Effect of low dose colchicine on long term recurrence after atrial fibrillation ablation.

Background: Colchicine is commonly used early after atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation to reduce inflammation and reduce AF recurrence, but there is limited long-term efficacy data.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of low dose colchicine use on long-term AF recurrence after AF ablation.

Methods: From 2013 to 2021, all AF ablations performed at a single tertiary care medical center were analyzed for colchicine use, clinical and procedural characteristics, and AF recurrence.

Safety and utility of mechanical circulatory support in patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock (AMI-CS) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Although mechanical circulatory support (MCS) is an increasingly utilized therapeutic option in AMI-CS, studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of different forms of MCS have yielded conflicting results. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of different forms of MCS.

Utility of coronary revascularization in patients with ischemic left ventricular dysfunction.

Background: Revascularization in patients with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction has been a subject of ongoing uncertainty and conflicting results. This is further complicated by factors including viability, severity of LV dysfunction, and method of revascularization using percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) versus coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG).

Objectives: The purpose of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the association of coronary revascularization with outcomes in patients with ischemic LV dysfunction.

The role of structured inpatient lipid protocols in optimizing non-statin lipid lowering therapy: a review and single-center experience.

Dyslipidemia is a leading contributor to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). There has been a significant improvement in the treatment of dyslipidemia in the past 10 years with the development of new pharmacotherapies. The intent of this review is help enhance clinicians understanding of non-statin lipid lowering therapies in accordance with the 2022 American College of Cardiology Expert Consensus Clinical Decision Pathway on the Role of Non-statin Therapies for LDL-Cholesterol Lowering.

Risk of Appropriate Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Therapies and Sudden Cardiac Death in Patients With Heart Failure With Improved Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction.

Background: The benefit of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy is controversial in patients who have heart failure with improved left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) to >35% after implantation (HFimpEF).

Methods: Databases (Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar) were queried for studies in patients with ICD that reported the association between HFimpEF and arrhythmic events (AEs), defined as the combined incidence of ventricular arrhythmias, appropriate ICD intervention, and sudden cardiac death (primary composite end point).

Results: A total of 41 studies and 38,572 patients (11,135 with HFimpEF, 27,437 with persistent EF ≤35%) were included; mean follow-up was 43 months.

Utility of Fractional Flow Reserve Computed Tomography Angiography in Patients With Stable Coronary Artery Disease.

Coronary computed tomography angiography is a modality with high negative predictive value for evaluation of coronary artery disease (CAD). However, its diagnostic accuracy for obstructive CAD is limited by multiple factors. Fractional flow reserve (FFR) computed tomography (FFR) is an emerging analysis tool for identifying flow-limiting disease; nonetheless, the prognostic value of FFR is not well established.

Outcomes and Medical Therapy in Myocardial Infarction With Nonobstructive Coronary Arteries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries (MINOCAs) is a disease that has been poorly characterized with unclear clinical and therapeutic outcomes. The association of medical therapy with cardiovascular outcomes in patients with MINOCA has been inadequately assessed. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the association of MINOCA at risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes as compared with myocardial infarction with coronary artery disease (MICAD) and the efficacy of medical therapy in reducing the risk of adverse outcomes.

Effect of gender on atrial fibrillation ablation outcomes using a propensity score-matched analysis.

Background: Previous studies have shown that women with atrial fibrillation (AF) have a higher incidence of recurrence and non-pulmonary vein (non-PV) triggers. However, there remains an incomplete understanding of the impact of gender on AF ablation strategies and outcomes.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of gender on AF ablation outcomes.

Prognostic value of late-gadolinium enhancement on cardiac magnetic resonance in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis.

Background: Late-gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is a predictor of adverse events in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis (CS), but available studies had small sample sizes and did not consider all relevant endpoints.

Objective: To evaluate the association between LGE on CMR in patients with CS and mortality, ventricular arrhythmias (VA) and sudden cardiac death (SCD), and heart failure (HF) hospitalization.

Methods: A literature search was conducted for studies reporting the association between LGE in CS and the study endpoints.

Experiences of athletes with arrhythmogenic cardiac conditions in returning to play.

Background: Recommendations for return to play (RTP) for athletes with genetic (or congenital) heart diseases (GHD) predisposing to sudden cardiac death (SCD) have evolved from an initially paternalistic and conservative approach, to supporting a more flexible approach to decision-making. The experiences of athletes and their families during the RTP process are unknown.

Objective: To understand current RTP processes.

Relation of Cardiovascular Risk Factors to Mortality and Cardiovascular Events in Hospitalized Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (from the Yale COVID-19 Cardiovascular Registry).

Individuals with established cardiovascular disease or a high burden of cardiovascular risk factors may be particularly vulnerable to develop complications from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We conducted a prospective cohort study at a tertiary care center to identify risk factors for in-hospital mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE; a composite of myocardial infarction, stroke, new acute decompensated heart failure, venous thromboembolism, ventricular or atrial arrhythmia, pericardial effusion, or aborted cardiac arrest) among consecutively hospitalized adults with COVID-19, using multivariable binary logistic regression analysis. The study population comprised 586 COVID-19 positive patients.

Resident impact on operative duration for elective general surgical procedures.

Background: Resident involvement in operations increases operative duration. This study investigated resident impact on operative time for a single general surgeon in an outpatient surgical setting.

Methods: A retrospective review was performed of index general surgical operations meeting inclusion criteria.

Drosophila muller f elements maintain a distinct set of genomic properties over 40 million years of evolution.

The Muller F element (4.2 Mb, ~80 protein-coding genes) is an unusual autosome of Drosophila melanogaster; it is mostly heterochromatic with a low recombination rate. To investigate how these properties impact the evolution of repeats and genes, we manually improved the sequence and annotated the genes on the D.