From Atrial Small-conductance Calcium-activated Potassium Channels to New Antiarrhythmics.

Despite significant advances in its management, AF remains a major healthcare burden affecting millions of individuals. Rhythm control with antiarrhythmic drugs or catheter ablation has been shown to improve symptoms and outcomes in AF patients, but current treatment options have limited efficacy and/or significant side-effects. Novel mechanism-based approaches could potentially be more effective, enabling improved therapeutic strategies for managing AF.

Management of dyslipidaemia in patients with comorbidities - facing the challenge Value and limitations of lipid lowering drugs in liver disease Effects/Interactions of lipid-lowering agents on/with the liver.

Objectives: This review aims to examine the evidence on the benefits and risks of lipid lowering drugs in patients with liver disease. Elevated liver enzyme levels often lead to cautious discontinuation of these drugs, potentially withholding from patients their benefit in reducing cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality.

Methods And Results: Using a literature search of PubMed, we examine the efficacy and safety profiles of various lipid lowering agents, including statins, ezetimibe, bempedoic acid, PCSK9 inhibitors, fibrates, and icosapent ethyl, focusing particularly on their potential side effects related to liver health.

Impact of overweight and obesity on radiation dose and outcome in patients undergoing pulmonary vein isolation by cryoballoon and pulsed field ablation.

Background: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) using pulsed field ablation (PFA) or cryoballoon ablation (CBA) are commonly used single-shot techniques for the treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The number of overweight (BMI 25-30 kg/m) and obese (BMI>30 kg/m) patients undergoing PVI is increasing, but data on this patient population is limited.

Methods: Consecutive AF patients with a BMI ≥25 kg/m undergoing PFA- or CBA-PVI were included in this retrospective analysis.

Thrombin receptor PAR4 cross-activates the tyrosine kinase c-met in atrial cardiomyocytes.

Thrombin supports coagulation-independent inflammation via protease-activated receptors (PAR). PAR4 is specifically increased in obese human atria, correlating with NLRP3 inflammasome activation. PAR4-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation in atrial cardiomyocytes is not known, nor have signaling partners been identified.

Prognostic roles of neutrophil-lymphocyte, monocyte-lymphocyte and platelet-lymphocyte ratios for long-term all-cause mortality in heart failure.

Background: Heart failure (HF) and inflammation have a bidirectional relation leading to activation and adaptation of multiple cellular lines, including leucocyte subtypes and platelets. We aimed to assess and compare the predictive value of the neutrophil-lymphocyte (NLR), monocyte-lymphocyte (MLR) and platelet-lymphocyte (PLR) ratios for all-cause long-term mortality in HF.

Methods: This is an observational retrospective cohort study that included patients from the HI-HF cohort that survived the initial hospitalization.

Update on antithrombotic therapy and body mass: a clinical consensus statement of the European Society of Cardiology Working Group on Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy and the European Society of Cardiology Working Group on Thrombosis.

Obesity and underweight are a growing health problem worldwide and a challenge for clinicians concerning antithrombotic therapy, due to the associated risks of thrombosis and/or bleeding. This clinical consensus statement updates a previous one published in 2018, by reviewing the most recent evidence on antithrombotic drugs based on body size categories according to the World Health Organization classification. The document focuses mostly on individuals at the extremes of body weight, i.

Management of dyslipidaemia in patients with comorbidities: facing the challenge.

Dyslipidaemia is a common chronic kidney disease (CKD) and contributes to excessively elevated cardiovascular mortality. The pathophysiology is complex and modified by comorbidities like the presence/absence of proteinuria, diabetes mellitus or drug treatment. This paper provides an overview of currently available treatment options.

Atrial cardiomyopathy revisited-evolution of a concept: a clinical consensus statement of the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) of the ESC, the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), the Asian Pacific Heart Rhythm Society (APHRS), and the Latin American Heart Rhythm Society (LAHRS).

Aims: The concept of "atrial cardiomyopathy" (AtCM) had been percolating through the literature since its first mention in 1972. Since then, publications using the term were sporadic until the decision was made to convene an expert working group with representation from four multinational arrhythmia organizations to prepare a consensus document on atrial cardiomyopathy in 2016 (EHRA/HRS/APHRS/SOLAECE expert consensus on atrial cardiomyopathies: definition, characterization, and clinical implication). Subsequently, publications on AtCM have increased progressively.

Dramatic loss of microbial viability in bentonite exposed to heat and gamma radiation: implications for deep geological repository.

Bentonite is an integral part of the engineered barrier system (EBS) in deep geological repositories (DGR) for nuclear waste, but its indigenous microorganisms may jeopardize long-term EBS integrity. To predict microbial activity in DGRs, it is essential to understand microbial reactions to the early hot phase of DGR evolution. Two bentonites (BCV and MX-80) with varied bentonite/water ratios and saturation levels (compacted to 1600 kg.

Targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome signalling for the management of atrial fibrillation.

Inflammatory signalling via the nod-like receptor (NLR) family pyrin domain-containing protein-3 (NLRP3) inflammasome has recently been implicated in the pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the precise role of the NLRP3 inflammasome in various cardiac cell types is poorly understood. Targeting components or products of the inflammasome and preventing their proinflammatory consequences may constitute novel therapeutic treatment strategies for AF.