at least 1 appropriate ICD therapy (2.3%/y); the 5-year cumulative probability of receiving appropriate ICD therapy was 9.6%. None of the conventional risk factors nor the European Society of Cardiology risk score was associated with appropriate ICD therapy. In multivariable analysis, age < 40 years at implantation and atrial fibrillation were independent predictors of appropriate ICD therapy. In a subgroup of patients who had undergone cardiac magnetic resonance imaging before ICD implantation, severe late gadolinium enhancement was the strongest predictor of appropriate ICD therapies. ICD-related complications or inappropriate shocks occurred in 87 patients (28.8%), with an inappropriate shock rate of 2.1%/y; the 5-year cumulative probability was 10.7%.</AbstractText>The incidence of appropriate ICD therapies in patients with HCM and primary prevention ICDs is lower than previously reported; a high proportion of patients suffer from an ICD-related complication. Traditional risk factors have low predictive utility. Severe late gadolinium enhancement, atrial fibrillation, and young age are important predictors of ventricular tachyarrhythmias in HCM.</AbstractText>Copyright © 2020 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,295 | Determinants of left atrial thrombus or spontaneous echo contrast in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. | The CHADS2</sub> and CHA2</sub>DS2</sub>-VASc scores are well-established clinical scales to estimate the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the predictive power of the two scales concerning left atrial thrombus (LAT) or spontaneous echo contrast (SEC) has not been well investigated. Therefore, we investigated the predict power of CHADS2</sub> and CHA2</sub>DS2</sub>-VASc scores concerning LAT/SEC; identified clinical, echocardiographic and laboratory predictors of LAT/SEC in addition to the CHADS2</sub> and CHA2</sub>DS2</sub>-VASc scores; and derived a new scale to predict LAT/SEC accurately, it might improve thromboembolic risk stratification in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.</AbstractText>We identified 1102 consecutive AF patients who underwent transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for the purpose of the exclusion of LAT before catheter ablation, cardioversion or left atrial appendage occlusion. The clinical, echocardiographic and laboratory characteristics of patients were collected from the electronic medical record system.</AbstractText>In the study, the prevalence of LAT/SEC was only 4.36%. In the multivariate logistic analysis, hypertension, left atrial enlargement, prior stroke/TIA, left ventricular dysfunction, and renal dysfunction were predictors of LAT/SEC. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that c-statistics of the CHADS2</sub> and CHA2</sub>DS2</sub>-VASc scores concerning LAT/SEC were 0.673 and 0.643, respectively. We derived a new scale composed of variables from the multivariate logistic analysis that showed a higher c-statistic value (0.761) than the CHADS2</sub> and CHA2</sub>DS2</sub>-VASc scores for the prediction of LAT/SEC.</AbstractText>In our cohort, we found two variables not included in the CHA2</sub>DS2</sub>-VASc score (renal dysfunction, left atrial enlargement) were independent predictors of LAT/SEC. A new scale combining clinical, echocardiographic and laboratory predictors might improve thromboembolic risk stratification. And there is a great need to carry out a new prospective and multicenter study, with a population more homogenous and including all the determinants for LAT/SEC to establish the independent degree of each variable and the applicability in clinical practice, facilitating the emergence of a new score of thromboembolic risk in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.</AbstractText>Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.</CopyrightInformation> |
16,296 | Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation to Support Life-Threatening Drug-Refractory Electrical Storm. | Despite rapid implementation of anti-arrhythmic treatment and sedation and controlling the triggering event, rare patients develop treatment-refractory electrical storm and their hemodynamic instability prevents emergency catheter ablation. In that context, venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation could rapidly restore hemodynamics and tissue perfusion and reduce myocardial oxygen consumption, until adequate anti-arrhythmic drug levels are reached to safely perform catheter ablation.</AbstractText>Retrospective, multicenter study over an 8-year period.</AbstractText>Two French tertiary care centers.</AbstractText>Eighty-three consecutive adults with venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation-supported treatment-refractory electrical storm (median [interquartile range] age, 55 yr [48-63 yr]).</AbstractText>Fifty-nine percent of these patients had acute ischemic cardiomyopathy and 66% underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation prior to venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation initiation, with 18% cannulated during it. Fifty patients (60%) had ventricular tachycardia and/or ventricular fibrillation alternating with short periods of sinus rhythm and 33 (40%) had refractory ventricular tachycardia and/or ventricular fibrillation. Twelve patients (15%) underwent safe catheter ablation under venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. After a median of 3 days (1-13 d) on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support, 37 patients (45%) were successfully weaned off and 42% were alive 6 months post-ICU admission. Multivariable analysis retained ventricular tachycardia and/or ventricular fibrillation episodes alternating with short periods of sinus rhythm (odds ratio, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.06-0.52; p = 0.002) and age less than 50 years (odds ratio, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.18-0.89; p = 0.002) as being independent protective factors with 6-month survival, regardless of the underlying electrical storm cause.</AbstractText>Among venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation-supported drug-refractory electrical storm patients, 42% survived 6 months post-ICU admission. Ventricular tachycardia and/or ventricular fibrillation episodes alternating with short periods of sinus rhythm and age less than 50 years were independently associated with better survival.</AbstractText> |
16,297 | Regularly irregular, regular and irregularly irregular - All at the same time! | An interesting case of dual tachycardia with coexisting atrial fibrillation and idiopathic left ventricular tachycardia is presented wherein transient ventricular bigeminal rhythm was observed. |
16,298 | Identifying Phenogroups in patients with subclinical diastolic dysfunction using unsupervised statistical learning. | Subclinical diastolic dysfunction is a precursor for developing heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF); yet not all patients progress to HFpEF. Our objective was to evaluate clinical and echocardiographic variables to identify patients who develop HFpEF.</AbstractText>Clinical, laboratory, and echocardiographic data were retrospectively collected for 81 patients without HF and 81 matched patients with HFpEF at the time of first documentation of subclinical diastolic dysfunction. Density-based clustering or hierarchical clustering to group patients was based on 65 total variables including 19 categorical and 46 numerical variables. Logistic regression analysis was conducted on the entire study population as well as each individual cluster to identify independent predictors of HFpEF.</AbstractText>Unsupervised clustering identified 3 subgroups which differed in gender composition, severity of cardiac hypertrophy and aortic stenosis, NT-proBNP, percentage of patients who progressed to HFpEF, and timing of disease progression from diastolic dysfunction to HFpEF to death. Clusters that had higher percentages of women had progressively milder cardiac hypertrophy, less severe aortic stenosis, lower NT-proBNP, were diagnosed at an older age with HFpEF, and survived to an older age. Independent predictors of HFpEF for the entire cohort included diabetes, chronic kidney disease, atrial fibrillation, and diuretic use, with additional predictive variables found for each cluster.</AbstractText>Cluster analysis can identify phenotypically distinct subgroups of patients with diastolic dysfunction. Clusters differ in HFpEF and mortality outcome. In addition, the variables that correlate with and predict HFpEF outcome differ among clusters.</AbstractText> |
16,299 | Cardiovascular Involvement in Pediatric Laminopathies. Report of Six Patients and Literature Revision. | Lamin A/C (<i>LMNA</i>) encodes for two nuclear intermediate filament proteins. Mutations in <i>LMNA</i> cause a highly heterogeneous group of diseases predominantly leading to muscular or cardiac disease, lipodystrophy syndromes, peripheral neuropathy, and accelerated aging disorders. Cardiac involvement includes progressive arrhythmias (brady/tachyarrhythmias, sudden cardiac death). Furthermore, cardiomyocyte damage often progresses into dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), rarely described in the pediatric age group. Neuromuscular manifestations are even rarer in children. We report on six pediatric patients with <i>LMNA</i> mutations: patient 1 was operated on for aortic coarctation, non-compact left ventricle, atrial fibrillation (AF) preceding the diagnosis of DCM; patient 2 was operated on for ventricular septal defect (VSD), developed after years malignant arrhythmias preceding the progression to DCM (left ventricular non-compaction with LV dysfunction); patient 3 had ectopic atrial tachycardia as first manifestation of a DCM; patients 4 and 5 had no major arrhythmic events but only dilated ascending aorta, mildly dilated LV with mild hypertrabeculation of the lateral wall and a normally functioning but dilated left ventricle, respectively; patient 6 showed aortic coarctation, supraventricular tachycardia. Paroxysmal AF occurred in patients 1, 2, and 3 (50% of cases). Our series highlight the coexistence of congenital heart defects (CHDs) and aortic involvement with laminopathies in four of our patients: consisting of aortic coarctation (two patients), aortic root dilatation (one patient), and VSD (one patient). Aortic changes in laminopathies have been reported only once in an adult patient. This is the first report in the pediatric setting, and no associations with CHD have been previously described. |
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