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Intern Med 2023 Sep 22. Epub 2023 Sep 22.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science, Japan.

A persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) is a commonly observed anatomical anomaly that is frequently detected incidentally via computed tomography (CT) imaging. However, the occurrence of a PLSVC with a right superior vena cava (RSVC) defect, also known as "isolated PLSVC," is a much rarer anomaly. This peculiar malformation can lead to sinoatrial dysfunction, thus necessitating pacemaker implantation, which requires delicate manipulation due to various anatomical complexities. Read More

J Nepal Health Res Counc 2023 Sep 8;21(1):8-14. Epub 2023 Sep 8.

Department of Cardiology, Manmohan Cardio Thoracic Vascular and Transplant Centre, Institute of Medicine, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Background: Patients with acute coronary syndrome may lead to various metabolic and electrophysiological changes that induce both asymptomatic and symptomatic life-threatening arrhythmias, which increases morbidity and mortality.

Methods: This observational retrospective study was conducted at Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Center, Institute of Medicine, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal. Three hundred ninety-five patients with a diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome were enrolled in the study. Read More

Pacing Clin Electrophysiol 2023 Sep 22. Epub 2023 Sep 22.

Cardiology Unit, Ramazzini Hospital, Carpi, Modena, Italy.

Pacing Clin Electrophysiol 2023 Sep 20. Epub 2023 Sep 20.

Department of Cardiology, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, India.

Introduction: Long QT syndrome is an inherited malignant channelopathy which leads to life-threatening arrhythmia, with multiple genotypes. Jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome (JLNS) is an autosomal recessive subtype of this disease, characterized by congenital sensorineural deafness and a high incidence of sudden cardiac death (SCD).

Methodology: We prospectively followed up six children who underwent left cardiac sympathetic denervation (LCSD) for JLNS in view of high-risk features despite being on maximally tolerated doses of oral propranolol. Read More

BMC Oral Health 2023 Sep 19;23(1):676. Epub 2023 Sep 19.

Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Aichi Gakuin University, Nagoya, Japan.

Background: Intraoperative sinus arrest is rarely seen during zygomatic fracture treatment. The patient was diagnosed with sick sinus syndrome based on repeated postoperative sinus arrest, which could have resulted in death if diagnosed late, making this case very significant to report.

Case Presentation: Sick sinus syndrome is an arrhythmia associated with reduced automaticity of the sinoatrial node or impaired sinoatrial node conduction. Read More

Cardiovasc Ther 2023 8;2023:7230325. Epub 2023 Sep 8.

Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.

Introduction: Although a recent joint society scientific statement (the American Association of Cardiovascular Pulmonary Rehabilitation, the American Heart Association, and the American College of Cardiology) suggests home-based cardiac rehab (CR) is appropriate for low- and moderate-risk patients, there are no paradigms to define such individuals with coronary heart disease.

Methods: We reviewed a decade of data from all patients with coronary heart disease enrolled in a single CR center (University of Michigan) to identify the prevalence of low-risk factors, which may inform on consideration for participation in alternative models of CR. Low-risk factors included not having any of the following: metabolic syndrome, presence of implantable cardioverter defibrillator or permanent pacemaker, active smoking, prior stroke, congestive heart failure, obesity, advanced renal disease, poor exercise capacity, peripheral arterial disease, angina, or clinical depression (MI'S SCOREPAD). Read More

Cureus 2023 Aug 13;15(8):e43435. Epub 2023 Aug 13.

Internal Medicine, Hurley Medical Center, Flint, USA.

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) have demonstrated efficacy in the prevention of sudden cardiac death secondary to cardiac arrhythmias in eligible patients. Complications with the subcutaneous ICD (S-ICD) are rarer than with the transvenous ICD but do still exist. Our patient presented four weeks after the insertion of S-ICD with complaints of left shoulder pain radiating to the chest wall and swelling over the S-ICD site. Read More

Eur Heart J Acute Cardiovasc Care 2023 Sep 15. Epub 2023 Sep 15.

Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Health Economics, School of Public Health, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.

Background: Arrhythmia is a major complication of Takotsubo syndrome (TTS). However, its incidence, management, and prognostic impact remain to be elucidated in a large cohort.

Methods: We retrospectively identified 16713 patients hospitalized for TTS between July 2010 and March 2021 from the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database. Read More

Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2023 Sep 14. Epub 2023 Sep 14.

Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, The Labatt Family Heart Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children.

Background: Atrioventricular valve (AVV) replacements in patients with single ventricle circulations pose significant surgical risks and are associated with high morbidity and mortality.

Methods: From 1997-2021, 16 consecutive patients with functionally single ventricle physiology underwent mechanical AVV replacement. Primary outcome was transplant free survival. Read More

Eur Heart J Case Rep 2023 Sep 2;7(9):ytad435. Epub 2023 Sep 2.

Department of Cardiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.

Background: Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disorder characterized by the formation of non-necrotizing granulomas in various organs. Cardiac sarcoidosis presents with various clinical, anatomical, and electrophysiological manifestations. As cardiac involvement is related to adverse outcomes, the early diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis is crucial and sometimes challenging. Read More

bioRxiv 2023 Sep 3. Epub 2023 Sep 3.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a neuro-developmental disorder caused by silencing , which encodes the RNA-binding protein FMRP. Although is expressed in adult neurons, it has been challenging to separate acute from chronic effects of loss of in models of FXS. We have used the precision of genetics to test if acutely affects adult neuronal plasticity , focusing on the s-LNv circadian pacemaker neurons that show 24 hour rhythms in structural plasticity. Read More

AJOG Glob Rep 2023 Nov 18;3(4):100263. Epub 2023 Aug 18.

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN (Dr Pusalavidyasagar).

Congenital central hypoventilation syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that affects control of breathing caused by variants in the paired-like homeobox 2B () gene. During pregnancy, women with congenital central hypoventilation syndrome are at risk for hypoventilation and require frequent assessments of oxygenation and ventilation during wakefulness and sleep on their ventilator. This could potentially lead to adjustments in the ventilator settings or a change in the assisted ventilation modality. Read More

Dis Mon 2023 Sep 8:101637. Epub 2023 Sep 8.

Department of Cardiology, University of Washington, Valley Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA.

Sudden alterations in the heart rate may be associated with diverse symptoms. Sinus node dysfunction (SND), also known as sick sinus syndrome, is a sinoatrial (SA) node disorder. SND is primarily caused by the dysfunction of the pacemaker, as well as impaired impulse transmission resulting in a multitude of abnormalities in the heart rhythms, such as bradycardia-tachycardia, atrial bradyarrhythmias, and atrial tachyarrhythmias. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2023 Aug 26;24(17). Epub 2023 Aug 26.

VeroScience LLC, Tiverton, RI 02878, USA.

Despite enormous global efforts within clinical research and medical practice to reduce cardiovascular disease(s) (CVD), it still remains the leading cause of death worldwide. While genetic factors clearly contribute to CVD etiology, the preponderance of epidemiological data indicate that a major common denominator among diverse ethnic populations from around the world contributing to CVD is the composite of Western lifestyle cofactors, particularly Western diets (high saturated fat/simple sugar [particularly high fructose and sucrose and to a lesser extent glucose] diets), psychosocial stress, depression, and altered sleep/wake architecture. Such Western lifestyle cofactors are potent drivers for the increased risk of metabolic syndrome and its attendant downstream CVD. Read More

Heart Surg Forum 2023 Aug 24;26(4):E372-E380. Epub 2023 Aug 24.

Pediatric Cardiac Services, Madinah Cardiac Center MCC, 42210 Madinah, Saudi Arabia; Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, 32951 Menoufia, Egypt.

Objectives: This study aimed to describe the outcomes of Down syndrome patients who underwent cardiac surgery for congenital heart defects and to develop risk prediction models for in-hospital mortality, recurrent hospital admission, and the need for catheter intervention among a cohort of patients.

Methods: This single-centre retrospective cohort study included consecutive Down syndrome patients who underwent cardiac surgery for congenital heart defects between January 2018 and December 2021. We reviewed the electronic medical records. Read More

Sports Med 2023 Aug 30. Epub 2023 Aug 30.

Unit of Cardiorespiratory Rehabilitation, Instituti Clinici Maugeri, IRCCS, Institute of Milan, Milan, Italy.

Whereas exercise training, as part of multidisciplinary rehabilitation, is a key component in the management of patients with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) and/or congestive heart failure (CHF), physicians and exercise professionals disagree among themselves on the type and characteristics of the exercise to be prescribed to these patients, and the exercise prescriptions are not consistent with the international guidelines. This impacts the efficacy and quality of the intervention of rehabilitation. To overcome these barriers, a digital training and decision support system [i. Read More

PLoS One 2023 29;18(8):e0289510. Epub 2023 Aug 29.

Department of Haematology, The Affiliated Taizhou People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou, Jiangsu, The People's Republic of China.

Sick sinus syndrome (SSS) is a a life-threatening disease, and biological pacemakers derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have practical clinical applications. Previous studies demonstrated that epigenetics plays an important role in the differentiation of BMSCs into pacemaker-like cells. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Read More

Case Rep Cardiol 2023 19;2023:6676757. Epub 2023 Aug 19.

3rd Department of Cardiology, Ippokrateio General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.

Conduction restoration in second- and third-degree atrioventricular (AV) block after revascularization in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) setting is well established, however this is not the case in non-ACS setting. We present a case of a patient referred for permanent pacemaker implantation, due to high degree AV block (HAVB), who restored his conduction possibly due to targeted revascularization. Thus, this case sheds insight in the reversibility potential of HAVB after revascularization in non-ACS patients, which although signified in current literature, is still far from being a recommendation, due to lack of robust scientific confirmation. Read More

Europace 2023 Aug;25(8)

Pediatric Cardiology, University of Utah School of Medicine and Primary Children's Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT.

This review article reflects how publications in EP Europace have contributed to advancing the science of management of arrhythmic disease in children and adult patients with congenital heart disease within the last 25 years. A special focus is directed to congenital atrioventricular (AV) block, the use of pacemakers, cardiac resynchronization therapy devices, and implantable cardioverter defibrillators in the young with and without congenital heart disease, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, mapping and ablation technology, and understanding of cardiac genomics to untangle arrhythmic sudden death in the young. Read More

SAGE Open Med Case Rep 2023 19;11:2050313X231193983. Epub 2023 Aug 19.

Department of Cardiology, Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar, Pakistan.

Dengue is an endemic viral fever transmitted by mosquitoes that may be asymptomatic or cause a nonspecific flu-like illness. The disease's most severe manifestations are dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome. Various atypical manifestations have been observed that constitute the expanded dengue syndrome. Read More

Cureus 2023 Jul 20;15(7):e42227. Epub 2023 Jul 20.

Department of Cardiology, Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, USA.

Superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) is a medical emergency that encompasses an array of signs and symptoms due to obstruction of blood flow through the superior vena cava (SVC). It poses a significant healthcare burden due to its associated morbidity and mortality. Its impact on the healthcare system continues to grow due to the increasing incidence of the condition. Read More

Cureus 2023 Jul 21;15(7):e42236. Epub 2023 Jul 21.

Pain Management, Broward Spine Institute, Hollywood, USA.

When a clinician, especially one who is specialized in primary care is faced with presenting complaints of deep, sharp, anterior chest pain, the most common differential diagnoses include cardiac and gastrointestinal pain. Musculoskeletal pain is thought of less frequently as a possible root cause. In this case report, we describe the clinical journey of a female athlete who presented with complaints of burning anterior chest pain. Read More

Cureus 2023 Jul 19;15(7):e42106. Epub 2023 Jul 19.

Internal Medicine, Bassett Healthcare Network, Cooperstown, USA.

An 80-year-old male with a history of atrial fibrillation and a single-chamber ventricular pacemaker presented to the hospital for an elective colonoscopy. He experienced a transient episode of unresponsiveness with seizure-like activity before the procedure. This prompted him to get an EKG showing deep T-wave inversions (TWIs) in the precordial leads on a background of paced beats. Read More

Am J Case Rep 2023 Aug 19;24:e940343. Epub 2023 Aug 19.

Department of Neurosurgery, Westchester Medical Center, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA.

BACKGROUND Genitofemoral neuralgia is a pain syndrome that involves injury to the genitofemoral nerve and is frequently iatrogenic. We report intraoperative nerve localization using ultrasound, nerve stimulation, and the cremasteric reflex in the surgical treatment of genitofemoral neuralgia. CASE REPORT A 49-year-old man with a history of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation with cannulation sites in bilateral inguinal regions presented with right groin numbness and pain following decannulation. Read More

Pacing Clin Electrophysiol 2023 Aug 10. Epub 2023 Aug 10.

Department of Cardiology, Saitama Medical University, International Medical Center, Hidaka-shi, Saitama, Japan.

The subclavian vein is typically used in cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) implantations. External stress on the subclavian vein can lead to lead-related complications. There are several causes of this stress, such as frequent upper extremity movements or external injury. Read More

J Arrhythm 2023 Aug 26;39(4):566-573. Epub 2023 Jun 26.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine Kurashiki Central Hospital Kurashiki Japan.

Background: It is unknown whether atrial fibrillation (AF) burden varies by pacing site in patients with reactive atrial antitachycardia pacing (rATP). We aimed to compare AF burden in patients with high atrial septal pacing (HASp) via delivery catheter and right atrial appendage pacing (RAAp) in patients with sick sinus syndrome (SSS).

Methods: We retrospectively identified 109 patients with a history of paroxysmal AF and SSS who had received dual-chamber pacemaker implantation between January 2017 and December 2019, of whom 39 and 70 patients had HASp and RAAp, respectively. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2023 Sep 3;203:444-450. Epub 2023 Aug 3.

Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio. Electronic address:

The outcomes of leadless pacemaker (LP) implantation after transvenous lead removal (TLR) of infected cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) are not well-established. This study sought to describe the outcomes of LP implantation after TLR of infected CIED. We conducted a literature search using PubMed and Embase for a combination of terms including LP implantation, transvenous lead extraction, TLR, transvenous lead explant, infected CIED, infected pacemaker, and infected implantable cardioverter defibrillator. Read More

Pediatrics 2023 Sep;152(3)

Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Intensive Care, Medical Hospital of the University of Munich, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany.

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a genetic hormonal disorder of the hypothalamic-pituitary-axis resulting in mental retardation, muscle hypotonia, hypogonadism, and hyperphagia leading to significant obesity. Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in adult patients with PWS is higher than in healthy controls and mainly secondary to massive obesity. In childhood, mortality may result from respiratory or gastrointestinal illnesses. Read More

Open Heart 2023 Jul;10(2)

Cardiovascular Medicine, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan.

Introduction: The incidence of arrhythmia in heart failure with non-reduced ejection fraction (HFnon-rEF) in patients who have a history of hospitalisation is unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the usefulness of an implantable loop recorder (ILR) for arrhythmia detection including atrial fibrillation (AF) in HFnon-rEF patients after discharge.

Methods And Analysis: This is a multicentre single arm study to evaluate the usefulness of ILR for detecting arrhythmia. Read More

Rofo 2023 Jul 26. Epub 2023 Jul 26.

Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzbug, Germany.