Atrial fibrillation in the setting of cardiac amyloidosis - A review of the literature.

Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is related to the aggregation of insoluble fibrous deposits of misfolded proteins within the myocardium. Transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) and immunoglobulin light-chain amyloidosis are the main forms of CA. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia in CA patients, especially in those with ATTR amyloidosis.

Syncope in the setting of trifascicular block and retrograde concealed conduction: A case report.

In clinical practice, the accurate diagnosis of the causes of syncope is often challenging and demanding. Moreover, certain rare electrocardiographic phenomena may complicate the diagnostic workup, leading to imprecise diagnoses. The present study briefly describes the case of an 82-year-old male patient with ischemic cardiomyopathy who suffered syncopal episodes in the setting of trifascicular block.

Association between sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and incident atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter in heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter (AFL) are associated with adverse outcomes in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). We investigated the effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) on the incidence of AF and/or AFL in HFrEF patients. PubMed and ClinicalTrials.

The role of cardiac magnetic resonance in identifying appropriate candidates for cardiac resynchronization therapy - a systematic review of the literature.

Despite the strict indications for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) implantation, a significant proportion of patients will fail to adequately respond to the treatment. This systematic review aims to present the existing evidence about the role of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in identifying patients who are likely to respond better to the CRT. A systematic search in the MedLine database and Cochrane Library from their inception to August 2021 was performed, without any limitations, by two independent investigators.

Two Cases of Arrhythmic Mitral Valve Prolapse: Evil Has Many Faces.

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is one of the most common valvular heart diseases. Although MVP is generally considered benign, it can be associated with important complications, including sudden cardiac death (SCD), owing to ventricular arrhythmias (VAs). Several clinical, electrocardiographic, and imaging findings have been associated with MVP-related SCD, including female sex, T-wave inversions in the inferior leads, complex ventricular ectopy, leaflet redundancy (classic MVP), mitral annular disjunction, pickelhaube sign (a spiked configuration of the lateral annular velocities), and evidence of myocardial fibrosis in cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on cardiac electronic device implantations in Northwestern Greece.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic seems to have a significant impact on cardiovascular-related hospital visits and admissions. The effect of the ongoing pandemic on the cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) procedures is less well studied. We recorded and compared the rates of de novo implantations and replacements of CIEDs performed by two experienced implanters in our referral center between years 2019 and 2020, as well as the periods of lockdowns in 2020 to the corresponding periods of the previous year.

Association between sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and risk of sudden cardiac death or ventricular arrhythmias: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Aims: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) and ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) are important causes of mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), heart failure (HF), or chronic kidney disease (CKD). We evaluated the effect of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors on SCD and VAs in these patients.

Methods And Results: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that enrolled patients with T2DM and/or HF and/or CKD comparing SGLT2i and placebo or active control.

Delayed identification of high-degree atrioventricular block with prolonged asystole revealed after the removal of an implantable loop recorder owing to battery depletion.

There is a need for prolonged monitoring and close follow-up in cases of recurrent unexplained syncope and no diagnosis at the time of ILR explanation. Also, a second ILR should be implanted in cases with no clear diagnosis of syncope that probably has a cardiac origin.

Serum potassium and heart failure: association, causation, and clinical implications.

Dyskalemia (hypo- and hyperkalemia) is a common clinical encounter in patients with heart failure (HF), linked to underlying pathophysiologic alterations, pharmacological treatments, and concomitant comorbidities. Both hypo- and hyperkalemia have been associated with a poor outcome in HF. However, it is not known if this association is causal.

Is brucellosis a great mimic of tuberculosis? A case report.

Tuberculosis (TB) can manifest prolonged fever or fever of unknown origin, especially when it is located extrapulmonary. We report a case of disseminated TB complicated by iliac bone osteolysis and a gluteal abscess in a 75-year-old female patient with fever and bone marrow dysplasia. Diagnosis of TB was made despite transient false-positive high-titer agglutination tests and ELISA antibodies to Brucella.

Clinical pharmacology of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are an important asset in the armamentarium for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (type 2 DM). Incretin failure is a critical etiopathogenetic feature of type 2 DM, which, if reversed, results in improved glycaemic control. GLP-1 RAs are injectable peptides that resemble the structure and function of endogenous incretin GLP-1, but as they are not deactivated by the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4), their half-life is prolonged compared with native GLP-1.