Effects of population-based screening for atrial fibrillation on quality of life.

Background: Screening for atrial fibrillation is rising and may worsen or improve quality of life.

Methods: We assessed quality of life (EQ-5D-5L) data in 6,004 participants with stroke risk factors randomised to usual care (n=4,503) or implantable loop recorder with anticoagulation upon detection of atrial fibrillation (n=1,501). Five domains (mobility, selfcare, usual activities, pain/discomfort, anxiety/depression) each scored from one to five were calculated into individual index scores (worst=-0.

Development of an online psychological intervention to prevent depression in patients with atrial fibrillation: lessons learned in a user-centered design study.

Background: Approximately 30% of patients with atrial fibrillation suffer from depression. Depression in patients with atrial fibrillation is associated with poor health outcomes, reduced health-related quality of life, and elevated societal costs. Preventing depression in this population may therefore lead to better health outcomes for the individual patient and reduced burden on society.

Temporal Trends in the Management Practices of Clinically Important Perioperative Atrial Fibrillation After Noncardiac Surgery.

Background: Clinically important perioperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is a common cardiac complication after noncardiac surgery. Little is known about how patients with POAF are managed acutely and whether practices have changed over time.

Methods: We conducted an observational substudy of patients who had POAF, were at elevated cardiovascular risk, and were enrolled in the PeriOperative Ischemic Evaluation (POISE)-1, 2 and 3 trials between 2002 and 2021.

Effects of atrial fibrillation screening according to thyroid function: Post-hoc analysis of the randomized LOOP study.

Purpose: Subclinical thyroid dysfunction is a marker for atrial fibrillation (AF) and stroke risk. This study explored the effects of AF screening according to thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels.

Methods: An AF screening trial (the LOOP study) was analyzed post-hoc according to baseline TSH.

Anticoagulation in Patients With Device-Detected Atrial Fibrillation With and Without a Prior Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack: The NOAH-AFNET 6 Trial.

Background: Short and rare episodes of atrial fibrillation (AF) are commonly detected using implanted devices (device-detected AF) in patients with prior stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). The effectiveness and safety of oral anticoagulation in patients with prior stroke or TIA and device-detected AF but with no ECG-documented AF is unclear.

Methods And Results: This prespecified analysis of the NOAH-AFNET 6 (Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulants in Patients With Atrial High Rate Episodes) trial with post hoc elements assessed the effect of oral anticoagulation in patients with device-detected AF with and without a prior stroke or TIA in the randomized, double-blind, double-dummy NOAH-AFNET 6 trial.

Direct oral anticoagulants for stroke prevention in patients with device-detected atrial fibrillation: assessing net clinical benefit.

Subclinical, device-detected atrial fibrillation (AF) is frequently recorded by pacemakers and other implanted cardiac rhythm devices. Patients with device-detected AF have an elevated risk of stroke, but a lower risk of stroke than similar patients with clinical AF captured with surface electrocardiogram. Two randomized clinical trials (NOAH-AFNET 6 and ARTESiA) have tested a direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) against aspirin or placebo.

Demystifying the tropics: FTIR characterization of pantropical woods and their α-cellulose extracts for past atmospheric C reconstructions.

To ensure unbiased tree-ring radiocarbon (C) results, traditional pretreatments carefully isolate wood cellulose from extractives using organic solvents, among other chemicals. The addition of solvents is laborious, time-consuming, and can increase the risk of carbon contamination. Tropical woods show a high diversity in wood-anatomical and extractive composition, but the necessity of organic-solvent extraction for the C dating of these diverse woods remains untested.

Heart Failure Events After Long-term Continuous Screening for Atrial Fibrillation: Results From the Randomized LOOP Study.

Background: Mounting evidence indicates that even device-detected subclinical atrial fibrillation is associated with a higher risk of heart failure (HF). However, the potential impact of atrial fibrillation screening on HF remains unknown.

Methods: The LOOP Study (Atrial Fibrillation detected by Continuous ECG Monitoring using Implantable Loop Recorder to prevent Stroke in High-risk Individuals) evaluated the effects of atrial fibrillation screening on stroke prevention using an implantable loop recorder (ILR) versus usual care in older individuals with additional stroke risk factors.

Severe aortic stenosis treated with transcatheter aortic valve implantation or surgical aortic valve replacement with Perimount in Western Denmark 2016-2022: a nationwide retrospective study.

Objectives: The healthcare registries in Denmark present a unique opportunity to gain novel insights into the outcomes associated with both transcatheter and surgical approaches to aortic valve replacement. Our objective is to enhance shared decision-making by comparing long-term mortality and clinical outcomes between treatments.

Methods: This observational study included all patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing elective isolated transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) or surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in Western Denmark between January 2016 and April 2022.

Recurrent Ischemic Stroke in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation While Receiving Oral Anticoagulants.

Importance: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) can have an ischemic stroke (IS) despite oral anticoagulant (OAC) treatment. Knowledge regarding the association between OAC discontinuation and the subsequent risk of recurrent IS in patients with AF is limited.

Objectives: To determine the risk of recurrent IS in patients with AF receiving OAC and to evaluate the association between OAC discontinuation and the risk of recurrent IS.

In vivo CAR T-cell generation in nonhuman primates using lentiviral vectors displaying a multidomain fusion ligand.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies have demonstrated transformative efficacy in treating B-cell malignancies. However, high costs and manufacturing complexities hinder their widespread use. To overcome these hurdles, we have developed the VivoVec platform, a lentiviral vector capable of generating CAR T cells in vivo.

Is interventional technique better than the traditional over-the-wire method for left ventricular lead implantation in cardiac resynchronization therapy?

Background: Interventional cardiac resynchronization therapy (I-CRT) for left ventricular lead (LVL) placement works as a supplement to traditional (over-the-wire) cardiac resynchronization therapy (T-CRT). It has been argued that I-CRT is a time-consuming and complicated procedure.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in procedure-related, perioperative, postoperative, and clinical endpoints between I-CRT and T-CRT.

Tibetans exhibit lower hemoglobin concentration and decreased heart response to hypoxia during poikilocapnia at intermediate altitude relative to Han Chinese.

Background: High-altitude populations exhibit distinct cellular, respiratory, and cardiovascular phenotypes, some of which provide adaptive advantages to hypoxic conditions compared to populations with sea-level ancestry. Studies performed in populations with a history of high-altitude residence, such as Tibetans, support the idea that many of these phenotypes may be shaped by genomic features that have been positively selected for throughout generations. We hypothesize that such traits observed in Tibetans at high altitude also occur in Tibetans living at intermediate altitude, even in the absence of severe sustained hypoxia.

No Detectable Differences in microRNA Plasma Levels between Diabetic Hypertensive Patients with and without Incident Subclinical Atrial Fibrillation.

: Long-term rhythm monitoring (LTRM) can detect undiagnosed atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients at risk of AF and stroke. Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs), which have been shown to play a role in atrial electrical and structural remodelling, could help to select patients who would benefit most from LTRM. The aim of this study was to investigate whether patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension and screen-detected subclinical AF (SCAF) using an insertable cardiac monitor (ICM) have significantly different plasma baseline levels of five selected miRNAs playing a role in the modulation of atrial electrical and structural remodelling (miR-21-5p, miR-29b-3p, miR-150-5p, miR-328-3p, and miR-432-5p) compared to those without SCAF.

Antimicrobial Activity of Individual Volatile Compounds from Various Essential Oils.

Interest in natural remedies has grown recently due to a variety of public health concerns such as microbial antibiotic resistance. This global health concern necessitates innovative approaches to combat bacterial infections. Building upon established therapeutic uses of essential oils, this research focused on the volatile constituents of essential oils.

Epigenetic landscape reorganization and reactivation of embryonic development genes are associated with malignancy in IDH-mutant astrocytoma.

Accurate grading of IDH-mutant gliomas defines patient prognosis and guides the treatment path. Histological grading is however difficult and, apart from CDKN2A/B homozygous deletions in IDH-mutant astrocytomas, there are no other objective molecular markers used for grading. Experimental Design: RNA-sequencing was conducted on primary IDH-mutant astrocytomas (n=138) included in the prospective CATNON trial, which was performed to assess the prognostic effect of adjuvant and concurrent temozolomide.

A call for action to include psychosocial management into holistic, integrated care for patients with atrial fibrillation.

Contemporary management of atrial fibrillation (AF) has become increasingly complex. Therefore, strong efforts have been made during the past decade to develop models for structured, integrated care for patients with AF. These have also been incorporated in international guidelines for the management of patients with AF.

Left Atrial Strain Predicts Subclinical Atrial Fibrillation Detected by Long-term Continuous Monitoring in Elderly High-Risk Individuals.

Background: Left atrial (LA) speckle tracking provides detailed information on atrial function. Its utility for predicting subclinical atrial fibrillation (SCAF) is unclear. Therefore, we sought to investigate whether LA strain measures could predict SCAF detected by long-term continuous rhythm monitoring.