Changes in lipid lowering medication and lipid levels over time in patients with stable coronary artery disease.

Background/aim: To provide longitudinal data on the evolution of lipid levels and the intake of lipid-lowering therapies in patients with stable coronary artery disease.

Methods: Single-centre retrospective study with inclusion of 350 patients with a first coronary artery event in 2014 or earlier and outpatient cardiac clinic follow-up in 2015 and 2019. Lipid levels were collected within a time frame of 3 months of their visits.

Improved differentiation of the ventricular evoked response from polarization by modification of the pacemaker impulse.

The Autocapture feature, implemented in the Microny and Regency pacemakers of St. Jude Medical, continuously controls the effectiveness of ventricular stimulation by detection of the evoked response. Proper sensing of this signal depends on the magnitude of the polarization, which should be minimal.

Delayed restoration of atrial function after conversion of atrial flutter by pacing or electrical cardioversion.

It is often suggested but never proven that atrial function is not affected during atrial flutter, nor after its conversion to normal sinus rhythm. To evaluate this hypothesis, a prospective study was performed in 22 patients (age range 20 to 88 years) with atrial flutter. Diastolic transmitral flow was analyzed with echo-Doppler before and after conversion.

Radiofrequency ablation of a slow pathway in AV-nodal tachycardia.

A 35-year-old woman with frequent attacks of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia and psychiatric background was submitted to ablation of AV-nodal tachycardia. Before ablation, tachycardia with a cycle length of 455 ms was easily induced with regular atrial stimulation or with one extrastimulus. Radiofrequency current (35 Watts) was applied on a site, localized between the His bundle and the ostium of the coronary sinus.

[Intracardial shock for the conversion of chronic atrial fibrillation].

Internal cardioversion was attempted in three patients with chronic atrial fibrillation, refractory to conventional external direct current shocks. Endocardiac shocks were delivered between the proximal electrode on a multipolar USCI pacing catheter and a back paddle. This is positioned with the tip proximal of the bundle of His, and the proximal ring electrode floating in the right atrium.