Ertugliflozin to Reduce Arrhythmic Burden in Patients with ICDs/CRT-Ds.

Background: Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) have beneficial pleiotropic effects, contributing to improved cardiovascular and renal outcomes for patients with and without diabetes. The impact of SGLT2is on arrhythmic burden remains largely unexplored through randomized trials.

Methods: In this multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, we investigated the effects of ertugliflozin on arrhythmic burden among patients with heart failure with an ejection fraction less than 50%.

Incidence and Predictors of Worsening Renal Function in Edoxaban-Treated Atrial Fibrillation Patients Within ETNA-AF-Europe Registry.

Background: Managing patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and worsening renal function (WRF) remains a clinical challenge due to the need of dose adjustment of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants.

Objectives: To determine the incidence of WRF in patients with AF treated with edoxaban, the association of WRF with clinical outcomes, and predictors of WRF and clinical outcomes in these patients.

Methods: This is a subanalysis of the Edoxaban Treatment in routiNe clinical prActice for patients with non-valvular Atrial Fibrillation in Europe study (NCT02944019), an observational study of edoxaban-treated patients with AF.

Rivaroxaban vs Vitamin K Antagonist in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease.

Background: Treatment with vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) has been linked to worsening of kidney function in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

Objectives: XARENO (Factor XA-inhibition in RENal patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation Observational registry; NCT02663076) is a prospective observational study comparing adverse kidney outcomes in patients with AF and advanced chronic kidney disease receiving rivaroxaban or VKA.

Methods: Patients with AF and an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 15 to 49 mL/min/1.

Heart Size Difference Drives Sex-Specific Response to Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy: A Post Hoc Analysis of the MORE-MPP CRT Trial.

Background: Studies have reported that female sex predicts superior cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) response. One theory is that this association is related to smaller female heart size, thus increased relative dyssynchrony at a given QRS duration (QRSd). Our objective was to investigate the mechanisms of sex-specific CRT response relating to heart size, relative dyssynchrony, cardiomyopathy type, QRS morphology, and other patient characteristics.

Risk Profiles and Treatment Patterns in Atrial Fibrillation Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Receiving or not Receiving Anticoagulation Therapy.

 Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at high risk for both thromboembolism and bleeding events. The latter induces a potential reason for withholding oral anticoagulation (OAC) despite an indication for prophylaxis of thromboembolic events.  AF patients with CKD (estimated glomerular filtration [eGFR] rate between 15 and 49 mL/min per 1.

Heart size disparity drives sex-specific response to cardiac resynchronization therapy: a post-hoc analysis of the MORE-MPP CRT trial.

Background: Studies have reported that female sex predicts superior cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) response. One theory is that this association is related to smaller female heart size, thus increased "relative dyssynchrony" at given QRS durations (QRSd).

Objective: To investigate the mechanisms of sex-specific CRT response relating to heart size, relative dyssynchrony, cardiomyopathy type, QRS morphology, and other patient characteristics.

Monitoring of mitral- and tricuspid valve interventions with CardioMEMS: Insights beyond imaging.

Background: Mitral- and tricuspid regurgitation are associated with significant morbidity and mortality and are increasingly treated interventionally. CardioMEMS is a transcutaneously implanted pressure sensor placed in the pulmonary artery that allows invasive measurement of pulmonary artery pressure and cardiac output.

Methods: This proof-of-concept study aimed to observe hemodynamic changes as determined by CardioMEMS after transcatheter atrioventricular valve interventions, assess the additional value of CardioMEMS on top of echocardiography, and investigate a potential effect of CardioMEMS on outcome.

Ertugliflozin to reduce arrhythmic burden in ICD/CRT patients (ERASe-trial) - A phase III study.

Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) have proven profound positive effects in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). These effects are independent from the presence of diabetes. Metabolic effects, antiinflammatory, and antifibrotic properties are discussed as underlying mechanisms.

Twiddler's syndrome after implantation of baroreflex activation therapy: a case report.

Background: Twiddler's syndrome is a rare complication after implantation of cardiac pacemakers or cardioverter-defibrillators that usually occurs within the first year after the procedure. However, it has not yet been described following implantation of baroreflex activation therapy (BAT).

Case Summary: A 61-year-old female patient was referred to the cardiology outpatient clinic due to uncontrolled arterial hypertension despite maximal doses of several established drugs.

Pacemaker lead-associated tricuspid regurgitation in patients with or without pre-existing right ventricular dilatation.

Background: Transcatheter tricuspid valve intervention became an option for pacemaker lead-associated tricuspid regurgitation. This study investigated the progression of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) in patients with or without pre-existing right ventricular dilatation (RVD) undergoing pacemaker implantation.

Methods: Patients were included if they had implantation of transtricuspid pacemaker lead and completed echocardiography before and after implantation.

Recommendations on the utilization of telemedicine in cardiology.

The enormous progress made in recent years in the field of information and communication technology and also in sensor and computer technology has affected numerous fields of medicine and is capable of inducing even radical changes in diagnostic and therapeutic processes. This is particularly true for cardiology, where, for example, telemetric monitoring of cardiac and circulatory functions has been in use for many years. Nevertheless, broad application of newer telemedical processes has not yet been achieved to the extent one would expect from the encouraging results of numerous clinical studies in this field and the state of the art of the underlying technology.

Sex Differences and Long-Term Outcome in Patients With Pacemakers.

Evidence of sex-related differences in patients with pacemakers regarding comorbidities is insufficiently investigated. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship of cardiovascular comorbidities and sex category with properties of pacemaker implantation, pacemaker follow-up, and long-term survival. This retrospective, single-center cohort study consisted of 6,362 pacemaker-patients (39.

Patients with Heart Failure and Preserved Ejection Fraction Are at Risk of Gastrointestinal Bleeding.

Aims: Two thirds of patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) have an indication for oral anticoagulation (OAC) to prevent thromboembolic events. However, evidence regarding the safety of OAC in HFpEF is limited. Therefore, our aim was to describe bleeding events and to find predictors of bleeding in a large HFpEF cohort.

High incidence of atrial fibrillation after successful catheter ablation of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia: a 15.5-year follow-up.

Atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) is the most common type of supraventricular tachycardia. Slow pathway (SP) ablation is the treatment of choice with a high acute success rate and a negligible periprocedural risk. However, long-term outcome data are scarce.

Papillary Muscle Dyssynchrony-Mediated Functional Mitral Regurgitation: Mechanistic Insights and Modulation by Cardiac Resynchronization.

Objectives: This study sought to define interpapillary muscle dyssynchrony as a major contributing factor in functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) and prove the reversibility of FMR by interpapillary muscle resynchronization.

Background: Mechanistic features of FMR include papillary muscle displacement due to left ventricular remodeling. Intraventricular conduction delay might further augment this condition by introducing interpapillary muscle dyssynchrony.

[S1 guideline - Austrian consensus for anticoagulation in the context of atrial fibrillation ablation].

In summary, uninterrupted oral antikoagulation can be recommended, with different recommendation classes and levels of evidence, for both, VKA and NOAC therapy, in the framework of PVI. Even with low CHADS VASc scores, OAK is indicated 3-4 weeks before and 8 weeks after the procedure. Periinterventional bridging with heparins should be avoided due to increased bleeding events.

[Risk-adapted anticoagulation in atrial fibrillation in Germany, Austria and Switzerland - an analysis from the PREFER-in-AF study].

Background: The management of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) has substantially improved in recent years, among others due to the introduction of new risk scores for the stratification of patients, as well as the availability of the non-vitamin K oral antagonists (NOAC). The PREFER-in-AF study aimed to document the management of AF patients with particular focus on stroke prevention on the basis of anticoagulants.

Methods And Results: In Germany, Austria and Switzerland a total of 1771 patients were enrolled between January 2012 and January 2013 (mean age 71.

Radiofrequency catheter ablation can be performed with high success rates and very low complication rates in children and adolescents.

Aim: Radiofrequency catheter ablation is a standard treatment for tachyarrhythmia in children. Recently, several centres using cryoenergy for ablation have reported high success and low complication rates, but an increased risk of recurrence of arrhythmia. The aim of this study was to report success, complications and recurrence rates for radiofrequency catheter ablation in children under current conditions.

Combined circular multielectrode catheter and point-by-point ablation is superior to point-by-point ablation alone in eliminating atrial fibrillation.

Background: Besides conventional point-by-point ablation, novel multielectrode catheters emerge for ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF). We sought to evaluate the clinical utility of a pulmonary vein (PV) isolation approach combining the advantages of both technologies.

Methods: The study included 240 consecutive AF patients (60±11 years, 68% males, 62% paroxysmal).

Markers of oxidative stress after ablation of atrial fibrillation are associated with inflammation, delivered radiofrequency energy and early recurrence of atrial fibrillation.

Background: The role of oxidative stress after radiofrequency ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) has not yet been well characterized. We sought to evaluate the time course of biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation after AF ablation and their association with clinical variables.

Methods: Thirty consecutive patients (57.

Prognostic value of induction of atrial fibrillation before and after pulmonary vein isolation.

Background: Apart from pulmonary vein isolation, catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) lacks reliable electrophysiological endpoints. The present study investigated the prognostic value of changes in AF inducibility due to ablation.

Methods: Between 10/2006 and 10/2009 121 patients referred for catheter ablation of symptomatic, drug refractory paroxysmal AF were included.

Time course of markers of tissue repair after ablation of atrial fibrillation and their relation to left atrial structural changes and clinical ablation outcome.

Background: Radiofrequency ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) creates left atrial (LA) tissue damage with a subsequent healing process. We sought to prospectively assess the time course of biomarkers of tissue repair after ablation and to evaluate their association with clinical variables.

Methods: 30 consecutive patients (57.