Publications by authors named "Henrik Almroth"
Article Synopsis
- Pulsed field ablation (PFA) is a new method for treating atrial fibrillation (AF) that focuses on ablating heart tissue while minimizing harm to nearby structures.
- In the MANIFEST-17K study, data from 106 centers involved 17,642 patients and showed no serious complications like esophageal damage, with only a 1% major complication rate.
- The results suggest that PFA has a strong safety profile and may change how AF is treated, compared to traditional thermal ablation methods.
Aims: Atrial fibrillation (AF) haemodynamics is less well studied due to challenges explained by the nature of AF. Until now, no randomized data are available. This study evaluates haemodynamic variables after AF induction in a randomized setting.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: The recurrence rates after catheter ablation (CA) and direct current (DC) cardioversion remain high, although they have been established treatments of rhythm control of atrial fibrillation (AF). This umbrella review systematically appraises published meta-analyses of both observational and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for the association of risk and protective factors for arrhythmia recurrence after CA and DC cardioversion of AF.
Methods And Results: Three bibliographic databases were searched up to June 2021.
Article Synopsis
- There is no clear agreement on the best catheter ablation strategy for treating atrial fibrillation (AF), prompting a study to compare different approaches through network meta-analysis.
- A systematic review of 67 randomized controlled trials involving nearly 10,000 patients revealed that strategies combining pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) with other techniques significantly reduced the risk of arrhythmia recurrence compared to PVI alone.
- The findings suggested that combining PVI with methods like renal denervation and additional ablation lines enhances its effectiveness, while overall safety remains consistent across different strategies.
Article Synopsis
- - The study examines various catheter ablation (CA) strategies for treating paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) to determine their efficacy and safety, involving data from 43 randomized controlled trials with over 6,700 patients.
- - Results showed that adding treatments like adjuvant ablation or sympathetic modulation to pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) significantly reduced the risk of arrhythmia recurrence compared to PVI with radiofrequency alone, while PVI with radiofrequency was better than non-PVI strategies.
- - No major safety differences were found among the various CA strategies, indicating that while different PVI methods are generally similar in effectiveness, combining them with additional treatments could enhance results for patients.
Article Synopsis
- - The study aimed to assess the long-term effects (5 years) of catheter ablation (CA) on symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and identify factors influencing recurrence of symptoms.
- - Involving 1521 patients from a Swedish hospital, results indicated that 50% experienced symptom freedom post-procedure, while others showed varying degrees of symptom relief or no change, with common issues like breathlessness and fatigue persisting.
- - Key predictors for ongoing symptoms included being female, having a body mass index of 35 or higher, and having ischemic heart disease, highlighting the need for lifestyle adjustments in patient management.
Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spreading from Wuhan, Hubei province in China, is an expanding global pandemic with significant morbidity and mortality. Even though respiratory failure is the cardinal form of severe COVID-19, concomitant cardiac involvement is common. Myocarditis is a challenging diagnosis due to heterogeneity of clinical presentation, ranging from mild symptoms to fatal arrhythmia and cardiogenic shock (CS).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia. Catheter ablation (CA) of AF is an increasingly offered therapeutic approach, primary to relieve AF-related symptoms. Despite the development of new ablation approaches, there is no consensus regarding the most efficient ablation strategy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) are common and can present with varying symptoms, with their significance largely determined by the presence of underlying heart disease.
- Clinical evaluation typically involves tests like echocardiograms and Holter monitors to rule out structural heart issues, and patients without such conditions generally have a favorable outlook.
- In symptomatic cases or those with left ventricular dysfunction, treatments may include medication or catheter ablation, but reassurance about prognosis remains a key aspect of management.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the impact of atrial fibrillation (AF) on symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among a large group of patients in Scandinavia, focusing on gender and age differences.
- Results show women report more symptoms and have a greater negative impact on HRQoL, while older patients mainly experienced more negative influences in specific areas.
- The findings highlight the importance of considering gender-related differences in care and management of AF, emphasizing the need for gender-specific patient-reported outcomes measures.
Preclinical studies have suggested that β-adrenergic signaling is involved in pancreatic cancer progression. Prompted by such studies, we investigated an association between beta-blocker drug use with improved cancer-specific survival in a large, general population-based cohort of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). All patients diagnosed with a first primary PDAC in Sweden between 2006 and 2009 were identified through the Swedish Cancer Register ( = 2,394).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTotal endoscopic ablation of patients with long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation: a randomized controlled study.
Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg
August 2016
Objectives: Total endoscopic ablation of atrial fibrillation is an alternative to catheter ablation, but its clinical role needs further evaluation. The aim of this study was to compare total endoscopic ablation with rate control in patients with long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation and to examine the effect of endoscopic ablation on heart rhythm, symptoms, physical working capacity and myocardial function during 1 year of follow-up.
Methods: In a prospective controlled study, 36 patients aged >50 years with symptomatic long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation were randomized to either total endoscopic ablation (n = 17, after two drop-outs before ablation n = 15) or rate control therapy (n = 19).
Objective: Psychosocial stress is a suggested risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). The relationship of stress resilience in adolescence with subsequent CHD risk is underinvestigated, so our objective was to assess this and investigate the possible mediating role of physical fitness.
Methods: In this register-based study, 237,980 men born between 1952 and 1956 were followed from 1987 to 2010 using information from Swedish registers.
A model for physician-led team triage was evaluated at the Emergency Department at the University hospital of Örebro, Sweden. Data from 1600 patients indicate that this work model reduces length of stay, time to physician assessment, emergency department occupancy, rate of admission and the proportion of patients in need of close monitoring. The project was conducted without any change in the number of physicians, nurses or staff nurses working in the Emergency Department.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The aim of this study was to investigate whether high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels prior to cardioversion (CV) predict recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients randomized to treatment with either atorvastatin or placebo 30 and 180 days after CV.
Methods: This was a prespecified substudy of 128 patients with persistent AF randomized to treatment with atorvastatin 80 mg/day or placebo, initiated 14 days before CV, and continued 30 days after CV. HsCRP levels were measured at randomization, at the time of CV, and 2 days and 30 days after CV.
Introduction: Inflammation, endothelial dysfunction and metabolic pathways provide possible links between the inflammatory and hypofibrinolytic states in atrial fibrillation. Our aim was to explore the role of mass concentrations of PAI-1 and tPA, activities of PAI-1 and tPA as predictors of recurrence of atrial fibrillation adjusted for CRP.
Materials And Methods: The study included 129 patients with persistent atrial fibrillation.
Article Synopsis
- The MANTRA-PAF trial is a large randomized study comparing the effectiveness of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) versus anti-arrhythmic drug (AAD) therapy for treating paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF).
- The trial aims to assess the primary outcome of AF relapse over 24 months and also looks at various secondary outcomes like hospitalization rates and quality of life.
- Enrolment began in 2005, with 260 patients enrolled by November 2008, and the study aims to finalize recruitment with 300 patients by March 2009.
Aims: To evaluate the effect of atorvastatin in achieving stable sinus rhythm (SR) 30 days after electrical cardioversion (CV) in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF).
Methods And Results: The study included 234 patients. The patients were randomized to treatment with atorvastatin 80 mg daily (n = 118) or placebo (n = 116) in a prospective, double-blinded fashion.