Increased Risk of Heart Failure in Elderly Patients Treated with Beta-Blockers After AV Node Ablation.

Introduction: Controversy exists regarding the indication of beta-blockers (BB) in different scenarios in patients with cardiovascular disease. We sought to evaluate the effect of BB on survival and heart failure (HF) hospitalizations in a sample of pacemaker-dependent patients after AV node ablation to control ventricular rate for atrial tachyarrhythmias.

Methods: A retrospective study including consecutive patients that underwent AV node ablation was conducted in a single center between 2011 and 2019.

Electrocardiographic Screening of Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy in Genotype-Positive and Phenotype-Negative Relatives.

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy is a hereditary cause of ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death. Identifying the healthy genetic carriers who will develop the disease remains a challenge. A novel approach to the analysis of the digital electrocardiograms of mutation carriers through signal processing may identify early electrocardiographic abnormalities.

Factors Influencing the Phenotypic Expression of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Genetic Carriers.

Introduction And Objectives: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a disorder with variable expression. It is mainly caused by mutations in sarcomeric genes but the phenotype could be modulated by other factors. The aim of this study was to determine whether factors such as sex, systemic hypertension, or physical activity are modifiers of disease severity and to establish their role in age-related penetrance of HCM.

Global longitudinal strain is associated with heart failure outcomes in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Objective: We hypothesised that abnormal global longitudinal strain (GLS) would predict outcome in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) better than current echocardiographic measures.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of risk markers in relation to outcomes in 472 patients with HCM at a single tertiary institution (2006-2012). Exclusion criteria were left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy of other origin, patients in atrial fibrillation, lost to follow-up and insufficient image quality to perform strain analysis.

Genetics of myocarditis in arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia.

Background: Myocarditis occasionally is related to arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD) and sometimes overlaps during the early stages, which may lead to misdiagnosis. Acute myocarditis may reflect an active phase of ARVD.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the genetic basis of myocarditis in ARVD and to investigate the association with a poorer prognosis and a higher risk of ventricular arrhythmias.

Desmoplakin truncations and arrhythmogenic left ventricular cardiomyopathy: characterizing a phenotype.

Aims: Risk stratification for sudden death in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is challenging in clinical practice. We lack recommendations for the risk stratification of exclusive left-sided phenotypes. The aim of this study was to investigate genotype-phenotype correlations in patients carrying a novel DSP c.