Publications by authors named "E R Meulendijks"
Background: Obesity increases the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). We hypothesize that 'obese' epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is, regardless of comorbidities, associated with markers of AF vulnerability.
Methods: Patients >40y of age undergoing bariatric surgery and using <2 antihypertensive drugs and no insulin were prospectively included.
Article Synopsis
- - Atrial fibrosis is a key factor in the development and persistence of atrial fibrillation (AF), but treating it is difficult due to the complex activity of atrial fibroblasts.
- - The study discovered that primary cilia play a crucial role in regulating the fibrotic response of atrial fibroblasts in AF, showing fewer ciliated fibroblasts in AF patients compared to those without AF.
- - Restoring or elongating primary cilia can potentially prevent the expression of fibrosis-related genes in AF patients, presenting a promising therapeutic strategy for managing atrial fibrosis.
Background: Patients with excess epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) are at increased risk of developing cardiac arrhythmias. EAT promotes arrhythmias by depolarizing the resting membrane of cardiomyocytes, which slows down conduction and facilitates re-entrant arrhythmias. We hypothesized that EAT slows conduction by secreting extracellular vesicles (EVs) and their microRNA (miRNA) cargo.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) secretome induces fibrosis. Fibrosis, primarily extracellular matrix (ECM) produced by fibroblasts, creates a substrate for atrial fibrillation (AF). Whether the EAT secretome from patients with AF activates human atrial fibroblasts and through which components, remains unexplored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- * In a study of 571 patients, women were older and had fewer cardiovascular risk factors; however, they faced a 15% greater risk of AF recurrence, largely due to more atrial tachycardias and fibrosis in heart tissue.
- * Vascular disease increased the risk of recurrent AF in women but not men, revealing significant gender differences in outcomes post-ablation and indicating a need for tailored approaches in treatment.