Factors associated with high-intensity physical activity and sudden cardiac death in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Background: High-intensity physical activity has traditionally been discouraged in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy due to concerns about triggering sudden cardiac death. However, current guidelines adopt a more liberal stance, and evidence on risk factors for exercise-related sudden cardiac death remains limited. This study investigated the clinical, morphological and genetic factors associated with high-intensity physical activity-related sudden cardiac death in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Mice deficient in TWIK-1 are more susceptible to kainic acid-induced seizures.

TWIK-1 belongs to the two-pore domain K (K2P) channel family, which plays an essential role in the background K conductance of cells. Despite the development of exon 2-deleted knockout (KO) mice, the physiological role of TWIK-1 has remained largely unknown. Here, we observed that the exon 2-deleted KO mice expressed an internally deleted TWIK-1 (TWIK-1 ΔEx2) protein, which unexpectedly acts as a functional K channel.

Role of Genetic Testing in Diagnosis and Prognosis Prediction in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Korea.

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) needs careful differentiation from other cardiomyopathies. Current guidelines recommend genetic testing, but genetic data on differential diagnoses and their relation with clinical outcomes in HCM are still lacking. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of genetic variants and the proportion of other cardiomyopathies in patients with suspected HCM in Korea and compare the outcomes of HCM according to the presence of sarcomere gene mutation.

Selecting the optimal candidates for percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty using multi-modality imaging.

Aims: This study compared echocardiography (echo) and cardiac computed tomography (CT) in measuring the Wilkins score and evaluated the potential added benefit of CT in predicting immediate percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty (PMV) outcomes in rheumatic mitral stenosis (MS) patients deemed eligible for PMV by echo.

Methods And Results: From a multicentre registry of 3,140 patients with at least moderate MS, we included 96 patients (age 56.4±11.

Novel algorithm for non-invasive estimation of left atrial pressure in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Aims: Determining elevated left atrial (LA) pressure is crucial in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), yet non-invasive estimation using echocardiography remains unclear. This study aimed to identify useful echocardiographic indices for identifying elevated LA pressure in patients with AF.

Methods And Results: Patients with paroxysmal or persistent AF referred for catheter ablation at two tertiary hospitals were prospectively enrolled.