Publications by authors named "Joon Ahn"

Objective: The impact of renal function on revascularization outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction and multivessel disease remains unclear. This study compared long-term outcomes of complete (CR) and incomplete revascularization (IR) in patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥60 or <60 mL/min/1.73 m METHODS: Using data from the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry-National Institute of Health, 5962 patients (mean age: 65.

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Background: The long-term effects of early left ventricular unloading after venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) remain unclear.

Methods: The EARLY-UNLOAD trial was a single-center, investigator-initiated, open-label, randomized clinical trial involving 116 patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) undergoing VA-ECMO. The patients were randomly assigned to undergo either early routine left ventricular unloading by transseptal left atrial cannulation within 12 hours after randomization or the conventional approach, which permitted rescue transseptal cannulation in case of an increased left ventricular afterload.

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Background And Objectives: The optimal timing for complete revascularization (CR) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and multivessel disease (MVD) remain uncertain.

Methods: This post-hoc analysis of the FRAME-AMI trial included AMI patients with MVD ( = 549). They were classified into immediate ( = 329) and staged CR ( = 220) groups.

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Background: Cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) infections without early diagnosis, treatment, and proper follow-up are associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and worse outcomes.  Objective: This study aims to identify patients presenting for hospital admission with bacteremia and the presence of CIED by implementing a best practice advisory (BPA) notification in the electronic medical record to facilitate early consultation with the cardiac electrophysiology (EP) team and treatment.

Methods: A BPA was implemented into the electronic medical record (EMR) EPIC in 2022 and was generated for any patient that presented to our health system with bacteremia and the presence of a CIED.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Results showed that during the first week, STEMI patients had a significantly higher mortality rate (4.62%) compared to NSTEMI patients (1.79%), but this trend reversed after the second week for men and the tenth week for women.
  • * The research highlights the need for further studies to develop advanced risk prediction models based on time-point mortality outcomes, as different baseline variables influenced mortality rates over time.
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  • Atrial flutter is a heart condition that can lead to serious health issues, typically treated with medications, while more persistent cases may require ablation, a procedure that can have risks including complete heart block.* -
  • A case involving a 73-year-old woman highlighted complications during ablation for atrial flutter when a heart block occurred due to catheter positioning too close to the His bundle—a critical area for heart electrical signals.* -
  • The patient recovered quickly after the block but later needed a pacemaker due to severe bradycardia, emphasizing the need for careful catheter placement during ablation to avoid such complications.*
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Introduction: Elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a major residual risk factor among patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). In the absence of sufficient real-world evidence, this observational (noninterventional) study investigated the effectiveness and safety of evolocumab in patients with hyperlipidemia treated with evolocumab for ACS in a real-world clinical setting in Korea.

Methods: Between January 2022 and February 2023, patients from 10 hospitals in Korea who initiated evolocumab within 24 weeks of an ACS event were enrolled.

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  • The study investigated the effects of clopidogrel and ticagrelor on bleeding and ischemia risks in elderly East Asian patients with diabetes and acute myocardial infarction who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention.
  • It analyzed data from 838 patients over 75 years old, ultimately comparing 466 patients after matching for treatment type.
  • Findings suggested that there was no significant difference in the incidence of severe bleeding or ischemia between those treated with ticagrelor versus clopidogrel, indicating the need for larger trials to find the best antiplatelet therapy for this group.
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Although an increase in ulnar variance with power grip is well documented in the medical literature, there is a paucity of information concerning its mechanism. This concept was examined in five healthy individuals using computed tomography of their wrists and elbows. Images were obtained of both joints in the resting position and with maximum power grip.

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Optimal timing of revascularization for patients who presented with non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and severe left ventricular (LV) dysfunction is unclear. A total of 386 NSTEMI patients with severe LV dysfunction from the nationwide, multicenter, and prospective Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry V (KAMIR-V) were enrolled. Severe LV dysfunction was defined as LV ejection fraction ≤ 35%.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Twenty patients were enrolled, and results after 8 months showed minimal in-stent late lumen loss (0.7 mm) and complete stent strut coverage, indicating successful healing.
  • * There were no adverse cardiovascular events reported within the same period, suggesting that the new stent design is safe and effective in treating coronary artery disease.
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Objectives: This study investigated the optimal timing for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with NSTEMI complicated by heart failure (HF).

Methods: In total, 762 patients with NSTEMI and HF in a multicenter, prospective registry in South Korea were classified according to the Killip classification (Killip class 2, n = 414 and Killip class 3, n = 348) and underwent early (within 24 h) and delayed (after 24 h) PCI. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality which was further analyzed with landmark analysis with two months as a cut-off.

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Article Synopsis
  • Current guidelines suggest complete revascularization (CR) for stable patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and multivessel coronary artery disease (MVD), but the best timing for the procedure is still unclear.
  • The OPTION-STEMI trial investigates whether immediate CR during a primary angioplasty is as effective as in-hospital staged CR, using fractional flow reserve (FFR) assessments for certain lesions.
  • The trial enrolled patients with significant non-infarct-related artery lesions, aiming to measure outcomes like death and myocardial infarction one year post-randomization, with results expected in mid-2025.
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Introduction: Cyanobacteria are typically of a size that can be observed under a microscope. Here, we present cyanobacteria of a size that can be observed with the naked eye. NCB002 strain showed differentiated morphological characteristics compared to previously reported spp.

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A 55-year-old man presented with sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia with a left bundle QRS complex pattern in the setting of non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. The electrocardiographic morphology of the ventricular tachycardia and echocardiographic findings of significant right ventricular dysfunction led to the diagnosis of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study examines the effects of early left ventricular unloading versus a conventional approach on 30-day mortality in patients with cardiogenic shock undergoing VA-ECMO.
  • Conducted from March 2021 to September 2022, it involved 116 patients randomly assigned to either early unloading or the conventional approach, with no significant difference in mortality rates observed between the two groups.
  • However, the early unloading group experienced a shorter time to disappearance of pulmonary congestion compared to the conventional group.
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Background: Several studies have compared clinical outcomes according to sex in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, studies evaluating sex differences in clinical outcomes of single-vessel disease (SVD) and multi-vessel disease (MVD) in Korean patients with AMI are lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze sex differences in the clinical characteristics of patients with AMI with SVD and MVD and to evaluate the impact of sex differences on the clinical outcomes in patients with AMI with SVD and MVD.

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Background: Thin-cap fibroatheroma is a rupture-prone vulnerable plaque that leads to acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, its underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Several studies have investigated the clinical association between angiopoietin-like protein 4 (ANGPTL4) and coronary artery disease.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Conducted with 116 patients, participants were randomly assigned to either receive routine unloading within 12 hours of VA-ECMO or the conventional method based on later monitored signs of increased afterload.
  • * The trial aims to assess the effects on 30-day mortality and other clinical outcomes, potentially influencing future practices in managing complications linked to VA-ECMO.
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Conduction abnormalities following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) are common. High-grade atrioventricular block (AVB) and new-onset left bundle branch block remain the most reported. These often require the placement of a permanent pacemaker (PPM).

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Microalgae are attracting much attention as promising, eco-friendly producers of bioenergy due to their fast growth, absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and production capacity in wastewater and salt water. However, microalgae can only accumulate large quantities of lipid in abiotic stress, which reduces productivity by decreasing cell growth. In this study, the strategy was investigated to increase cell viability and lipid production by overexpressing S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) synthetase (SAMS) in the microalga .

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Article Synopsis
  • * LVR was defined as an LV end-diastolic diameter greater than 55 mm and was found in 9.9% of the 262 patients who were monitored through echocardiography over a year.
  • * Results showed that LVR is linked to poorer outcomes, particularly in patients who had incomplete revascularization, with significantly higher risks of major adverse cardiovascular events and heart failure compared to those who had complete revascularization.
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Background: Limited data are available regarding the proper application time and long-term outcomes of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in patients with cardiogenic shock. This cohort study appraised the clinical outcomes according to ECMO application without or before cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) combined with cardiogenic shock.

Methods: Between 2011 and 2015, a total of 13,104 patients with AMI were enrolled in a nationwide AMI registry.

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In this study, we presented flat-topped coherent supercontinuum lasers with tunable repetition rates and programmable spectral bandwidths. Supercontinuum sources with ultra-broadband and high-repetition-rate coverage can be achieved by merging nonlinearly broadened electro-optic optical frequency combs with optical line-by-line spectrum shaping. Spectral bandwidth programming is implemented by iterative spectrum shaping and input power control of highly nonlinear stages, whereas repetition rate tuning is performed by modulation speed control in optical frequency combs.

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