Publications by authors named "Cheng-I Wu"
Background: Undetected atrial fibrillation (AF) poses a significant risk of stroke and cardiovascular mortality. However, diagnosing AF in real-time can be challenging as the arrhythmia is often not captured instantly. To address this issue, a deep-learning model was developed to diagnose AF even during periods of arrhythmia-free windows.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Predicting premature ventricular contraction (PVC) origin pre-ablation is a fundamental step, as right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) PVC often leads to higher success rates.
Objective: To compare nine published ECG criteria to differentiate between RVOT and non-RVOT origins of PVCs and develop a stepwise algorithm using those criteria to better determine PVC origin to predict ablation success.
Methods: Two centers were involved in this study, the derivation group and the validation group.
Article Synopsis
- Brugada syndrome (BrS) is a hereditary cardiac disorder linked to sudden death in young adults, particularly prevalent in Southeast Asia, with certain genetic variants associated with the condition.
- Researchers conducted genome sequencing on individuals with BrS and matched controls in Thailand to find rare noncoding variants that are more common in BrS patients.
- A specific rare variant was identified that disrupts a transcription factor binding site, causing reduced gene expression and reduced sodium current in heart cells, contributing to the high prevalence of BrS in the region and identifying at-risk individuals.
Article Synopsis
- Signal-averaged electrocardiography (SAECG) was studied in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathies (NICMs) to determine its diagnostic and prognostic value regarding ventricular arrhythmia (VA).
- In a study of 58 NICM patients, those who met at least one SAECG criterion showed larger areas of scar tissue and more frequently had extremely low-voltage zones than those who did not meet the criteria.
- The findings suggest that a positive SAECG indicates a greater risk for arrhythmogenic issues in NICM patients, although it did not significantly correlate with long-term recurrence of ventricular arrhythmias.
Article Synopsis
- This study investigates how AI and pre-ablation CT images can predict the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after catheter ablation, relying on clinical data and imaging for better accuracy.
- Researchers analyzed data from 638 patients and designed machine learning models using CT images and clinical variables, achieving varying predictive performance for AF recurrence.
- The best results came from an ensemble model combining both AI-driven imaging and selected clinical variables, yielding a predictive accuracy (AUC) of 0.76.
Background: The aim of this study was to build an auto-segmented artificial intelligence model of the atria and epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) on computed tomography (CT) images, and examine the prognostic significance of auto-quantified left atrium (LA) and EAT volumes for AF.
Methods and results: This retrospective study included 334 patients with AF who were referred for catheter ablation (CA) between 2015 and 2017. Atria and EAT volumes were auto-quantified using a pre-trained 3-dimensional (3D) U-Net model from pre-ablation CT images.
Introduction: Catheter ablation is an effective and safe strategy for treating atrial fibrillation patients. Nevertheless, studies on the long-term outcomes of catheter ablation in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy are limited. This study aimed to assess the electrophysiological characteristics of atrial fibrillation patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and compare the long-term clinical outcomes between patients undergoing catheter ablation and medical therapy.
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- A study was conducted to evaluate whether a new mapping technique, PRISM, could improve catheter ablation outcomes for patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) when combined with traditional methods.
- The trial involved 170 patients and showed that those who underwent the PRISM-guided procedure had a significantly higher success rate in maintaining normal heart rhythm after 12 months compared to the conventional approach.
- The findings suggest that PRISM mapping may enhance the precision of AF treatment and reduce the recurrence of atrial arrhythmias, making it a promising alternative for persistent AF management.
Article Synopsis
- The study examines how catheter ablation (CA) of atrial fibrillation (AF) affects the severity of mitral regurgitation (MR) in patients who have both conditions, analyzing data from 2011 to 2021.
- Of the 50 patients analyzed, those with improved MR after CA (group 1) had fewer risk factors like hypertension and diabetes, and less scar tissue in the left atrium compared to those with refractory MR (group 2).
- The results indicate that while most patients experience improved MR post-ablation, the presence of scar tissue in the posterior bottom of the left atrium predicts a poorer outcome in terms of MR recovery.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the occurrence of Carina breakthrough (CB) at the right pulmonary vein (RPV) after a specific ablation procedure in atrial fibrillation patients.
- Out of 62 patients, 33.87% experienced RPV CB, and those affected had lower contact force (CF) at lesions near the RPV carina compared to those who did not.
- The research found that a CF of less than 10.5 grams is a potential predictor of RPV CB, suggesting that higher CF during ablation could help reduce this complication.
Article Synopsis
- This study compares the effectiveness of circumferential pulmonary vein isolation (CPVI) and segmental pulmonary vein isolation (SPVI) in patients undergoing redo ablations for recurrent atrial fibrillation (AF).
- 543 patients who had AF ablation were analyzed, with 141 included in the final assessment; the results showed similar AF-free survival rates for both techniques, but a significant difference in atrial flutter recurrence favoring CPVI.
- The findings suggest that while SPVI and CPVI are comparable for AF recurrence, SPVI has a higher rate of atrial flutter, potentially linked to more residual pulmonary vein gaps over time.
Background: Catheter ablation (CA) is a treatment strategy for atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). We investigated the electrophysiological characteristics of recurrence in a tertiary referral center and compared long-term clinical outcomes after CA therapy with patients who did not undergo CA.
Methods: Patients with HCM and AF who underwent CA (group 1, = 60) or pharmacological treatment (group 2, = 298) between 2006 and 2021 were enrolled in this study.
Introduction: Ventricular arrhythmia (VA) commonly originate from the left ventricular summit (LVS) and results in left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in some patients; however, factors related to LV cardiomyopathy have not been well elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the risk factors for LV cardiomyopathy and the outcomes of patients with LVS VA.
Methods: Between 2013 and 2018, a total of 139 patients (60.
Article Synopsis
- A study compared the effectiveness of cryoballoon ablation (CBA) and high-power short-duration (HPSD) ablation for pulmonary vein isolation in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF).
- The analysis involved 251 patients, showing that CBA achieved isolation significantly faster than HPSD (20.6 min vs 51.8 min).
- Despite similar overall recurrence rates of atrial tachyarrhythmias, CBA was linked to a higher occurrence of atrial flutter compared to HPSD.
High-density characterization of the sinus rhythm: a new functional substrate map of scar-related atrial tachycardia.
J Interv Card Electrophysiol
October 2023
Background: Reentrant atrial tachycardias (ATs) utilize critical isthmus (CI) for the maintenance of the circuit. The electrophysiological characteristics and clinical implications of the targeted CI regions of reentrant ATs during sinus rhythm (SR) were not clear. Therefore, our research aims at studying the electrical properties of the CI sites for scar-related reentrant ATs and the functional substrate mapping identified during SR.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The presence of abnormal substrate of left atrium is a predictor of atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after pulmonary vein isolation. We aimed to investigate the isochronal late activation mapping to access the abnormal conduction velocity for predicting AF ablation outcome.
Methods: Forty-five paroxysmal AF patients (30 males, 57.
(1) Background: Catheter ablation (CA) is an accepted treatment option for drug-refractory ventricular tachycardia (VT) in patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). This study investigates the effect of amiodarone on ablation outcomes in ARVC. (2) Methods: The study enrolled patients with ARVC undergoing CA of sustained VT.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Brugada syndrome (BrS) is a severe inherited arrhythmia syndrome that can be unmasked by fever.
Methods: A multicentre clinical analysis was performed in 261 patients diagnosed with fever-induced BrS, including 198 (75.9%) and 27 (10.
Article Synopsis
- Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) consists of heart muscle disorders that cause arrhythmias but aren't linked to common heart diseases like ischemic or valvular issues, and diagnosing them can be challenging due to overlapping symptoms.
- Ventricular tachycardia (VT) often occurs early in ACMs, making it difficult to prevent, and treatment can vary widely in effectiveness, including the potential use of antiarrhythmic drugs and catheter ablation for resistant cases.
- The article aims to explore the different types of ACMs, their underlying characteristics, and effective strategies for ablation treatment, emphasizing the importance of both endocardial and epicardial approaches in achieving successful outcomes.
Background: The substrate and ablation outcome in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) with or without right ventricular (RV) dysfunction is unclear.
Objective: We aimed to investigate ablation outcome and substrate in ARVC patients with or without RV dysfunction.
Methods: We retrospectively studied ARVC patients with (group 1) or without RV dysfunction (group 2) undergoing substrate mapping/ablation.
Patients with long QT syndrome (LQTS) face potential threats from COVID-19 vaccination. Fever is one of the issues that is not uncommon after vaccination, and it usually takes place within 2 days. In particular, patients with type 2 LQTS based on trafficking-deficient variants are probably vulnerable to arrhythmogenicity under febrile conditions.
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- Atypical atrial flutter (aAFL) is common after cardiac surgeries or procedures for atrial fibrillation, and this study aimed to improve ablation techniques using a new mapping algorithm.
- Researchers studied 15 patients with 20 cases of aAFL, finding that the ablation sites identified by analyzing global activation histograms (GAH) were highly effective in targeting reentry circuits.
- The use of the Lumipoint algorithm facilitated better identification of slow conduction areas, leading to quicker aAFL termination and improved patient outcomes.
Background: The presence of ventricular tachycardia (VT) is associated with higher mortality. The annual incidence of VT after a diagnosis of amyloidosis and the associated cardiovascular (CV) outcomes have not been well assessed in a large cohort.
Methods: A total of 12,139 amyloidosis patients were identified from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database.