Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Korean Med Sci 2020 Jul 13;35(27):e200. Epub 2020 Jul 13.

Department of Radiation Oncology, Dong-A University Hospital, Busan, Korea.

Stereotactic cardiac radiation for ablation (radioablation) of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia was recently introduced into clinical practice. A 76-year-old male patient with apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy at burnout stage, who received defibrillator implantation for the secondary prevention of sudden arrhythmic death, was admitted for repeated defibrillator therapy. Radiofrequency catheter ablation was unsuccessful due to the induction of ventricular fibrillation (VF) and hemodynamically unstable sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT). Read More

Cardiol Res Pract 2020 20;2020:5420909. Epub 2020 Jun 20.

Department of Cardiology, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospital and Imperial College London, London, UK.

Introduction: Transseptal puncture (TSP) is a routine access route in patients with left-sided ablation substrates and is performed safely on fluoroscopy (+/- echocardiographic guidance). We report on our experience using a radiofrequency (RF) needle in an unselected group of patients to demonstrate safety and usefulness of direct tip visualization on the 3D electroanatomical mapping (EAM) system with specific emphasis on total radiation exposure.

Methods And Results: We retrospectively reviewed 42 consecutive left-sided ablation procedures with TSP performed using an RF needle guided by fluoroscopy and/or EAM visualization by a single operator. Read More

Resuscitation 2020 Jul 9. Epub 2020 Jul 9.

Paris Fire Brigade, Emergency Medical Department, France.

Introduction: In out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), external electric shock (EES) is recommended for treating ventricular fibrillation (VF). Refibrillation commonly occurs within one minute post-shock. We aimed to investigate refibrillation times and identifyclinical and electrical factors associated with them. Read More

JACC Cardiovasc Imaging 2020 Jun 18. Epub 2020 Jun 18.

Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Electronic address:

Objectives: This study sought to determine whether myocardial tissue heterogeneity scanned by native T mapping could improve risk stratification in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NICM) evaluated for primary prevention by ICD.

Background: The benefit of insertable cardiac-defibrillator (ICD) as primary prevention ICD in patients with NICM remains to be fully clarified.

Methods: A total of 115 NICM candidates for primary prevention and 55 healthy controls with similar distributions of age and sex were prospectively enrolled. Read More

Trends Cardiovasc Med 2020 Jul 9. Epub 2020 Jul 9.

Leon H Charney Division of Cardiology NYU School of Medicine, SB 435 E. 30th Street 723-H, New York, NY, 10016. Electronic address:

J Card Surg 2020 Jul 11. Epub 2020 Jul 11.

Division of Cardiac Surgery, Cardiovascular Department, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

J Card Surg 2020 Jul 11. Epub 2020 Jul 11.

Department of Medicine, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.

Objectives: Patients undergoing mitral valve surgery are at risk of developing postoperative conduction blocks and have a high incidence of heart failure (HF). Mitral valve surgery often results in reduced left ventricular systolic ejection fraction following surgery and the imposition of dyssynchrony with right ventricular (RV) pacing may further compromise stroke volume. Our aim was to investigate the risks of HF and mortality in patients with vs without RV pacemaker placement (PPM) after mitral valve surgery. Read More

J Card Surg 2020 Jul 11. Epub 2020 Jul 11.

Department of Pathology, Dr Lutfi Kirdar Kartal Egitim ve Arastirma Hastanesi, Istanbul, Turkey.

Cardiac myxomas are benign primer cardiac tumors of the heart. They can be fatal with a thromboembolic presentation. Myocardial infarction is one of these unusual thromboembolic presentations. Read More

J Card Surg 2020 Jul 11. Epub 2020 Jul 11.

Cardio-Thoracic Surgery Unit, Heart and Vascular Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC), Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht, The Netherlands.

Background: The aim of the present retrospective study was to evaluate the influence of preoperative right ventricular (RV) and tricuspid valve (TV) remodeling on the fate of tricuspid annuloplasty (TA) and right ventricle.

Methods: From May 2009 to December 2015, 423 patients who had undergone TA for functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR) were included in the study. Residual and recurrent TR were defined as moderate or more TR at discharge and follow-up, respectively. Read More

J Card Surg 2020 Jul 11. Epub 2020 Jul 11.

SAMU de Paris, Service d'Anesthésie Réanimation, Hôpital Universitaire Necker-Enfants Malades, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France.

Am J Cardiol 2020 Aug 13;128:84-91. Epub 2020 May 13.

Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands.

Valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) is defined as AF in the presence of mitral stenosis or mechanical valve prosthesis. However, there are patients with AF who have significant native valvular heart disease (VHD) others than mitral stenosis that are classified as nonvalvular AF. The characteristics and prognostic implications of these entities have not been extensively studied. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2020 Aug 13;128:168-173. Epub 2020 May 13.

Krankenanstalt Rudolfstiftung, Wien, Austria.

The prognosis of patients with left ventricular hypertrabeculation/noncompaction (LVHT) is assessed controversially. LVHT is associated with other cardiac abnormalities and with neuromuscular disorders (NMD). Aim of the study was to assess cardiac and neurological findings as predictors of mortality rate in adult LVHT-patients. Read More

Cardiovasc Revasc Med 2020 Jul 1. Epub 2020 Jul 1.

Department of Cardiology, Virtua Lourdes, Camden, NJ, United States of America.

Background: Air embolism can cause the following catastrophic complications that must be avoided: cardiogenic shock (from right heart failure), obstructive shock, myocardial infarction, stroke, RVOT obstructions, and pulmonary embolism. Currently there is a paucity of data on Impella RP use in rare causes of acute right ventricle (RV) failure, especially if caused by air embolism.

Case Report: We report a case of a patient with acute RV failure due to air embolism who recovered from temporary use of Impella RP. Read More

J Am Coll Cardiol 2020 Jul;76(2):186-197

Heart Failure and Inherited Cardiac Diseases Unit, Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, Madrid, Spain; European Reference Network for Rare and Low Prevalence Complex Diseases of the Heart; Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Pozuelo de Alarcon, Spain. Electronic address:

Background: PRKAG2 gene variants cause a syndrome characterized by cardiomyopathy, conduction disease, and ventricular pre-excitation. Only a small number of cases have been reported to date, and the natural history of the disease is poorly understood.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe phenotype and natural history of PRKAG2 variants in a large multicenter European cohort. Read More

J Vet Cardiol 2020 May 4;30:32-43. Epub 2020 May 4.

University of Zurich, Vetsuisse Faculty, Equine Department, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.

Introduction: The mechanical function of the left atrium (LA) plays a pivotal role in modulation of left ventricular filling. Assessment of LA function might be a clinically useful prognostic tool for horses with mitral regurgitation or atrial fibrillation. However, the most accurate, reliable, and clinically useful methods to assess LA myocardial function are yet to be determined. Read More

Europace 2020 Jul 8. Epub 2020 Jul 8.

Department of Cardiology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 30.001, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands.

Aims: Atrial fibrillation (AF) often starts as a paroxysmal self-terminating arrhythmia. Limited information is available on AF patterns and episode duration of paroxysmal AF. In paroxysmal AF patients, we longitudinally studied the temporal AF patterns, the association with clinical characteristics, and prevalence of AF progression. Read More

Circ J 2020 Jul 8. Epub 2020 Jul 8.

Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine II, Kansai Medical University.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia in adults and has unfavorable consequences such as stroke, heart failure (HF), and death. HF is the most common adverse event following AF and the leading cause of death. Therefore, identifying the association between AF and HF is important to establish risk stratification for HF in AF. Read More

J Cardiovasc Med (Hagerstown) 2020 Jul 6. Epub 2020 Jul 6.

Division of Cardiology, Department of Health Sciences, San Paolo Hospital; University of Milan, Italy.

Background: Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is an effective treatment to reduce mortality in patients with symptomatic heart failure and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 35% or less. LVEF presents a low sensitivity for predicting arrhythmic events. Aim of this study was to identify predictors of sustained ventricular arrhythmias (SVAs), overall and according to the cause of heart failure. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2020 Jun 6. Epub 2020 Jun 6.

Department of Cardiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 8-1 Kawada-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan.

A mitral L-wave indicates advanced diastolic dysfunction with elevated left ventricular filling pressure. Previous studies have reported that the presence of a mitral L-wave is associated with a poor prognosis in patients with heart failure. However, whether the L-wave can predict adverse events in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC) is still unclear. Read More

PLoS One 2020 7;15(7):e0235315. Epub 2020 Jul 7.

Department of Emergency Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei City, Taiwan.

Background: The effect of paramedic crew size in the resuscitation of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains inconclusive. We hypothesised that teams with a larger crew size have better resuscitation performance including chest compression fraction (CCF), advanced life support (ALS), and teamwork performance than those with a smaller crew size.

Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled study in a simulation setting. Read More

Kardiol Pol 2020 Jul 2. Epub 2020 Jul 2.

Background: Over the last several years the evolution of transvenous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (T-ICD) system and the introduction of subcutaneous ICD (S-ICD) have contributed to the development of the sudden cardiac death (SCD) prevention in clinical practice.

Aims: To report on our clinical experience with ICD therapy in children and young adults during the twenty-two years of the follow-up.

Methods: We reviewed the database of ICD recipients choosing 80 consecutive patients (pts) implanted at the ageof 6-21 in 1996-2018. Read More

Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol 2020 Jul 6. Epub 2020 Jul 6.

Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI.

- Long QT syndrome (LQTS) has been associated with sudden cardiac death likely caused by early afterdepolarizations (EADs) and polymorphic ventricular tachycardias (PVTs). Suppressing the late sodium current (I) may counterbalance the reduced repolarization reserve in LQTS and prevent EADs and PVTs. - We tested the effects of the selective I blocker GS967 on PVT induction in a transgenic rabbit model of LQTS type 2 (LQT2) using intact heart optical mapping, cellular electrophysiology and confocal Ca imaging, and computer modeling. Read More

J Cardiovasc Med (Hagerstown) 2020 Aug;21(8):547-555

aDivision of Neurology bDivision of Cardiology, West Vicenza General Hospitals, Vicenza, Italy.

: Echocardiography plays an important role both in the diagnosis and the treatment/prevention of embolic stroke of undetermined source and should be performed as soon as possible for preventing ischemic stroke recurrencies, which occur more frequently during the first week after the first ischemic event. Early identification of the cause of a transient ischemic attack or stroke is indeed a primary goal for the neurologist in the Stroke Unit and requires specific diagnostic strategies. Echocardiography, together with other diagnostic tools such as carotid and transcranial ultrasounds, provides this information promptly. Read More

J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2020 Jul 4. Epub 2020 Jul 4.

Department of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, 111 South 11th Street, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Purpose: To report on the clinical utility of implantable loop recorders (ILRs) in a large academic hospital setting over a 4-year period.

Methods: Retrospective study (2013-2016) of patients receiving ILRs for any indication including syncope, cryptogenic stroke (CrS), atrial fibrillation (AF) burden, palpitations, ventricular arrhythmias (VA), and other. Remote checks, symptomatic transmissions, and in-person checks were reviewed. Read More

Curr Hypertens Rep 2020 Jul 3;22(8):47. Epub 2020 Jul 3.

Vascular Biology and Hypertension Program, Division of Cardiovascular Disease, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, LA, USA.

Purpose Of Review: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction mainly affects the elderly. The obesity phenotype of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction reflects the coexistence of two highly prevalent conditions in the elderly. Obesity may also lead to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in middle-aged persons, especially in African American women. Read More

J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2020 Jul 3. Epub 2020 Jul 3.

Cardiac Arrhythmia Service, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.

Introduction: To improve the mechanistic understanding of spontaneous initiation of ventricular fibrillation (VF), we characterized the patterns of premature ventricular complex (PVC) preceding spontaneous VF in primary and secondary implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) recipients.

Methods And Results: A single-center, cross-sectional analysis of 1209 patients with primary and secondary prevention ICD identified 190 patients who received ICD therapy (firing or antitachycardia pacing) for VF or monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (MMVT). Initiation was quantified by the coupling interval (CI), the cycle length immediately preceding the CI (CL(-1)), the CI corrected by CL(-1) using Fridericia's formula (CIc), and the prematurity index (PI). Read More

ESC Heart Fail 2020 Jul 2. Epub 2020 Jul 2.

Intensive Care Unit, Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan.

Aims: Previous studies found a relationship between elevated phenylalanine levels and poor cardiovascular outcomes. Potential strategies are available to manipulate phenylalanine metabolism. This study investigated whether increased phenylalanine predicted mortality in critical patients with either acute heart failure (HF) or acute on chronic HF, and its correlation with inflammation and immune cytokines. Read More

ESC Heart Fail 2020 Jul 2. Epub 2020 Jul 2.

Unit of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, and Heart and Vascular Theme, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.

Aims: In hospitalized patients with a clinical diagnosis of acute heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), the aims of this study were (i) to assess the proportion meeting the 2016 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) HFpEF criteria and (ii) to compare patients with restrictive/pseudonormal mitral inflow pattern (MIP) vs. patients with MIP other than restrictive/pseudonormal.

Methods And Results: We included hospitalized participants of the ESC-Heart Failure Association (HFA) EURObservational Research Programme (EORP) HF Long-Term Registry who had echocardiogram with ejection fraction (EF) ≥ 50% during index hospitalization. Read More

Pacing Clin Electrophysiol 2020 Jul 3. Epub 2020 Jul 3.

Cardiovascular Medicine, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT.

Background: Among heart failure patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (MMVT) failing anti-tachycardia pacing (ATP) and terminated by shock renders higher mortality as compared to MMVT terminated by ATP only. It is unknown if the higher mortality in ATP failure reflects decompensated heart failure.

Objective: It was the purpose of the present study to determine if ICD heart failure diagnostics can predict the failure of ATP and the need to shock to terminate MMVT. Read More

Egypt Heart J 2020 Jul 2;72(1):38. Epub 2020 Jul 2.

Department of Cardiology, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

Background: The left atrial appendage (LAA) is the main source of thromboembolism in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Unique LAA morphologies have been associated with the risk of thromboembolism. This study investigates the LAA anatomy in the Egyptian population using cardiac multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT). Read More

Eur Heart J Case Rep 2020 Jun 17;4(3):1-5. Epub 2020 Apr 17.

Department of Cardiology, Leiden Heart-Lung Center, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, the Netherlands.

Background: Anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) is a rare congenital disorder resulting in ischaemia and myocardial infarction which can act as a potential substrate for life-threatening arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.

Case Summary: A 19-year-old man was admitted to the hospital after successful resuscitation from an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) due to ventricular fibrillation occurring during jogging. In the diagnostic work-up of the OHCA, computed tomography identified an ALCAPA. Read More

Cureus 2020 May 30;12(5):e8358. Epub 2020 May 30.

Internal Medicine, Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center, New York, USA.

The coronary steal phenomenon refers to myocardial ischemia caused by the diversion of blood away from normal myocardial circulation. A coronary artery fistula (CAF) is an abnormality of the coronary anatomy characterized by the aberrant termination of a coronary artery or its branches into cardiac chambers or great vessels. Although CAFs are often thought to be asymptomatic, fistulas that diverge a significant amount of blood flow and decrease the normal perfusion of myocardial tissue can cause ischemia and can present with acute coronary syndrome. Read More

J Cardiol 2020 Jun 29. Epub 2020 Jun 29.

Division of Environmental Medicine and Population Sciences, Department of Social and Environmental Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.

Background: A better understanding of the epidemiology of pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) occurring in nursery schools and kindergartens is indispensable to establish an evidence-based strategy for prevention and improved outcomes. This study aimed to describe the incidence, characteristics, and outcomes of pediatric OHCAs that occurred in certified nursery schools and kindergartens.

Methods: Stop and Prevent cardIac aRrest, Injury, and Trauma in Schools (SPIRITS) is a study to construct and analyze a nationwide registry of pediatric OHCAs occurring in school settings in Japan. Read More

BMC Cardiovasc Disord 2020 Jul 2;20(1):315. Epub 2020 Jul 2.

Center for Epidemiologic Research in Asia, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, 520-2192, Japan.

Background: Loss-of-function mutations of human cardiac sodium channel gene SCN5A induce a wide range of arrhythmic disorders. Mutation carriers with co-existing conditions such as congenital heart diseases and histories of cardiac surgeries, could develop complex arrhythmic events that are difficult to diagnose.

Case Presentation: A 41-year-old Japanese male with a history of a surgical closure of an ASD presented impairment of consciousness by wide QRS tachycardia. Read More

Endocrinol Metab (Seoul) 2020 Jun 24;35(2):308-318. Epub 2020 Jun 24.

Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the associations between subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) and long-term cardiovascular outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or heart valve surgery (HVS).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed and compared all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and cardiovascular events in 461 patients who underwent CABG and 104 patients who underwent HVS.

Results: During a mean±standard deviation follow-up duration of 7. Read More

Am Heart J 2020 May 30;226:206-213. Epub 2020 May 30.

Comprehensive Arrhythmia Research & Management Center (CARMA) University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; Tulane University Heart and Vascular Institute, New Orleans, LA.

Introduction: Endurance athletes are at higher risk for developing atrial fibrillation as compared to the general population. The exact mechanism to explain this observation is incompletely understood. Our study aimed to determine whether degree of left atrial fibrosis detected by late gadolinium-enhancement magnetic resonance imaging (LGE-MRI) differed between Masters athletes and non-athlete controls. Read More

Egypt Heart J 2020 Jul 1;72(1):37. Epub 2020 Jul 1.

Cardiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Abbassia square, Abbasia, Cairo, 11566, Egypt.

Background: Direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) cure patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Concerns have arisen the occurrence of significant bradyarrhythmias during treatment with DAAs. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a DAA combination for the treatment of HCV infection on heart rate, rhythm, and heart rate variability (HRV) using 24-h ECG monitoring. Read More

Acta Pharmacol Sin 2020 Jul 1. Epub 2020 Jul 1.

Cardiac Electrophysiological Research Laboratory, Medical College, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430065, China.

Eleutheroside B (EB) is the main active constituent derived from the Chinese herb Acanthopanax senticosus (AS) that has been reported to possess cardioprotective effects. In this study we investigated the effects of EB on cardiac electrophysiology and its suppression on atrial fibrillation (AF). Whole-cell recording was conducted in isolated rabbit atrial myocytes. Read More

Nihon Yakurigaku Zasshi 2020 ;155(4):225-229

Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Juntendo University, Graduate School of Medicine.

The type 2 ryanodine receptor (RyR2) is a sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca release channel that plays a central role in cardiac excitation-contraction coupling. Abnormal activity of the RyR2 is linked to abnormal Ca signaling in cardiac cells, which often results in cardiac arrhythmias. For example, amino acid mutations in RyR2 have been reported to cause various types of arrhythmias, including catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT), idiopathic ventricular fibrillation, and left ventricular non-compaction. Read More

Circ J 2020 Jul 1. Epub 2020 Jul 1.

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Toho University, Sakura Medical Center.

Background: Perioperative risk during surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) is reportedly high in dialysis patients. We aimed to determine the postoperative mortality and morbidity and identify the perioperative risk factors of mortality during SAVR in dialysis-dependent patients.Methods and Results:From the Japan Adult Cardiovascular Surgery Database, we compared 2,875 dialysis-dependent patients with 18,839 non-dialysis patients who all underwent SAVR between January 2013 and December 2016. Read More

Heart Lung Circ 2020 Jun 11. Epub 2020 Jun 11.

Department of Cardiology, The People's Hospital of China Medical University, The People's Hospital of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, P. R. China. Electronic address:

Background: Sex differences in the long-term prognosis of symptomatic hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) patients undergoing alcohol septal ablation (ASA) remain unclear, especially in the Chinese Han population.

Method: This cohort study included 320 HOCM Chinese Han patients who underwent ASA because of symptomatic left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction. Patients were grouped according to sex: females (mean±standard deviation age [SD] 50. Read More

Trials 2020 Jul 1;21(1):602. Epub 2020 Jul 1.

Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.

Background: At present, China has more than 11 million patients with stable coronary heart disease and this is becoming a major public health problem. The pathological changes of coronary heart disease can lead to dysfunction of the cardiac autonomic nervous system, which increases the risk of complications such as malignant arrhythmia (ventricular flutter, ventricular fibrillation, etc.), heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and rate-pressure product (RPP), which is highly correlated with myocardial oxygen consumption and indirectly reflects myocardial blood supply and oxygen consumption. Read More

Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann 2020 Jul 1:218492320941388. Epub 2020 Jul 1.

Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Laboratory of Cardiac Imaging and 3D Printing, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

The term atrial functional mitral regurgitation refers to a newly recognized disease entity in which mitral regurgitation occurs secondary to left atrial disease, without left ventricular dilatation and intrinsic mitral valve disease, typically in the setting of long-standing atrial fibrillation. Recent evidence suggests that atrial functional mitral regurgitation is associated with increased risk of death and heart failure re-hospitalization. The etiology, pathophysiology, and mechanism of atrial functional mitral regurgitation is not completely understood but they should not be regarded as the same as for the conventional type of functional mitral regurgitation secondary to left ventricular dilatation and dysfunction. Read More

Int J Cardiol 2020 Jun 28. Epub 2020 Jun 28.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, Kobe, Japan.

Background: Little is known about the outcomes and predictors of adverse cardiac events in medically treated patients with atrial functional mitral regurgitation (FMR).

Methods: We screened 1405 consecutive patients with grade ≥ 3+ mitral regurgitation (MR) detected by echocardiography. After excluding patients with previous or early (within 3 months from diagnosis) mitral valve surgery, congenital heart disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, severe aortic valve disease, or unknown etiology, the study population consisted of 319 patients with primary MR, 395 patients with FMR with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, and 184 patients with atrial FMR. Read More

ESC Heart Fail 2020 Jul 1. Epub 2020 Jul 1.

Department of Cardiology, Angiology and Pneumology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 410, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany.

Aims: Amiodarone and digitalis are frequently used drugs in patients with heart failure. Both have separately been linked to reduced post-transplant survival, but their combined impact on mortality after HTX remains uncertain. This study investigated the effects of combined amiodarone and digitalis use before HTX on post-transplant outcomes. Read More

Acta Myol 2020 Mar 1;39(1):32-35. Epub 2020 Mar 1.

Department of Cardiac Electrophysiology and Pacing, Istituto Clinico Sant'Ambrogio, Milan, Italy.

A significant number of sudden death (SD) is observed in myotonic dystrophy (DM1) despite pacemaker implantation and some consider the ICD to be the preferential device in patients with conduction disease. According to the latest guidelines, prophylactic ICD implantation in patients with neuromuscular disorder should follow the same recommendations of non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy, being reasonable when pacing is needed. We here report a case of DM1 patient who underwent ICD implantation even in the absence of conduction disturbances on ECG and ventricular dysfunction/fibrosis at cardiac magnetic resonance. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2020 Jun 30;13(6). Epub 2020 Jun 30.

Cardiology, Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch, New Jersey, USA.

We present a case of a 38-year-old man with a previous medical history of asthma and refractory epilepsy requiring vagal nerve stimulator (VNS) placement 7 years prior to the presentation who was found to be in atrial fibrillation with a rapid ventricular response during a preoperative evaluation, which prompted transoesophageal echocardiography and subsequent cardioversion. In preparation for cardioversion, the VNS was turned off and the patient was cardioverted to normal sinus rhythm. Following cardioversion, the VNS was activated again. Read More

Circ Genom Precis Med 2020 Jun 30. Epub 2020 Jun 30.

Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC), Division of Research, Oakland, CA.

- Left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) is an indicator of cardiac function, usually assessed in individuals with heart failure and other cardiac conditions. Although family studies indicate that EF has an important genetic component with heritability estimates up to 0.61, to date only six EF-associated loci have been reported. Read More

Am J Med 2020 Jun 27. Epub 2020 Jun 27.

Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington, DC; Georgetown University, Washington, DC; George Washington University, Washington, DC. Electronic address:

Background: Digoxin reduces the risk of heart failure hospitalization but has no effect on mortality in patients with heart failure without atrial fibrillation in the randomized controlled trial setting. Observational studies of digoxin use in patients with atrial fibrillation have suggested a higher risk for poor outcomes. Less is known about this association in patients with heart failure and atrial fibrillation, the examination of which was the objective of the current study. Read More

Adv Clin Exp Med 2020 Jun;29(6):757-767

Department of Internal Medicine and Clinic of Diseases of Horses, Dogs and Cats, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Poland.

In clinical practice, atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia in humans and it may lead to numerous complications, including central nervous system embolism. The electrical activity of the heart in AF is rapid and chaotic, while the atrioventricular conduction leads to irregular ventricular contraction. Consequently, the stroke volume is reduced, which may lead to symptoms of heart failure. Read More