Multielectrode Radiofrequency Balloon Catheter for Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation: Results From the Global, Multicenter, STELLAR Study.

Introduction: The safety and efficacy of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) ablation with the HELIOSTAR multielectrode radiofrequency (RF) balloon catheter have been demonstrated in European studies; data from elsewhere are lacking. This prospective, multicenter study conducted in the United States, Italy, and China investigated the safety and efficacy of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) using HELIOSTAR in drug-refractory symptomatic PAF.

Methods: The primary effectiveness endpoint (PEE) was 12-month freedom from documented atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter/atrial tachycardia plus freedom from acute procedural failure, nonstudy catheter failure, repeat ablation failure, direct current cardioversion (DCCV), and Class I/III antiarrhythmic drug (AAD) failure.

A comparative study on the clinical efficacy of percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy and conventional open surgery in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation.

Objective: To analyze the efficacy of single-channel percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) and conventional open surgery in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH).

Methods: This is a retrospective study. A total of 66 patients with LDH admitted to Tianjin Medical University from June 2017 to June 2018 were divided into two groups: the observation group (single-channel PELD) and the control group (posterior lumbar interbody fusion), with 33 cases in each group.

Fecal calprotectin: A novel predictor of ulcerated esophageal injury after atrial fibrillation catheter ablation.

Background: Atrial esophageal fistula (AEF) is a lethal complication that can occur post atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. Esophageal injury (EI) is likely to be the initial lesion leading to AEF. Endoscopic examination is the gold standard for a diagnosis of EI but extensive endoscopic screening is invasive and costly.

Deep learning-derived 12-lead electrocardiogram-based genotype prediction for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a pilot study.

Given the psychosocial and ethical burden, patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCMs) could benefit from the establishment of genetic probability prior to the test. This study aimed to develop a simple tool to provide genotype prediction for HCMs. A convolutional neural network (CNN) was built with the 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) of 124 HCMs who underwent genetic testing (GT), externally tested by predicting the genotype on another HCMs cohort ( = 54), and compared with the conventional methods (the Mayo and Toronto score).

ArhGAP11A mediates amyloid-β generation and neuropathology in an Alzheimer's disease-like mouse model.

Amyloid-β (Aβ) plays an important role in the neuropathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but some factors promoting Aβ generation and Aβ oligomer (Aβo) neurotoxicity remain unclear. We here find that the levels of ArhGAP11A, a Ras homology GTPase-activating protein, significantly increase in patients with AD and amyloid precursor protein (APP)/presenilin-1 (PS1) mice. Reducing the ArhGAP11A level in neurons not only inhibits Aβ generation by decreasing the expression of APP, PS1, and β-secretase (BACE1) through the RhoA/ROCK/Erk signaling pathway but also reduces Aβo neurotoxicity by decreasing the expressions of apoptosis-related p53 target genes.

His bundle pacing versus left bundle branch pacing on ventricular function in atrial fibrillation patients referred for pacing: a prospective crossover comparison.

Background: His bundle pacing (HBP) and left bundle branch pacing (LBBP) both provide physiologic pacing which maintain left ventricular synchrony. They both improve heart failure (HF) symptoms in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. We aimed to assess the intra-patient comparison of ventricular function and remodeling as well as leads parameters corresponding to two pacing modalities in AF patients referred for pacing in intermediate term.

Prospective randomized comparison between upgraded '2C3L' vs. PVI approach for catheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation: PROMPT-AF trial design.

Background: In randomized studies, the strategy of pulmonary vein antral isolation (PVI) plus linear ablation has failed to increase success rates for persistent atrial fibrillation (PeAF) ablation when compared with PVI alone. Peri-mitral reentry related atrial tachycardia due to incomplete linear block is an important cause of clinical failures of a first ablation procedure. Ethanol infusion (EI) into the vein of Marshall (EI-VOM) has been demonstrated to facilitate a durable mitral isthmus linear lesion.

Does Chronic Intestinal Inflammation Promote Atrial Fibrillation: A Mendelian Randomization Study With Populations of European Ancestry.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), comprising ulcerative colitis (UC), and Crohn's disease (CD), has been reported to be associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the causal role of the chronic intestinal inflammation (CII) in the development of AF remains controversial. We use Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to explore the causal inference of CII on AF.

Mendelian randomization as an approach to assess causal effects of inflammatory bowel disease on atrial fibrillation.

Background: Despite growing evidence indicating that patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have an increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF), owing to the potential biases of confounding effects and reverse causation, the specific relationship between IBD and AF remains controversial. The aim of this study is to determine whether there is a causal effect of IBD on AF.

Methods: A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study was performed to evaluate the causal effect of IBD on AF.

Association Between Quality of Life and Procedural Outcome After Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Catheter ablation is effective in reducing atrial fibrillation (AF), but the association of ablation for AF with quality of life is unclear.

Objective: To evaluate whether the procedural outcome of ablation for AF is associated with quality of life (QOL) measures.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This was a prespecified secondary analysis of the Substrate and Trigger Ablation for Reduction of Atrial Fibrillation-Part II (STAR AF II) prospective randomized clinical trial, which compared 3 strategies for ablation of persistent AF.

Impact of Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy in Post-Operative Atrial Fibrillation and Long-Term Mortality in Patients Among Esophageal Cancer.

Aims: Postoperative Atrial fibrillation (POAF) after esophagectomy may prolong stay in intensive care and increase risk of perioperative complications. A minimally invasive approach is becoming the preferred option for esophagectomy, yet its implications for POAF risk remains unclear. The association between POAF and minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) was examined in this study.

Outcomes of incident atrial fibrillation in heart failure with preserved or reduced ejection fraction: A community-based study.

Introduction: The best management strategy for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) with heart failure (HF) and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is unknown.

Methods And Results: This cohort study was conducted in Olmsted County, Minnesota, with resources of the Rochester Epidemiology Project. Patients with incident AF occurring between 2000 and 2014 with a prior or concurrent HF were included.

Atrioesophageal fistula post atrial fibrillation ablation: A multicenter study from China.

Background And Objective: Atrioesophageal fistula (AEF) is a rare but devastating complication with high mortality post atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. The purpose of current study was to determine the epidemiology, clinical features, pathogenesis, and management of AEF after AF ablation.

Methods And Results: Patients with diagnosed AEF were included and retrospectively analyzed according to the registry of 11 centers in China from January 2010 to December 2019.

Risk of esophageal thermal injury during catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation guided by different ablation index.

Background: During ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF), energy delivery toward the left atrial posterior wall may cause esophageal injury (EI). Ablation index (AI) was introduced to estimate ablation lesion size, however, the impact of AI technology on the risk of EI has not been explored.

Method: From March 2019 to December 2019, 60 patients with paroxysmal AF undergoing first-time ablation were prospectively enrolled.

Outcome differences between carotid artery stenting (CAS) and carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in postoperative ventricular arrhythmia, neurological complications, and in-hospital mortality.

: We study whether the carotid artery stenting (CAS) and carotid endarterectomy (CEA) differ from each other in postoperative ventricular arrhythmia, along with neurological complications (perioperative stroke and transient ischemic attack), in-hospital mortality, and estimated medical cost. : This study used data of patients with carotid artery stenosis from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database (2011-2014) from the United States of America. Based on the procedure that patients received, individuals were categorized into groups of CAS and CEA.

Numerical prediction of thrombosis risk in left atrium under atrial fibrillation.

The remodeling of the left atrial morphology and function caused by atrial fibrillation (AF) can exacerbate thrombosis in the left atrium (LA) even spike up the risk of stroke within AF patients. This study explored the effect of the AF on hemodynamic and thrombosis in LA. We reconstructed the patient-specific anatomical shape of the LA and considered the non-Newtonian property of the blood.

Characteristics of Atrial Fibrillation Patients Suffering Esophageal Injury Caused by Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation.

The close proximity of esophagus to the left atrial posterior wall predisposes esophagus to thermal injury during catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF). In this retrospective study, we aimed to investigate risk factors of esophageal injury (EI) caused by catheter ablation for AF. Patients who underwent first-time AF ablation from July 2013 to June 2018 were included.

Adjunctive percutaneous ablation targeting epicardial arrhythmogenic structures in patients of atrial fibrillation with recurrence after multiple procedures.

Introduction: Repeat ablation strategy for atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after multiple ablation procedures is known to be challenging. This study evaluated the insights of adjunctive ablation for epicardial arrhythmogenic substrates in those patients via a percutaneous epicardial approach.

Methods And Results: Thirty-five consecutive patients with AF/atrial tachycardia (AT) recurrence, who had two or more prior ablation procedures, were enrolled from September 2016 to December 2018.

PV isolation guided by esophageal visualization with a tailored ablation strategy for the avoidance of esophageal thermal injury: a randomized trial.

Purpose: Radiofrequency ablation along the posterior wall of the left atrium may lead to atrioesophageal fistula due to esophageal thermal injury. The purpose of our study was to prospectively investigate whether ablation guided by soluble contrast esophageal visualization (SCEV) reduces injury during atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation.

Methods: Seventy-eight patients with paroxysmal AF undergoing circumferential pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) were randomized to a SCEV group (n = 39) and control group without visualization (n = 39).

Characterization of skin sympathetic nerve activity in patients with cardiomyopathy and ventricular arrhythmia.

Background: Heightened sympathetic nerve activity is associated with occurrence of ventricular arrhythmia (VA).

Objective: To investigate the association of skin sympathetic nerve activity (SKNA) and VA occurrence.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 65 patients with severe cardiomyopathy.