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Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi 2019 Jan;99(5):380-383

Department of Neurosurgery, Jinhua Municipal Central Hospital, Jinhua 321000, China.

To investigate the related risk factors for hemorrhagic transformation (HT) of cerebellar infarction after posterior fossa decompression surgery. A total of 91 patients with cerebellar infarction were treated by posterior fossa decompression surgery in Department of Neurosurgery of Jinhua Municipal Central Hospital from Jan 2010 to Jan 2018, were selected as study subjects. The HT group included 17 cases, while the Non-HT group included 74 cases. Read More

Thromb Res 2019 Jan 19;176:33-35. Epub 2019 Jan 19.

Department of Biochemistry, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry 605006, India.

Introduction: Early achievement of therapeutic INR leads to shorter hospital stay and lesser cost. Two warfarin initiation nomograms (10 mg nomogram and 5 mg nomogram) are widely used but it is not yet clear which one is better. They have been validated in the West but there are no studies from India. Read More

Heart Rhythm 2019 Jan 30. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

Division of Cardiology; University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA. Electronic address:

Background: Triggers for discrete atrial fibrillation (AF) events remain poorly studied and incompletely characterized.

Objective: The present study describes common triggers for AF and their relationships with patient characteristics.

Methods: We invited symptomatic, paroxysmal AF patients enrolled in the Health eHeart Study and through the patient-centered advocacy organization StopAfib. Read More

Heart Rhythm 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Centre for Heart Rhythm disorders (CHRD), South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), University of Adelaide and Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia. Electronic address:

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common after pacemaker implantation. Nevertheless, the impact of pacemaker algorithms in AF prevention is not well understood.

Objectives: To evaluate the role of pacing algorithms in preventing AF progression. Read More

Trends Cardiovasc Med 2019 Feb 5. Epub 2019 Feb 5.

Center for Clinical Research and Disease Prevention, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, The Capital Region, Copenhagen, Denmark; Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Human Genomics and Metagenomics in Metabolism, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Childhood obesity adversely affects the structure and function of the cardiovascular system, but the relationship between excessive weight gain during childhood and adult cardiovascular disease (CVD) is not fully understood. This review summarizes evidence for associations of change in body mass index (BMI) from childhood onwards with CVD outcomes. We found that excessive gain in BMI from childhood onwards was consistently associated with the presence of CVD risk factors, with increased risks of coronary heart disease, and there were suggestions of associations with stroke, atrial fibrillation and heart failure, but a lack of evidence precludes firm conclusions. Read More

Int J Cardiol 2019 Apr;280:98

Lymphoid Malignancies Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.

Int J Cardiol 2019 Apr;280:97

Internal and Cardiovascular Medicine - Stroke Unit, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.

Am J Cardiol 2019 Feb 10. Epub 2019 Feb 10.

Department of Medicine, Section on Cardiology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Epidemiological Cardiology Research Center (EPICARE), Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Electronic address:

We examined whether the sex differences in atrial fibrillation (AF) is related to difference in risk factors leading to AF or due to a differential impact of the same risk factors in 11,806 participants (55.2 % women) from the REGARDS study. Incident AF was ascertained by electrocardiograms and medical history at a follow-up examination. Read More

Atherosclerosis 2019 Jan 24;283:13-18. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chiayi Christian Hospital, Chiayi City, Taiwan; Department of Information Management and Institute of Healthcare Information Management, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi County, Taiwan. Electronic address:

Background And Aims: Stroke occurrence while on antiplatelet therapy, i.e., a breakthrough stroke, is often conveniently attributed to antiplatelet resistance. Read More

Clin Res Cardiol 2019 Feb 15. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

Semmelweis University Heart and Vascular Centre, Városmajor u. 68, Budapest, 1122, Hungary.

Objective: Patients with electrical injury are considered to be at high risk of cardiac arrhythmias. Due to the small number of studies, there is no widely accepted guideline regarding the risk assessment and management of arrhythmic complications after electrical accident (EA). Our retrospective observational study was designed to determine the prevalence of ECG abnormalities and cardiac arrhythmias after EA, to evaluate the predictive value of cardiac biomarkers for this condition and to assess in-hospital and 30-day mortality. Read More

Clin Res Cardiol 2019 Feb 15. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

Department of Cardiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.

Background: Underuse of oral anticoagulation (OAC) for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF) results in thousands of preventable strokes in Germany each year. This study aimed to assess changes in antithrombotic therapy in AF patients after increased use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in Germany and to evaluate whether the adoption of DOAC therapy was associated with changes in AF-related stroke and bleeding over time.

Methods: Analyses were carried out on a large claims-based dataset of 4 million health-insured Germans. Read More

BMC Cardiovasc Disord 2019 Feb 15;19(1):40. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

Department of Cardiology, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, No. 16766 Jingshi Road, 250014, Jinan, People's Republic of China.

Background: Structural remodeling is critical to the initiation and maintenance of atrial fibrillation (AF). IGF1, insulin like growth factor 1, has been recognized as contributor to fibrosis. However, the roles and mechanisms of IGF1 in structural remodeling during AF is still unclear. Read More

Eur J Intern Med 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Department of Cardiology, Cardiology I, University Medical Center Mainz (Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz), Mainz, Germany.

Aims: Syncope is a common phenomenon in the general population. Although most of the causes are of benign origin, some comorbidities are accompanied by high mortality. We aimed to compare the in-hospital mortality of patients with syncope related to different comorbities and investigate the impact of syncope in patients with atrial fibrillation/flutter (AF). Read More

J Cardiol 2019 Feb 12. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Yonsei University Health System, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

Background: Amiodarone, which inhibits CYP2C9 and P-glycoprotein, is commonly prescribed with non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) and polypharmacy in high-risk atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. We studied efficacy and safety of NOACs in AF patients receiving amiodarone, P-glycoprotein inhibitor, or polypharmacy.

Methods: After a systematic database search (Medline, EMBASE, CENTRAL, SCOPUS, and Web of Science), four phase-III randomized trials comparing NOACs and warfarin in "with/without amiodarone," "with/without P-glycoprotein inhibitors," or "with/without multiple (≥5, polypharmacy) concomitant drugs" subgroups were included. Read More

JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2019 Feb 15;7(2):e11606. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China (Hong Kong).

Background: Mobile phone apps capable of monitoring arrhythmias and heart rate (HR) are increasingly used for screening, diagnosis, and monitoring of HR and rhythm disorders such as atrial fibrillation (AF). These apps involve either the use of (1) photoplethysmographic recording or (2) a handheld external electrocardiographic recording device attached to the mobile phone or wristband.

Objective: This review seeks to explore the current state of mobile phone apps in cardiac rhythmology while highlighting shortcomings for further research. Read More

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich) 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Department of Medicine, Clinical Medicine Unit, Functional Area of Emergency Medicine at Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden.

Direct current (DC) cardioversion is used to convert persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) to sinus rhythm (SR), but there is limited knowledge about how blood pressure (BP) is affected by conversion to SR. We sought to evaluate how BP changed in AF patients who converted to SR, compared to patients still in AF. In this retrospective registry analysis, we included a total of 487 patients, treated with DC cardioversion for persistent AF. Read More

J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Heart Center, Japan Red Cross Yokohama City Bay Hospital, Yokohama.

Introduction: The left atrial (LA) posterior wall (LAPW) has been targeted to improve clinical outcomes in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (PersAF). This study aimed to investigate the feasibility, safety, and clinical implications of CB applications on the LAPW to accomplish electrical isolation (EI) of the LAPW with cryoballoon (CB).

Methods: A total of 100 patients (males: 84, mean age: 64±10 years) with PersAF were enrolled. Read More

J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Clinica Montevergine, Mercogliano (AV), Italy.

It is not unusual to find areas of organized atrial activity in the left atrium during atrial fibrillation but when it happens these rhythms are mostly interrelated. Our report shows that extensive ablation can dissociate different portions of the same chamber to the point that simultaneous occurring atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation can be studied and terminated independently from each other This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Read More

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich) 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy.

J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Department of Cardiology, Shaoxing People's Hospital (Shaoxing Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine), 568 # Zhongxing North Road, 312000, P. R. China.

Introduction: A left common pulmonary vein (LCPV) is a common anatomical variant in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. Whether a LCPV influences outcomes of repeated radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) for AF has not been elucidated.

Methods: From a prospectively collected database, we enrolled 154 patients who received repeated RFCA for recurrent AF after the initial RFCA (56 ± 9 years, 72% paroxysmal AF, 32 patients with a LCPV and 122 patients with typical left-sided PVs). Read More

Clin Res Cardiol 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Department of Cardiology I, University Hospital Muenster, Münster, Germany.

Background: Cardiac involvement in myotonic dystrophy type 1 (MD1) includes conduction disease, arrhythmias, and left-ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction leading to an increased sudden cardiac death risk. An understanding of the interplay between electrical and structural myocardial changes could improve the prediction of adverse cardiac events. We aimed to explore the relationship between signs of cardiomyopathy by conventional and advanced cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR), and electrical abnormalities in MD1. Read More

Int J Cardiol Heart Vasc 2019 Mar 2;22:150-153. Epub 2019 Feb 2.

Department of Bioinformational Pharmacology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) can be initiated from arrhythmogenic foci within the muscular sleeves that extend not only into the pulmonary veins but also into both vena cavae. Patients with SVC-derived AF have the common clinical and genetic risk factors. Bayesian network analysis is a probabilistic model in which a qualitative dependency relationship among random variables is represented by a graph structure and a quantitative relationship between individual variables is expressed by a conditional probability. Read More

Front Neurosci 2019 31;13:18. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Department of Clinical Research, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlândia, Brazil.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the cardiovascular risk factors for dementia. Several longitudinal studies have reported an association between AF and dementia independently of stroke history. Although the mechanisms underlying this association are not fully understood, proposed mechanisms include cerebral hypoperfusion, inflammation, genetic factors, cerebral microbleeds, and recurrent silent cerebral ischemia. Read More

J Investig Med 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

University Heart Center Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.

Research on atrial histology of humans without cardiovascular disease is scarce. Therefore, our aim was to study human atrial histology in subjects without cardiovascular disease. Histology of the right atrium, left atrium or atrial septum was studied in eight patients (one newborn infant and seven adults) who died of a non-cardiac cause and who were not known to suffer from any cardiovascular pathology. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2019 Feb 13;12(2). Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Centenary Hospital for Women and Children, Canberra Hospital, Garran, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.

A 36-year-old woman with a history of one previous caesarean section presented to the birthing suite of a regional hospital with spontaneous rupture of membranes at 39+2/40 weeks. Syntocinon was administered to initiate uterine contractions in the absence of labour, as the patient desired vaginal birth. A caesarean section was subsequently indicated and ergometrine was administered for uterine atony. Read More

J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth 2019 Jan 22. Epub 2019 Jan 22.

Department of Anesthesiology, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, OH.

This article is the first in an annual series for the Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia. The authors thank the editor-in-chief, Dr. Kaplan, the associate editor-in-chief, Dr. Read More

J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth 2019 Jan 16. Epub 2019 Jan 16.

Division of Cardiovascular Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.

Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2019 Feb;12(2):e005173

Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (S.S., C.G., J.M.F., M.K., K.F.H.).

Background The increasing availability of electronic healthcare data enables ongoing monitoring of the effectiveness and safety of newly marketed medications. We sought to demonstrate a 5-year prospective monitoring system of dabigatran for stroke prevention that may expedite discovery and allow ongoing evidence development. Methods and Results Between 2011 and 2015, we conducted 9 sequential analyses of dabigatran versus warfarin users in a sequential cohort design in 2 US claims databases. Read More

Circulation 2019 Feb 15. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

Department of Medical Biochemistry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.

Background: Bradyarrhythmia is a common clinical manifestation. Although the majority of cases are acquired, genetic analysis of families with bradyarrhythmia has identified a growing number of causative gene mutations. Since the only ultimate treatment for symptomatic bradyarrhythmia has been invasive surgical implantation of a pacemaker, the discovery of novel therapeutic molecular targets is necessary to improve prognosis and quality of life. Read More

Heart Rhythm 2019 Feb 11. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. Electronic address:

Background: Fasciculoventricular fibers (FVFs) are responsible for 1-5% of cases of asymptomatic pre-excitation on surface electrocardiogram (ECG). Unlike ventricular pre-excitation seen in Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome, FVFs are not associated with sudden cardiac death from pre-excited atrial fibrillation.

Objective: To identify surface ECG variables that differentiate FVFs from true WPW syndrome. Read More

Heart Rhythm 2019 Feb 11. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David's Medical Center. Austin, Texas, USA. Electronic address:

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) triggers within the coronary sinus (CS)/great cardiac vein (GCV) and the left atrial appendage (LAA) have been recognized as non-pulmonary veins (PV) triggers of AF.

Objective: The aim of our study is to report unusual pattern of LAA electrical isolation (LAAEI).

Methods: 488 consecutive patients undergoing catheter ablation for persistent or long standing persistent AF who showed firing from the LAA and or from the CS/GCV have been enrolled in this multicenter prospective study. Read More

Ann Vasc Surg 2019 Feb 11. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Division of Vascular Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address:

Background: Primary closure (PC) and patch angioplasty (PA) during carotid endarterectomy (CEA) have been disputed in many studies. Some studies announced that PC is associated with a higher restenosis rate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of PC and PA using propensity score matching (PSM). Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2019 Feb;98(7):e14499

Department of Ultrasonic Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.

Background: It is well known that atrial fibrillation (AF) carried a high risk of cognitive decline, which is independent of stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Whether anticoagulation is associated with reduced risk of cognitive decline in participants with AF still remains controversial. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the effect of anticoagulation on the risk of cognitive decline in patients with AF. Read More

J Cardiovasc Med (Hagerstown) 2019 Feb 11. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Dipartimento di Cardiologia, Ospedale Generale Regionale 'F. Miulli', Acquaviva delle Fonti, Bari, Italy.

Aims: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is the cornerstone of catheter ablation in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF). Studies reported that the PVI single procedure was able to achieve durable sinus rhythm without the need of antiarrhythmic drugs in 60-80% of patients with PAF. In this study, we report data regarding bilateral left lateral ridge ablation for PAF. Read More

Heart Vessels 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kitasato University School of Medicine, 1-15-1, Kitasato, Minami-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-0374, Japan.

We have shown that a dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitor suppresses atrial remodeling in a canine atrial fibrillation (AF) model. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is increased by DPP-4 inhibitors. However, it is not clear whether GLP-1 is involved in the suppression of atrial remodeling. Read More

Environ Toxicol 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Department of Biological Science and Technology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.

Ouabain, a cardiotonic steroid, was used for the treatment of heart failure and atrial fibrillation and induces cancer cell apoptosis in many human cancer cells including human leukemia cells. However, there are no reports to show the effects on immune responses in a leukemia mouse model. In this study, WEHI-3 cell generated leukemia mice were developed and treated by oral ouabain at 0, 0. Read More

Nihon Ronen Igakkai Zasshi 2019 ;56(1):74-78

Department of Neurology and Cerebrovascular Medicine, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center.

An 85-year-old woman hospitalized for rehabilitation after cerebral infarction developed persistent bloody diarrhea and was transferred to our hospital (day 1). Contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the abdomen showed edematous thickening extending from the left side of the transverse colon to the rectum, with decreased mucosal enhancement. She was diagnosed with ischemic enteritis. Read More

BMJ 2019 Feb 13;364:l43. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Primary Care and Population Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Aldermoor Health Centre, Southampton, UK

Can J Cardiol 2019 Feb 29;35(2):208-216. Epub 2018 Nov 29.

Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan University, and Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Hubei, China. Electronic address:

Background: Myeloid differentiation protein 1 (MD1) is expressed in various tissues, including the heart. However, the role of MD1 in obesity-related atrial remodelling remains incompletely understood. Here, this study intends to determine the regulatory role and underlying mechanisms of MD1 in obesity-related atrial remodelling. Read More

Can J Cardiol 2019 Feb 3;35(2):160-168. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Terrence Donnelly Heart Centre, St Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Canadian Heart Research Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address:

Background: Physicians treating nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) assess stroke and bleeding risks when deciding on anticoagulation. The agreement between empirical and physician-estimated risks is unclear. Furthermore, the association between patient and physician sex and anticoagulation decision-making is uncertain. Read More

Can J Cardiol 2019 Feb 12;35(2):145-146. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Liverpool and Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom; Aalborg Thrombosis Research Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark. Electronic address:

J Transl Med 2019 Feb 13;17(1):45. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Department of Cardio-Vascular Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most prevalent sustained arrhythmias, however, epidemiological data may understate its actual prevalence. Meanwhile, AF is considered to be a major cause of ischemic strokes due to irregular heart-rhythm, coexisting chronic vascular inflammation, and renal insufficiency, and blood stasis. We studied co-expressed genes to understand relationships between atrial fibrillation (AF) and stroke and reveal potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets of AF-related stroke. Read More

Thromb Haemost 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States.

Clin Res Cardiol 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.

Background: Atrial high rate episodes (AHREs) detected by cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) are associated with an increased risk of stroke. However, the impact of AHRE on improving stroke risk stratification scheme remains uncertain.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of AHRE on prognosis in relation with cardiovascular events and risk stratification. Read More

PLoS One 2019 13;14(2):e0212354. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

International University of Health and Welfare Director, Center for Brain and Cerebral Vessels, Sanno Hospital and Sanno Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan.

The efficacy of early anticoagulation in acute stroke with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) remains unclear. We performed a study to evaluate the risk of recurrent ischemic stroke (IS) and major bleeding in acute IS patients with NVAF who started rivaroxaban. This observational study evaluated patients with NVAF and acute IS/transient ischemic attack (TIA) in the middle cerebral arterial territory who started rivaroxaban within 30 days after the index IS/TIA. Read More

J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Cardiac Electrophysiology and Arrhythmia Service, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Purpose: To describe regional differences in patient characteristics, ablation procedures, and bleeding events in the RE-CIRCUIT study. RE-CIRCUIT was a prospective, multicenter study that captured data from different regions, providing an opportunity to understand the practices followed in various regions. The incidence of major bleeding events (MBEs) was significantly lower with uninterrupted dabigatran versus uninterrupted warfarin. Read More

G Ital Nefrol 2019 Feb;36(1)

Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.

Non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent arrhythmia in the general population and its prevalence increases with age. The prevalence and incidence of AF is high in patients with chronic kidney failure (CKD). The most important complication associated with AF, both in the general population and in that with CKD, is thromboembolic stroke. Read More

J Am Heart Assoc 2019 Feb;8(4):e010254

1 Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University Nanjing Jiangsu People's Republic of China.

Background Chronic intermittent hypoxia ( CIH ) is a distinct pathological mechanism of obstructive sleep apnea ( OSA ), which is recognized as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. The aims of this study were to ascertain whether CIH induces atrial fibrillation ( AF ), to determine whether cardiac sympathetic denervation ( CSD ) can prevent it and suppress blood pressure, and to explore the potential molecular mechanisms involved. Methods and Results Sixty Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: sham, CSD , CIH , CIH + CSD . Read More

Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

h Bariatric & Metabolic Surgery Clinic , Kirloskar Hospital , Hyderabad , India.

Introduction: Obesity, defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) of ≥30 kg/m2, is the most common chronic metabolic disease worldwide and its prevalence has been strongly increasing. Obesity is associated with various diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Regarding heart rhythm disorders, obesity is associated with an increase in atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common arrhythmia in clinical practice. Read More

Clin Cardiol 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Department of Cardiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.

Background: Cryoballoon isolation is considered a safe and effective treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF). However, recurrence of AF after first cryoballoon ablation occurs in ~30% of patients. Pre-procedurally identifying patients at risk of AF recurrence could be beneficial. Read More