Peak left atrial longitudinal strain and incident atrial fibrillation in the general population: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the commonest supraventricular arrhythmia in adults. Timely AF diagnosis seems to ameliorate patients prognosis.

Purpose: To investigate the association between peak left atrial longitudinal strain (PALS) and new onset AF in the general population.

Efficacy, Safety and Feasibility of Superior Vena Cava Isolation in Patients Undergoing Atrial Fibrillation Catheter Ablation: An Up-to-Date Review.

Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is the cornerstone in atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation; yet, the role of arrhythmogenic superior vena cava (SVC) is increasingly recognized and different ablation strategies have been employed in this context. SVC can act as a trigger or perpetuator of AF, and its significance might be more pronounced in patients undergoing repeated ablation. Several cohorts have examined efficacy, safety and feasibility of SVC isolation (SVCI) among AF patients.

Left atrial appendage morphofunctional indices could be predictive of arrhythmia recurrence post-atrial fibrillation ablation: a meta-analysis.

Background: Left atrium changes are implicated in atrial fibrillation (AF) substrate and are predictive of AF outcomes. Left atrial appendage (LAA) is an integral component of left atrial structure and could be affected by atrial cardiomyopathy. We aimed to elucidate the association between LAA indices and late arrhythmia recurrence after atrial fibrillation catheter ablation (AFCA).

Advances in the Management of Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction; The Role of SGLT2is, ARNI, Myotropes, Vericiguat, and Anti-inflammatory Agents: A Mini-review.

Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) has been associated with poor prognosis, reduced quality of life, and increased healthcare expenditure. Despite tremendous advances in HFrEF management, reduced survival and a high rate of hospitalization remain unsolved issues. Furthermore, HFrEF morbidity and economic burden are estimated to increase in the following years; hence, new therapies are constantly emerging.

Choroidal thickness in patients with systemic arterial hypertension: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The global burden of hypertension is constantly increasing with adverse cardiovascular and ocular sequelae. The association between elevated blood pressure and choroidal thickness (CT), as assessed via optical coherence tomography (OCT), is poorly understood.

Objectives And Design: Studies including hypertensive adults and normotensive controls undergoing OCT were evaluated for inclusion in this meta-analysis.

Inflammatory Biomarkers in Coronary Artery Ectasia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Isolated coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is a relatively rare clinical entity, the pathogenesis of which is poorly understood. More and more evidence is accumulating to suggest a critical inflammatory component. We aimed to elucidate any association between neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and coronary artery ectasia.

Early arrhythmia recurrence after cryoballoon ablation in atrial fibrillation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Early arrhythmia recurrence within the 3-month blanking period is a common event that historically has been attributed to reversible phenomena. While its mechanistic links remain obscure, accumulating evidence support the argument of shortening the blanking period. We aimed to elucidate the association between early and late arrhythmia recurrence after atrial fibrillation cryoablation.

Immunologic Dysregulation and Hypercoagulability as a Pathophysiologic Background in COVID-19 Infection and the Immunomodulating Role of Colchicine.

In 2020, SARS-COV-2 put health systems under unprecedented resource and manpower pressure leading to significant number of deaths. Expectedly, researchers sought to shed light on the pathophysiologic background of this novel disease (COVID-19) as well as to facilitate the design of effective therapeutic modalities. Indeed, early enough the pivotal role of inflammatory and thrombotic pathways in SARS-COV-2 infection has been illustrated.

Molecular Insights in Atrial Fibrillation Pathogenesis and Therapeutics: A Narrative Review.

The prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) is bound to increase globally in the following years, affecting the quality of life of millions of people, increasing mortality and morbidity, and beleaguering health care systems. Increasingly effective therapeutic options against AF are the constantly evolving electroanatomic substrate mapping systems of the left atrium (LA) and ablation catheter technologies. Yet, a prerequisite for better long-term success rates is the understanding of AF pathogenesis and maintenance.

Could Sodium/Glucose Co-Transporter-2 Inhibitors Have Antiarrhythmic Potential in Atrial Fibrillation? Literature Review and Future Considerations.

The global burden of atrial fibrillation (AF) is constantly increasing, necessitating novel and effective therapeutic options. Sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have been introduced in clinical practice as glucose-lowering medications. However, they have recently gained prominence for their potential to exert substantial cardiorenal protection and are being evaluated in large clinical trials including patients with type 2 diabetes and normoglycemic adults.

Moderate procedural sedation and opioid analgesia during transradial coronary interventions to prevent spasm: a prospective randomized study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that moderate procedural sedation can reduce the incidence of radial artery spasm.

Background: Transradial access for left heart catheterization and percutaneous coronary intervention is increasingly used for emergent and elective procedures, in lieu of the femoral approach. However, increased rates of access site crossover have been reported, with radial artery spasm being a major contributor to this effect.

Renoprotective effect of remote ischemic post-conditioning by intermittent balloon inflations in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to assess the efficacy of remote ischemic post-conditioning (RIPC) by repeated intermittent balloon inflations in preventing acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with a non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Background: AKI complicating PCI is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Remote ischemic preconditioning, using cycles of upper limb ischemia-reperfusion as a conditioning stimulus, has been recently shown to prevent AKI in patients undergoing elective coronary angiography.

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia.

We describe the case of a 51-year-old woman with a 10-year history of dyspnoea and fatigue on slight effort, presyncopal episodes, and ventricular extrasystolic arrhythmia. Tests were negative for coronary artery disease, valvular disease, or left ventricular dysfunction. The patient fulfilled the clinical criteria for arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia (ARVC/D) and the diagnosis was confirmed histologically with an endomyocardial biopsy.

Acute inferior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary angioplasty using only a Pronto aspiration catheter.

In a patient with acute myocardial infarction treated with primary angioplasty, a large amount of thrombus was removed from the middle segment of the right coronary artery using a Pronto V3 extraction catheter (Vascular Solutions, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota). Repeat angiography revealed no significant residual stenosis and no further intervention was undertaken.

The effect of rapid decreases of blood pressure by different mechanisms on coronary flow and flow reserve in normal coronary arteries.

Background: Changes in mean blood pressure (MBP) alter coronary blood flow (CBF). We evaluated the acute effects of three hypotensive medications on CBF parameters in angiographically normal coronary arteries.

Methods: We performed CBF measurements using the Doppler wire at rest and during hyperemia produced by intracoronary adenosine (18 microg) as follows: 1) in the normal left circumflex coronary artery in 20 patients with coronary artery disease (measurements were performed without drugs, and after intravenous infusion of nitroprusside [0.

Relative coronary flow velocity reserve improves correlation with stress myocardial perfusion imaging in assessment of coronary artery stenoses.

Study Objective: To evaluate the angiographic and coronary flow velocity parameters that best correlate with the results of stress myocardial perfusion imaging.

Design: Criterion standard.

Setting: Tertiary care center.