Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Clin Med 2022 Apr 26;11(9). Epub 2022 Apr 26.

Hannover Heart Rhythm Center, Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany.

Mobile health technologies are gaining importance in clinical decision-making. With the capability to monitor the patient's heart rhythm, they have the potential to reduce the time to confirm a diagnosis and therefore are useful in patients eligible for screening of atrial fibrillation as well as in patients with symptoms without documented symptom rhythm correlation. Such is crucial to enable an adequate arrhythmia management including the possibility of a catheter ablation. Read More

J Clin Med 2022 Apr 20;11(9). Epub 2022 Apr 20.

Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang 14068, Korea.

Thalassemia is the most common form of hereditary anemia. Here, we aimed to investigate the 13-year trend of the epidemiologic profiles and risk of comorbidities in thalassemia using a nationwide population-based registry in Korea. Diagnosis of thalassemia, the comorbidities and transfusion events in patients with thalassemia were identified in the Korean National Health Insurance database, which includes the entire population. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022 Apr 28;19(9). Epub 2022 Apr 28.

Department of Clinical Nursing, Medical University, 51-618 Wroclaw, Poland.

Background: The impact of frailty syndrome (FS) and dementia on the convenience and satisfaction with oral anticoagulation (OAC) treatment in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients is not well-known.

Aim: Assessment the impact of FS and dementia on the convenience and satisfaction with OAC treatment in 116 elderly (mean age 75.2, SD = 8. Read More

J Am Coll Cardiol 2022 May;79(19):1932-1948

Department of Cardiology, University Heart and Vascular Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Luebeck, Berlin, Germany; Atrial Fibrillation Network (AFNET), Münster, Germany; Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.

The considerable mortality and morbidity associated with atrial fibrillation (AF) pose a substantial burden on patients and health care services. Although the management of AF historically focused on decreasing AF recurrence, it evolved over time in favor of rate control. Recently, more emphasis has been placed on reducing adverse cardiovascular outcomes using rhythm control, generally by using safe and effective rhythm-control therapies (typically antiarrhythmic drugs and/or AF ablation). Read More

Scand Cardiovasc J 2022 12;56(1):100-102

Department of Radiology, University School of Medicine, Poznan, Poland.

CHADS-VASc score system aids in clinical decision-making in subjects with atrial fibrillation (AF). Little is known on the association between CHADS-VASc scores and brain structure in patients without cardiac arrhythmia. Detailed brain architecture analysis was performed. Read More

Vasc Health Risk Manag 2022 5;18:347-358. Epub 2022 May 5.

Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.

Background: Studies analyze the degree to which gender-based differences are affected by age and comorbidities show mixed results.

Methods: Using a retrospective cohort study, we analyzed 327 consecutive patients who presented to the emergency department (ED) due to Atrial Fibrillation (AF) from 2014 to 2017 with follow-up at one year.

Results: Females with AF were older (p < 0. Read More

Thromb Haemost 2022 May 11. Epub 2022 May 11.

Institut de Cancérologie et d'Hématologie, CHU de Brest, Brest, France.

Background: The management of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) is based on the reduction of thrombosis risk. The incidence, impact, and risk factors of bleedings have been less studied.

Method: All patients with polycythemia vera (n=339) or essential thrombocythemia (n=528) treated in our center are included in OBENE cohort (NCT02897297). Read More

Lancet Reg Health West Pac 2022 Jun 3;23:100470. Epub 2022 May 3.

Department of Cardiology, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.

Background: Atrial fibrillation(AF) has become a significant public health concern in China, with population aging and urbanization.

Methods: Data screening was performed for 30,244,930 subjects with medical insurance in the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission database between 2015 and 2020. Patients diagnosed with AF were identified and further assessed for treatment information and clinical outcomes, as well as sex differences and impact of COVID-19 pandemic on AF managment. Read More

Rev Esp Cardiol (Engl Ed) 2022 May 3. Epub 2022 May 3.

Cardiology Unit, University Hospital Policlinico Riuniti, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.

Introduction And Objectives: Octogenarians represent the most rapidly expanding population segment in Europe. The prevalence of heart failure (HF) in this group exceeds 10%. We assessed changes in clinical characteristics, therapy, and 1-year outcomes over 2 decades in chronic HF outpatients aged ≥ 80 years enrolled in a nationwide cardiology registry. Read More

JACC Cardiovasc Interv 2022 May;15(9):950-961

Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA; Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Yale New Haven Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/JFreeMD.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare outcomes among patients from the PROTECT-AF (WATCHMAN Left Atrial Appendage System for Embolic PROTECTion in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation) and PREVAIL (Evaluation of the WATCHMAN Left Atrial Appendage [LAA] Closure Device in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Versus Long Term Warfarin Therapy) left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) trials with matched patients from the National Cardiovascular Data Registry LAAO Registry using patient-level data.

Background: Patients undergoing LAAO in clinical practice generally have more comorbidities than trial participants.

Methods: Propensity-matched analyses, with up to 3 registry patients matched to each trial patient, were performed using Cox proportional hazards and Fine-Gray models. Read More

BMC Cardiovasc Disord 2022 05 4;22(1):204. Epub 2022 May 4.

Centre for Heart Rhythm Disorders, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac tachyarrhythmia and has a rising global prevalence. Given the increasing burden of AF-related symptoms and complications, new approaches to management are required. Anemia and iron deficiency are common conditions in patients with AF. Read More

J Invasive Cardiol 2022 May;34(5):E348-E355

Interventional Cardiology, Cardiologicum Hamburg, Schloßgarten 3-7, 22401 Hamburg, Germany.

Background: Left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) is recommended for patients with atrial fibrillation at increased stroke risk, where effective long-term oral anticoagulation (OAC) is not feasible. In order to assess long-term safety of LAAO with aspirin monotherapy or no therapy, we aimed to report on patients with the Watchman LAAO device (Boston Scientific) once postimplantation intensified antiplatelet or anticoagulation therapy is discontinued.

Methods: A total of 1025 patients scheduled for elective LAAO therapy prospectively consented for participation in the EWOLUTION registry; 1005 patients received a successful implant and were followed for 2 years. Read More

Heart Rhythm 2022 Apr 26. Epub 2022 Apr 26.

Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona.

This international multidisciplinary document is intended to guide electrophysiologists, cardiologists, other clinicians, and health care professionals in caring for patients with arrhythmic complications of neuromuscular disorders (NMDs). The document presents an overview of arrhythmias in NMDs followed by detailed sections on specific disorders: Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Becker muscular dystrophy, and limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2; myotonic dystrophy type 1 and type 2; Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy and limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 1B; facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy; and mitochondrial myopathies, including Friedreich ataxia and Kearns-Sayre syndrome, with an emphasis on managing arrhythmic cardiac manifestations. End-of-life management of arrhythmias in patients with NMDs is also covered. Read More

Arch Cardiovasc Dis 2022 Mar 8;115(3):179-189. Epub 2022 Mar 8.

Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, INSERM U970, 75015 Paris, France.

Cardiovascular diseases, which are the leading global cause of death, should increase by 40% by 2030, reaching close to 24 million deaths worldwide. Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm disorder, ahead of conduction disturbances and ventricular arrhythmias. Studies estimate that 7. Read More

J Investig Med 2022 Apr 28. Epub 2022 Apr 28.

Department of Management, Policy and Community Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.

Arrhythmias are a major cardiac complication reported among patients with multiple myeloma (MM), but these have not been further characterized in this population. We explored the prevalence of arrhythmias and examined the predictors of mortality among patients with MM with arrhythmias. The National Inpatient Sample data collected between 2016 and 2018 were used to conduct retrospective analyses. Read More

In Vivo 2022 May-Jun;36(3):1534-1543

Department 10 - Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, 'Iuliu Hatieganu' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

Background/aim: Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) has a significant morbidity and mortality, despite representing a non-dominant hemorrhagic stroke. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of the emergency department (ED) point-of-care (POC) biomarkers on early mortality in sICH patients.

Patients And Methods: Demographic data, medical history and admission clinical parameters from adult patients with imaging-based sICH diagnosis were collected retrospectively, upon their ED presentation over a period of 18 months. Read More

J Am Heart Assoc 2022 May 27;11(9):e024989. Epub 2022 Apr 27.

Department of Neurology, Inselspital Bern University Hospital, and University of Bern Bern Switzerland.

Background We aimed to determine the diagnostic yield of transthoracic (TTE) and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in patients with ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack with established indications for direct oral anticoagulants before the index event. Methods and Results This was a retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients with preceding established indications for long-term therapeutic direct oral anticoagulants presenting to a single comprehensive stroke center with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack. Choice of echocardiography modality was based on expert recommendations. Read More

Circ J 2022 Apr 27. Epub 2022 Apr 27.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Fukushima Medical University.

Background: After the publication of the Japanese Circulation Society guideline of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in 2010, with new evidence and changes to the health insurance system, trends in the practice pattern for SDB in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) might have changed.Methods and Results: This study evaluated the temporal changes in the practice pattern for SDB by using a nationwide claim database, the Japanese Registry of All Cardiac and Vascular Diseases - Diagnosis Procedure Combination (JROAD-DPC), from 2012 to 2019. The main findings were: (1) the number of CVD patients diagnosed with SDB increased (especially those with atrial fibrillation [AF] and heart failure [HF]); (2) the number of diagnostic tests for SDB performed during hospitalization increased for AF patients (from 1. Read More

J Am Heart Assoc 2022 May 26;11(9):e024501. Epub 2022 Apr 26.

Hartford HealthCare, Heart and Vascular Institute Hartford CT.

Background Inherited cardiomyopathies (ICs) are relatively rare. General cardiologists have little experience in diagnosing and managing these conditions. International societies have recognized the need for dedicated IC clinics. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2022 Jun 20;172:73-80. Epub 2022 Apr 20.

Department of Cardiology, AOUP Cisanello, University Hospital, Pisa, Italy.

Although most patients with small aortic annulus are women, there is paucity of data on the prognostic impact of small aortic prosthesis in women who underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the impact of small valve size on 1-year clinical outcomes after TAVI in women. The Women's INternational Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation is an all-women registry evaluating patients with severe aortic stenosis who underwent TAVI. Read More

Expert Rev Med Devices 2022 Apr 25:1-14. Epub 2022 Apr 25.

Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Liverpool and Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital, Liverpool, UK.

Introduction: Mobile health (mHealth) solutions in atrial fibrillation (AF) are becoming widespread, thanks to everyday life devices, such as smartphones. Their use is validated both in monitoring and in screening scenarios. In the published literature, the diagnostic accuracy of mHealth solutions wide differs, and their current clinical use is not well established in principal guidelines. Read More

J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2022 Apr 6;9(4). Epub 2022 Apr 6.

Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy.

Because of demographic aging, the prevalence of arterial hypertension (HTN) and cardiac arrhythmias, namely atrial fibrillation (AF), is progressively increasing. Not only are these clinical entities strongly connected, but, acting with a synergistic effect, their association may cause a worse clinical outcome in patients already at risk of ischemic and/or haemorrhagic stroke and, consequently, disability and death. Despite the well-known association between HTN and AF, several pathogenetic mechanisms underlying the higher risk of AF in hypertensive patients are still incompletely known. Read More

Clin Interv Aging 2022 13;17:479-493. Epub 2022 Apr 13.

Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.

Purpose: The prognostic impact of new-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF) among different heart failure (HF) subtypes including HF with preserved (HFpEF, ejection fraction [EF] ≥50%), mid-range (HFmrEF, EF 40%~49%), and reduced (HFrEF, EF <40%) EF following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the incidence and prognostic implication of post-MI NOAF across HF subtypes.

Patients And Methods: We included 1413 patients with post-MI HF (743 with HFpEF, 342 with HFmrEF and 328 with HFrEF) between February 2014 and March 2018. Read More

J Assoc Physicians India 2022 Apr;70(4):11-12

Government Medical College, Nagpur.

Although anti-thrombotic therapy is known to reduce embolic episodes leading to various ischemic events in patients with atrial fibrillation, it is strongly underused even in developed countries.

Material: In an observational study, total 141 diagnosed cases of atrial fibrillation more than 18 years of age were studied from a period of 1st September 2019 to 31st August 2021. Detailed history, physical examination and relevant investigations were carried out. Read More

Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992) 2022 Mar;68(3):384-388

Pamukkale University, Faculty of Medicine, Cardiology Department - Denizli, Turkey.

Background: The CHA2DS2-VASc score is used to determine thromboembolic risk in cases of atrial fibrillation. The predictive value of this score in predicting coronary collateral circulation in chronic total occlusion is unknown.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the CHA2DS2-VASc score and coronary collateral circulation in patients with chronic total occlusion. Read More

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich) 2022 May 18;24(5):630-637. Epub 2022 Apr 18.

Department of Cardiology, Dalian Municipal Central Hospital, Dalian, Liaoning, China.

Little is known about the epidemiology and impact of atrial fibrillation (AF) on cardiovascular diseases (CVD) mortality among hypertensive elderly population in northeast China. The community-based study included 4497 hypertensive elderly residents aged ≥65 years who lived in northeast China from September 2017 to March 2019. Information on CVD deaths was obtained from baseline until July 31, 2021. Read More

Eur Heart J Case Rep 2022 Apr 23;6(4):ytac126. Epub 2022 Mar 23.

Agnes Ginges Centre for Molecular Cardiology at Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.

Background: While athletes are generally very fit, intense exercise can increase the risk of atrial fibrillation. Moreover, other arrhythmias such as atrial flutter or supraventricular tachycardia can cause distressing, exercise-related symptoms. Given symptoms are infrequent and may occur during intense exertion, traditional monitoring devices are often impractical to use during exercise. Read More

Int J Cardiol Heart Vasc 2022 Jun 11;40:101030. Epub 2022 Apr 11.

Department of Cardiac and Vascular Surgery, Dokkyo Medical University, Tochigi, Japan.

Background: Limited studies have assessed the factors affecting prognosis in hemodialysis (HD) patients who undergo surgical aortic valve replacement with a bioprostheses (SAVR-BP). This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of HD patients who had undergone SAVR-BP for aortic stenosis (AS) and identify the risk factors for mortality.

Methods: This retrospective study included 57 HD patients who had undergone SAVR-BP for AS between July 2009 and December 2020. Read More

Front Cardiovasc Med 2022 30;9:841020. Epub 2022 Mar 30.

Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with the initiation of oral anticoagulation among patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and concurrent atrial fibrillation (AF) at discharge in China.

Methods: We continuously included hospitalized patients with AIS with an AF diagnosis registered in the computer-based Online Database of Acute Stroke Patients for Stroke Management Quality Evaluation (CASE II) from January 2016 to December 2020 and divided them into a and non-anticoagulant groups according to the medications at discharge. Binary logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with the prescription of anticoagulants in patients with AF. Read More

J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2022 Apr 13. Epub 2022 Apr 13.

Arrhythmia & Electrophysiology Center IRCCS Multimedica Via Milanese 300, Sesto San Giovanni, Milan, Italy.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice. The aim of this review was to evaluate the progress made in the management of AF over the two last decades.

Results: Clinical classification of AF is usually based on the presence of symptoms, the duration of AF episodes and their possible recurrence over time, although incidental diagnosis is not uncommon. Read More