How sex affects the sinus rhythm heartbeat.

Background: There is increasing awareness of sex-specific differences in epidemiology and pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation (AF). It is, however, unknown whether males and females differ in atrial electrophysiological properties during sinus rhythm (SR). The aim of this study was therefore to investigate sex-based (regional) differences in electrophysiological properties during SR of the right (RA) and left (LA) atrium including Bachmanns Bundle (BB) and pulmonary vein region (PVA).

Impact of Obesity on Atrial Electrophysiological Substrate.

(1) Background. Obesity is a well-established worldwide recognised risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF). Prior review papers reported on the associations between obesity and AF development, but not on the relation between obesity and atrial electrophysiology.

The influence of sex on early post-operative atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery.

Background: Early post-operative atrial fibrillation (EPOAF) occurs more frequently in male (M) patients. However, most patients included in EPOAF studies were also M. The aim of the present study was to compare, in a matched M and F population, the occurrence of EPOAF episodes and EPOAF characteristics using continuous rhythm monitoring (CRM) during the first five post-operative days.

Low-voltage potentials contribute to postoperative atrial fibrillation development in obese patients.

Background: Obesity predisposes to the development of atrial fibrillation (AF); however, the pathophysiology underlying this relation is only partly understood.

Objective: As low-voltage areas are considered indicators of the arrhythmogenic substrates promoting AF, our study aimed to compare the extensiveness of atrial low-voltage areas between obese and nonobese patients by using high-resolution epicardial mapping in order to identify predilection sites of low-voltage areas.

Methods: A total of 430 patients (131 (30%) obese and 299 (70%) nonobese) were matched resulting in 212 patients (body mass index [BMI] ≥30 kg/m: n = 106; BMI <30 kg/m: n = 106) undergoing cardiac surgery (mean age 63 ± 11 years; 161 male).

Heterogeneity in Conduction Underlies Obesity-Related Atrial Fibrillation Vulnerability.

Background: Obese patients are more vulnerable to development of atrial fibrillation but pathophysiology underlying this relation is only partly understood. The aim of this study is to compare the severity and extensiveness of conduction disorders between obese patients and nonobese patients measured at a high-resolution scale.

Methods: Patients (N=212) undergoing cardiac surgery (male:161, 63±11 years) underwent epicardial mapping of the right atrium, Bachmann bundle, and left atrium during sinus rhythm.

Impact of atrial programmed electrical stimulation techniques on unipolar electrogram morphology.

Introduction: Intra-atrial conduction abnormalities are associated with the development of atrial fibrillation (AF) and cause morphological changes of the unipolar atrial electrogram (U-AEGM). This study examined the impact of different atrial programmed electrical stimulation (APES) protocols on U-AEGM morphology to identify the most optimal APES protocol provoking conduction abnormalities.

Methods: APES techniques (14 protocols) were applied in 30 patients referred for an electrophysiology study, consisting of fixed rate, extra, and decremental stimuli at different frequencies.