Adverse Cardiovascular Effects of COVID-19 Vaccination: A Systematic Review.

Several vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)-have been developed since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Of these, 7 have been approved in the World Health Organization's Emergency Use Listing. However, these vaccines have been reported to have rare or serious adverse cardiovascular effects.

Ventricular response as a predictor of the termination of sustained paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained atrial arrhythmia. Accurate detection of the timing and possibility of AF termination is vital for optimizing rhythm and rate control strategies. The present study evaluated whether the ventricular response (VR) in AF offers a distinctive electrocardiographic indicator for predicting AF termination.

Effects of phosphodiesterase-1 inhibitor on pulmonary vein electrophysiology and arrhythmogenesis.

Introduction: Phosphodiesterase (PDE) isoform inhibitors have mechanical and electrical effects on the heart. Inhibition of PDE-1 enzymes is a novel strategy for treating heart failure. However, the electrophysiological effects of PDE-1 inhibition on the heart remain unclear.

Circulating level of microRNA-142-5p is a potential biomarker for predicting in-stent restenosis: a case-control study.

Background: Patients who receive percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) have different chances of developing in-stent restenosis (ISR). To date, no predictable biomarker can be applied in the clinic. MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) play critical roles in transcription regulation, and their circulating levels were reported to have potential as clinical biomarkers.

The AMP-activated protein kinase modulates hypothermia-induced J wave.

Background: The mechanism underlying the occurrence of the J wave in low temperature remains unclear. However, low temperature is associated with metabolic disorder and 5' AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which modulates ionic currents and cardiac metabolism. This study investigated whether AMPK regulation can modulate the occurrence of the J wave at low temperature.

Various subtypes of phosphodiesterase inhibitors differentially regulate pulmonary vein and sinoatrial node electrical activities.

Phosphodiesterase (PDE)3-5 are expressed in cardiac tissue and play critical roles in the pathogenesis of heart failure and atrial fibrillation. PDE inhibitors are widely used in the clinic, but their effects on the electrical activity of the heart are not well understood. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of various PDE inhibitors on spontaneous cardiac activity and compare those effects between sinoatrial nodes (SANs) and pulmonary veins (PVs).

Arginine vasopressin modulates electrical activity and calcium homeostasis in pulmonary vein cardiomyocytes.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) frequently coexists with congestive heart failure (HF) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) V1 receptor antagonists are used to treat hyponatremia in HF. However, the role of AVP in HF-induced AF still remains unclear. Pulmonary veins (PVs) are central in the genesis of AF.

Vitamin D and bisphosphonates therapies for osteoporosis are associated with different risks of atrial fibrillation in women: A nationwide population-based analysis.

Osteoporosis and atrial fibrillation (AF) are common in post-menopausal women. Vitamin D and bisphosphonates are widely used to treat osteoporosis, and these may have different effects on the risk of AF.The goal of this study was to evaluate whether different agents for treating osteoporosis modulate the risk of AF in a population-based database.

Factors That Determine the Prothrombin Time in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Receiving Rivaroxaban.

Rivaroxaban, a direct factor Xa inhibitor, is widely used to reduce the chance of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). It is not clear why the prothrombin time (PT) of the international normalized ratio (INR) fails to correlate with treatment using rivaroxaban in patients with AF. In this study, patient characteristics, the rivaroxaban dosage, AF type, drug history, biochemical properties, and hematological profiles were assessed in patients treated with rivaroxaban.

Factor Xa inhibitors differently modulate electrical activities in pulmonary veins and the sinoatrial node.

Factor Xa inhibitors reduce stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. Pulmonary veins (PVs) and the sinoatrial node (SAN) are crucial for genesis of atrial fibrillation. However, the electrophysiological effects of factor Xa inhibitors (edoxaban and rivaroxaban) on PVs and the SAN remain unclear.

Levosimendan differentially modulates electrophysiological activities of sinoatrial nodes, pulmonary veins, and the left and right atria.

Introduction: Calcium overload increases the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). Levosimendan, a calcium sensitizer, increases myofilament contractility. Clinical reports suggested that levosimendan might increase AF occurrence, but the electrophysiological effects of levosimendan on AF substrates and triggers (pulmonary veins, PVs) are not clear.

Modulation of Autonomic Nervous Activity in the Termination of Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: Autonomic nervous activity plays a critical role in the genesis of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF, PAF). However, the role of autonomic nervous activity on AF termination has not been elucidated. Heart rate variability (HRV) is widely used to evaluate autonomic nervous activity in humans.

Pericardial Fat Is Associated With the Risk of Ventricular Arrhythmia in Asian Patients.

Background: Pericardial fat is correlated with the occurrence of atrial fibrillation or coronary atherosclerosis. However, the role of pericardial fat in ventricular arrhythmia remains unclear.

Methods and results: Patients who had undergone dual-source computed tomography and 24-h Holter ECG were retrospectively enrolled.

Cloud-based BP system integrated with CPOE improves self-management of the hypertensive patients: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Less than 50% of patients with hypertensive disease manage to maintain their blood pressure (BP) within normal levels.

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate whether cloud BP system integrated with computerized physician order entry (CPOE) can improve BP management as compared with traditional care.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial done on a random sample of 382 adults recruited from 786 patients who had been diagnosed with hypertension and receiving treatment for hypertension in two district hospitals in the north of Taiwan.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 regulates calcium homeostasis and electrophysiological activities of HL-1 cardiomyocytes.

Glucagon like-peptide-1 (GLP-1) is an incretin hormone with antidiabetic effects through stimulating insulin secretion, β cell neogenesis, satiety sensation, and inhibiting glucagon secretion. Administration of GLP-1 provides cardioprotective effects through attenuating cardiac inflammation and insulin resistance. GLP-1 also modulates the heart rate and systolic pressure, which suggests that GLP-1 may have cardiac electrical effects.

Distinctive electrophysiological characteristics of right ventricular out-flow tract cardiomyocytes.

Ventricular arrhythmias commonly originate from the right ventricular out-flow tract (RVOT). However, the electrophysiological characteristics and Ca(2+) homoeostasis of RVOT cardiomyocytes remain unclear. Whole-cell patch clamp and indo-1 fluorometric ratio techniques were used to investigate action potentials, Ca(2+) homoeostasis and ionic currents in isolated cardiomyocytes from the rabbit RVOT and right ventricular apex (RVA).

Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia Present Different Risks of Atrial fibrillation: A Nationwide Population-Based Analysis.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is increasingly prevalent in society, and can elevate cardiac morbidity and mortality. Psychosis and gender are known to play important roles in the genesis of AF. However, it is not clear whether gender modulates the impact of different psychoses on the occurrences of AF.

CHA2DS2-VASc Score and Heart Rate Predict Ischemic Stroke Outcomes in Patients withAtrial Fibrillation.

Purpose: To evaluate the factors determining the severity and outcome of ischemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods: Our study examined 210 patients with AF and acute ischemic stroke to investigate the relative risks of age, gender, comorbidities, CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores, warfarin use, heart rate, and blood pressure on stroke severity, hospitalization duration, and mortality rate.

Results: Patients with poor outcomes [n = 109, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores of ≥ 8] had elevated CHA2DS2-VASc scores [5, interquartile range (IQR) 3-6 versus 4, IQR 2.