Long-Term Impact of Right Ventricular Pacing on Left Ventricular Systolic Function in Pacemaker Recipients With Preserved Ejection Fraction: Results From a Large Single-Center Registry.

Background: There is limited evidence of long-term impact of right ventricular pacing on left ventricular (LV) systolic function in pacemaker recipients with preserved LV ejection fraction (LVEF). The objective of the study was to evaluate the outcome and echocardiographic course of baseline preserved LVEF in a large cohort of pacemaker recipients with respect to pacing indication and degree of right ventricular pacing.

Methods And Results: We enrolled 991 patients (73±10 years, 54% male) with baseline normal (>55%) LVEF (n=791) or mildly reduced (41-55%) LVEF (n=200) who had paired echocardiographic data on LV systolic function recorded at implantation and last follow-up.

Cellular damage, platelet activation, and inflammatory response after pulmonary vein isolation: a randomized study comparing radiofrequency ablation with cryoablation.

Background: Experimental data suggest that use of cryoablation in pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is associated with less cell damage and less thrombus formation compared to radiofrequency (RF) energy.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that cryoablation significantly reduces markers of cell damage, platelet activation, and inflammation in patients undergoing PVI for treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods: Sixty patients with symptomatic drug-resistant AF (age 56 ± 9 years, 48 males, 38 with paroxysmal AF) were randomly assigned to undergo PVI using either an open irrigated-tip RF catheter or a cryoballoon.

The impact of body mass index on the efficacy and safety of catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation.

Background: Obesity is a well established risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF) development. Our purpose was to determine the impact of body mass index (BMI) on the safety and efficacy of radiofrequency catheter ablation of AF.

Methods: Two hundred and twenty-six consecutive patients with symptomatic, drug-refractory paroxysmal (59.

Long-term prognosis of asymptomatic individuals with spontaneous or drug-induced type 1 electrocardiographic phenotype of Brugada syndrome.

Background: Risk stratification of asymptomatic individuals with type 1 electrocardiogram (ECG) phenotype of Brugada syndrome (BS) still remains controversial. This study investigated the long-term prognosis of asymptomatic subjects with spontaneous or drug-induced type 1 ECG pattern of BS.

Methods And Results: Data from 33 apparently healthy individuals (30 males; age, 43.

Epsilon-like waves and ventricular conduction abnormalities in subjects with type 1 ECG pattern of Brugada syndrome.

Background: Previous studies have demonstrated an overlap between the arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia (ARVC/D) and Brugada syndrome (BS). Conduction delay in the right ventricle has been demonstrated in both entities.

Objective: This study investigated specific ARVC/D electrocardiographic (ECG) markers in subjects with spontaneous or drug-induced type 1 ECG pattern of BS.