The association between adipokines dysregulation and the occurrence of atrial fibrillation and obese patients, is it relevant?

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia, affecting approximately 33.5 millions of people worldwide. Unfortunately, the prevalence of this arrhythmia will increase within the following two decades, resulting in a higher mortality rate and a higher economic burden for public health services.

Highlights and comments on EHRA/HRS/APHRS/LAHRS expert consensus on risk assessment in cardiac arrhythmias: use the right tool for the right outcome.

Patients with heart disease, or at high risk of developing a cardiac condition, usually undergo risk assessment by primary care physicians, internal medicine doctors, or cardiologists. There are several methods that can be used for this risk assessment, and their applicability differs with respect to availability, complexity, and usefulness in different geographic populations. This document focuses on some of the many relevant clinical topics recently presented in the "Expert Consensus on Risk Assessment in Cardiac Arrhythmias: Use the Right Tool for the Right Outcome," which include statements based on the best available evidence.

Joint Mexican position document on the treatment of atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a frequent arrhythmia; its prevalence is near 2% in the general population; in Mexico, more than one-half million people are affected. AF needs to be considered as a public health problem. Because AF is an independent risk factor associated with mortality, due to embolic events, heart failure, or sudden death; early diagnosis is of utmost importance.

The first Latin American Catheter Ablation Registry.

Aims: To assess the results of transcatheter ablation of cardiac arrhythmias in Latin America and establish the first Latin American transcatheter ablation registry.

Methods And Results: All ablation procedures performed between 1 January and 31 December 2012 were analysed retrospectively. Data were obtained on the characteristics and resources of participating centres (public or private institution, number of beds, cardiac surgery availability, type of room for the procedures, days per week assigned to electrophysiology procedures, type of fluoroscopy equipment, availability and type of electroanatomical mapping system, intracardiac echo, cryoablation, and number of electrophysiologists) and the results of 17 different ablation substrates: atrio-ventricular node reentrant tachycardia, typical atrial flutter, atypical atrial flutter, left free wall accessory pathway, right free wall accessory pathway, septal accessory pathway, right-sided focal atrial tachycardia, left-sided focal atrial tachycardia, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, atrio-ventricular node, premature ventricular complex, idiopathic ventricular tachycardia, post-myocardial infarction ventricular tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia in chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy, ventricular tachycardia in congenital heart disease, and ventricular tachycardias in other structural heart diseases.

Catheter ablation of accessory pathway in the treatment of pacemaker-mediated tachycardia.

Pacemaker-mediated tachycardia (PMT) remains a clinical problem in patients with dual-chamber pacemaker despite technological advances. The onset mechanism of this tachycardia is sensing of retrograde atrial activation after ventricular stimulation. Repeated retrograde conduction perpetuates tachycardia.

Transvenous pacing in children weighing less than 10 kilograms.

Pacemakers are used in small children with increasing frequency for the treatment of life-threatening bradyarrhythmias. The epicardial approach is generally preferred in these patients, to avoid the risks of vessel thrombosis. We examined the feasibility and safety of transvenous pacemaker implantation in children weighing <10 kg, via subclavian puncture, using a 4 Fr sheath introduced after a venogram was performed to evaluate the vein diameter.

Low exposure radiation with conventional guided radiofrequency catheter ablation in pregnant women.

Cardiac arrhythmias in pregnant women are a common entity and often drug-refractory. The major concern about using radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation guided by fluoroscopy to treat arrhythmias during pregnancy is the potential consequences of exposing the fetus to radiation. We present two pregnant patients with incessant and life-threatening supraventricular tachycardias successfully treated by conventional RF ablation under strict radioactive dosimeter surveillance.