Atherosclerotic Risk Factor Prevalence in Adults With Congenital Heart Disease: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: The risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) is comparable to that of the general population and is driven by traditional ASCVD risk factors.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of traditional ASCVD risk factors (hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus [DM], obesity, smoking, and physical inactivity) in ACHD and compare it with the general population.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted up to May 15, 2024, to identify studies (with or without control group) reporting the prevalence of ASCVD risk factors in ACHD.

Prognostic Impact of Body Mass Index in Atrial Fibrillation.

: Contradictory results have been reported regarding the influence of obesity on the prognosis of atrial fibrillation (AF). The present study aimed to explore the potential association of body mass index (BMI) with the clinical outcomes of hospitalized patients with AF. : In this retrospective, post hoc analysis of the MISOAC-AF randomized trial, 1113 AF patients were included and stratified as the following: underweight (BMI < 18 kg/m), normal weight (BMI 18-24.

Use of apixaban in adults with congenital heart disease and atrial arrhythmias: The PROTECT-AR study.

Background: Adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) and atrial arrhythmias (AA) face an increased risk of thromboembolic events. Limited data exist on the use of non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants for thromboprophylaxis in ACHD. We aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of apixaban in ACHD patients with AA.

Atrial Fibrillation Ablation in Congenital Heart Disease: Therapeutic Challenges and Future Perspectives.

The increasing prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in adults with congenital heart disease raises significant questions regarding its management. The unique underlying anatomic and physiological background further adds to the difficulty in eliminating the AF burden in these patients. Herein, we provide an overview of the current knowledge on the pathophysiology and risk factors for AF in adult congenital heart disease, with a special focus on the existing challenges in AF ablation.

Prognostic implications of thyroid disease in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is often accompanied by thyroid disease (THD). This study aimed to explore the relationship between THD and the occurrence of significant clinical outcomes in patients with AF. This post hoc analysis utilized data from the MISOAC-AF trial (NCT02941978), which enrolled hospitalized patients with AF.

Association of Length of Stay With the Clinical Trajectory of Hospitalized Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: Staying Less Is More?

Data predicting the length of stay (LOS) in patients with concurrent atrial fibrillation (AF) are scarce. This study aimed to investigate the potential predictors for prolonged LOS and its prognostic value. In this observational post hoc analysis of the MISOAC-AF (Motivational Interviewing to Support Oral AntiCoagulation adherence in patients with non-valvular Atrial Fibrillation) randomized trial logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the parameters associated with prolonged LOS (defined as >7 days according to diagnostic accuracy analyses).

Risk of arterial thromboembolism, bleeding and mortality in atrial fibrillation patients with comorbid cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aims: Atrial fibrillation (AF) and cancer often co-exist. Each has been associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality. The aim of this meta-analysis was to synthesize available data regarding the incidence of arterial thromboembolism (TE), bleeding, and all-cause mortality in patients with AF with or without cancer.

Changes in CHADS-VASc score and risk of ischemic stroke among patients with atrial fibrillation.

Aims: The CHADS-VASc score is fundamental to stroke risk assessment in atrial fibrillation. However, stroke-related risk factors can be modified later in life. This study aimed to assess the association of changes in CHADS-VASc score over time (Delta CHADS-VASc score) with the risk of ischemic stroke.

Oral anticoagulation challenges and therapeutic dilemmas in the very elderly: to treat and how to treat octogenarians and nonagenarians?

The proportion of very elderly patients, namely octogenarians and nonagenarians, is expected to rise substantially over the next decades. This population is more prone to age‑dependent diseases associated with higher thromboembolic and bleeding risks. The very elderly are under‑represented in oral anticoagulation (OAC) clinical trials.

Prescription Rates and Prognostic Implications of Optimally Targeted Guideline-Directed Medical Treatment in Heart Failure and Atrial Fibrillation: Insights From The MISOAC-AF Trial.

Heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AF) commonly coexist in real-life clinical practice. Among patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) or HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF), guidelines call for evidence-based target doses of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors and beta-blockers. However, target doses of guideline-directed medical treatment (GDMT) are often underused in real-world conditions, including HF-AF comorbidity.

Association of Health Status Metrics with Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Adult Congenital Heart Disease and Atrial Arrhythmias.

The prognostic value of health status metrics in patients with adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) and atrial arrhythmias is unclear. In this retrospective cohort study of an ongoing national, multicenter registry (PROTECT-AR, NCT03854149), ACHD patients with atrial arrhythmias on apixaban are included. At baseline, health metrics were assessed using the physical component summary (PCS), the mental component summary (MCS) of the Short-Form-36 (SF-36) Health Survey, and the modified European Heart Rhythm Association (mEHRA) score.

Sex-Related Differences in Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation and Coronary Artery Disease: A Sub-Study of the MISOAC-AF Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: There is limited "real-world" data on the prognostic role of gender in comorbid atrial fibrillation (AF) and coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: In this post-hoc analysis of the MISOAC-AF randomized trial (NCT: 02941978), consecutive patients with AF and CAD who were discharged from the cardiology ward between 2015 and 2018 were included. Multivariable Cox-regression analysis was performed for all-cause mortality and cardiovascular (CV) mortality.

Prognostic implications of adherence to oral anticoagulants among patients with atrial fibrillation: Insights from MISOAC-AF trial.

Objectives: To explore the implications of adherence to oral anticoagulants (OACs) on all-cause mortality and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods: This post-hoc analysis of the MISOAC-AF trial included recently hospitalized patients with AF. Adherence to OACs was assessed by the proportion of days covered (PDC).

Clinical outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation treated with digoxin, according to the presence of heart failure: Insights from the MISOAC-AF trial.

Background: Digoxin is widely used in atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF). However, current evidence regarding its association with clinical outcomes is conflicting.

Aim: To investigate the relationship between digoxin therapy and adverse outcomes in patients with AF, with or without HF, in a contemporary AF cohort.

PERSISTENT FEVER IN A PATIENT WITH CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE AND A HIGH-VELOCITY SHUNT: A CASE REPORT.

In patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), presence of intracardiac shunt can be a substrate for infective endocarditis (IE). Our aim was to highlight that this diagnosis should always be suspected when CHD patients present with persistent fever. In this case report, we describe the case of a 33-year-old female patient with a history of perimembranous ventricular septal defect (VSD) who presented to the hospital with persistent fever.

Severe mitral regurgitation causing unilateral pulmonary edema: A case report.

Unlabelled: This is a case of a 70-year-old male patient with a history of degenerative mitral valve disease who presented to the emergency department with progressively worsening dyspnea. Prominent findings were rapid atrial fibrillation and unilateral pulmonary edema. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography revealed chordal rupture-related severe-eccentric mitral regurgitation.

Angiographic severity in acute coronary syndrome patients with and without standard modifiable risk factors.

Background: Routine coronary artery disease (CAD) secondary prevention strategies target standard modifiable cardiovascular risk factors (SMuRFs), which include: diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and smoking. However, a significant proportion of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) present without any SMuRFs. The angiographic severity of disease in this population has not yet been investigated.

Polypharmacy and Major Adverse Events in Atrial Fibrillation.

Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) often receive multiple medications daily. The purpose of this study was to examine the prognostic implications of polypharmacy in patients with AF. This is a retrospective post hoc analysis of 1113 AF patients, enrolled in a randomized trial during an acute hospitalization (MISOAC-AF, NCT02941978).

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Triggers Atrial Conduction Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is closely related to various adverse cardiovascular manifestations and increased cardiovascular risk. However, atrial fibrillation (AF) development and atrial conduction abnormalities have not been thoroughly studied in patients with PCOS. Methods: This meta-analysis (CRD42021261375) was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines.

Renal function and mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Aim: The aim of this study is to examine the association of the presence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) values with mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Methods: This posthoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial consisted of hospitalized patients with atrial fibrillation who were followed up for a median of 2.7 years after discharge.

Prognostic significance of metabolomic biomarkers in patients with diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) and coronary artery disease (CAD) constitute inter-related clinical entities. Biomarker profiling emerges as a promising tool for the early diagnosis and risk stratification of either DM or CAD. However, studies assessing the predictive capacity of novel metabolomics biomarkers in coexistent CAD and DM are scarce.

Education level predicts mortality and morbidity in hospitalised patients with atrial fibrillation.

Aim: Education level has been long considered a life-quality modifier, but little is known about its relation to life expectancy in patients with cardiovascular disease. This study aims to assess possible correlations between education level and survival in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods: This retrospective cohort study used data from a randomised trial of 1082 hospitalised patients with AF (mean age of 75 ± 11 years) who were followed up after discharge.