Morbid obesity influences the nocturnal electrocardiogram wave and interval durations among suspected sleep apnea patients.

Background: Obesity is a global issue with a major impact on cardiovascular health. This study explores how obesity influences nocturnal cardiac electrophysiology in suspected obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients.

Methods: We randomly selected 12 patients from each of the five World Health Organization body mass index (BMI) classifications groups (n  = 60) while keeping the group's age and sex matched.

Novel Technologies in the Detection of Atrial Fibrillation: Review of Literature and Comparison of Different Novel Technologies for Screening of Atrial Fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is globally the most common arrhythmia associated with significant morbidity and mortality. It impairs the quality of the patient's life, imposing a remarkable burden on public health, and the healthcare budget. The detection of AF is important in the decision to initiate anticoagulation therapy to prevent thromboembolic events.

Inter-sleep stage variations in corrected QT interval differ between obstructive sleep apnea patients with and without stroke history.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is related to the progression of cardiovascular diseases (CVD); it is an independent risk factor for stroke and is also prevalent post-stroke. Furthermore, heart rate corrected QT (QTc) is an important predictor of the risk of arrhythmia and CVD. Thus, we aimed to investigate QTc interval variations in different sleep stages in OSA patients and whether nocturnal QTc intervals differ between OSA patients with and without stroke history.

Continuous mHealth Patch Monitoring for the Algorithm-Based Detection of Atrial Fibrillation: Feasibility and Diagnostic Accuracy Study.

Background: The detection of atrial fibrillation (AF) is a major clinical challenge as AF is often paroxysmal and asymptomatic. Novel mobile health (mHealth) technologies could provide a cost-effective and reliable solution for AF screening. However, many of these techniques have not been clinically validated.

QTc prolongation is associated with severe desaturations in stroke patients with sleep apnea.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with vascular diseases from which stroke and sudden cardiac death are the most significant ones. It is known that disturbances of the autonomic nervous system and electrocardiographic changes are seen in patients with a previous cerebrovascular event. However, the pathophysiological cascade between breathing cessations, autonomic regulation, and cardiovascular events is not fully understood.

Autonomic responses to tooth clenching and handgrip test.

Objective: The aim was to study the differences in autonomic nervous system activation between maximal tooth clenching task and handgrip test during and after the tasks. Also, the possible activation of trigeminocardiac reflex during the clenching task was explored.

Material And Methods: We compared autonomic responses to maximal tooth clenching and handgrip in 28 participants.

Continuous 24-h Photoplethysmogram Monitoring Enables Detection of Atrial Fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) detection is challenging because it is often asymptomatic and paroxysmal. We evaluated continuous photoplethysmogram (PPG) for signal quality and detection of AF. PPGs were recorded using a wrist-band device in 173 patients (76 AF, 97 sinus rhythm, SR) for 24 h.

Automatic Mobile Health Arrhythmia Monitoring for the Detection of Atrial Fibrillation: Prospective Feasibility, Accuracy, and User Experience Study.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common tachyarrhythmia and associated with a risk of stroke. The detection and diagnosis of AF represent a major clinical challenge due to AF's asymptomatic and intermittent nature. Novel consumer-grade mobile health (mHealth) products with automatic arrhythmia detection could be an option for long-term electrocardiogram (ECG)-based rhythm monitoring and AF detection.

Artificial Intelligence for Hospital Health Care: Application Cases and Answers to Challenges in European Hospitals.

The development and implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) applications in health care contexts is a concurrent research and management question. Especially for hospitals, the expectations regarding improved efficiency and effectiveness by the introduction of novel AI applications are huge. However, experiences with real-life AI use cases are still scarce.

Wrist Band Photoplethysmography Autocorrelation Analysis Enables Detection of Atrial Fibrillation Without Pulse Detection.

Atrial fibrillation is often asymptomatic and intermittent making its detection challenging. A photoplethysmography (PPG) provides a promising option for atrial fibrillation detection. However, the shapes of pulse waves vary in atrial fibrillation decreasing pulse and atrial fibrillation detection accuracy.

Necklace-embedded electrocardiogram for the detection and diagnosis of atrial fibrillation.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the major cause of stroke since approximately 25% of all strokes are of cardioembolic-origin. The detection and diagnosis of AF are often challenging due to the asymptomatic and intermittent nature of AF.

Hypothesis: A wearable electrocardiogram (ECG)-device could increase the likelihood of AF detection.

A robust algorithm for heart rate variability time series artefact correction using novel beat classification.

Heart rate variability is a commonly used measurement to evaluate functioning of autonomic nervous system, psychophysiological stress, and exercise intensity and recovery. HRV measurements contain artefacts such as extra, missed or misaligned beat detections, which can produce significant distortion on HRV parameters. In this paper, a robust automatic method for artefact detection from HRV time series is proposed.

Effectiveness of the Chest Strap Electrocardiogram to Detect Atrial Fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a significant cause of cardioembolic strokes. AF is often symptomless and intermittent, making its detection challenging. The aim of this study was to assess the possibility to use a chest strap (Suunto Movesense) to detect AF both by cardiologists and automated algorithms.

Tooth Clenching Induces Abnormal Cerebrovascular Responses in Migraineurs.

Prevalence of masticatory parafunctions, such as tooth clenching and grinding, is higher among migraineurs than non-migraineurs, and masticatory dysfunctions may aggravate migraine. Migraine predisposes to cerebrovascular disturbances, possibly due to impaired autonomic vasoregulation, and sensitization of the trigeminovascular system. The relationships between clenching, migraine, and cerebral circulation are poorly understood.

Electrical and mechanical dyssynchrony in patients with right bundle branch block.

Background: Though fairly benign reputation, the right bundle branch block (RBBB) can cause left ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony (LVMD). Still, the relationship between electrical disturbance and LVMD is partly unclear among these patients.

Methods: Thirty patients with RBBB and 60 matching controls were studied with vector electrocardiography and myocardial perfusion imaging phase analysis.

Autonomic responses to tooth clenching in migraineurs-augmented trigeminocardiac reflex?

Background: Systemic autonomic changes are well known in migraineurs. Also, masticatory disorders are reported to be associated with migraine. However, if those phenomena are interrelated, and how, is unclear.

Global electrical heterogeneity as a predictor of cardiovascular mortality in men and women.

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of depolarization and repolarization abnormalities, specially abnormalities in global electrical heterogeneity of heart in cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality.

Methods And Results: Eight hundred and forty men and 911 women, average age of 63 years participated in this study with average follow-up was 14 years. Six electrocardiogram/vector electrocardiogram (ECG/VECG) markers QRS-duration, QTc-interval, QRST-angle, sum of absolute QRST integral (SAI QRST), T-wave roundness, and TV1-amplitude were estimated from VECG measurements.

Relationships between electrical and mechanical dyssynchrony in patients with left bundle branch block and healthy controls.

Background: Abnormal electrical activation may cause dyssynchronous left ventricular (LV) contraction. In this study, we characterized and analyzed electrical and mechanical dyssynchrony in patient with left bundle branch block (LBBB) and healthy controls.

Methods: Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) data from 994 patients were analyzed.

Mouse ECG findings in aging, with conduction system affecting drugs and in cardiac pathologies: Development and validation of ECG analysis algorithm in mice.

Mouse models are extremely important in studying cardiac pathologies and related electrophysiology, but very few mouse ECG analysis programs are readily available. Therefore, a mouse ECG analysis algorithm was developed and validated. Surface ECG (lead II) was acquired during transthoracic echocardiography from C57Bl/6J mice under isoflurane anesthesia.

Heart rate variability evaluation of Emfit sleep mattress breathing categories in NREM sleep.

Objective: Heart rate variability (HRV) analysis of obstructive sleep apnea patients reveals an increase in sympathetic activity. Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) can be also assessed with sleep mattress sensors, as the Emfit sensor, by dividing the signal into different breathing categories. In addition to normal breathing (NB) and periodic apneas/hypopneas (POB), the sleep mattress unveils a breathing category consisting of sustained partial obstruction (increased respiratory resistance, IRR).

Cardiac autonomic dysfunction in type 2 diabetes - effect of hyperglycemia and disease duration.

Heart rate variability (HRV) is reduced in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients, suggesting dysfunction of cardiac autonomic regulation and an increased risk for cardiac events. The aim of this paper was to examine the associations of blood glucose level (BGL), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and duration of diabetes with cardiac autonomic regulation assessed by HRV analysis. Resting electrocardiogram (ECG), recorded over 20 min in supine position, and clinical measurements of 189 healthy controls and 93 type 2 DM (T2DM) patients were analyzed.

Principal component model for maternal ECG extraction in fetal QRS detection.

Fetal cardiac monitoring using noninvasive abdominal leads can provide important information on fetal well-being. However, extraction of fetal electrocardiogram (fECG) from abdominal signals is often problematic because of the higher amplitude maternal ECG (mECG). The aim of this study was to introduce a principal component model for removing the maternal ECG from abdominal signals.

Asynchronicity of facial blood perfusion in migraine.

Asymmetrical changes in blood perfusion and asynchronous blood supply to head tissues likely contribute to migraine pathophysiology. Imaging was widely used in order to understand hemodynamic variations in migraine. However, mapping of blood pulsations in the face of migraineurs has not been performed so far.

Causal estimation of neural and overall baroreflex sensitivity in relation to carotid artery stiffness.

Continuous electrocardiogram, blood pressure and carotid artery ultrasound video were analyzed from 15 diabetics and 28 healthy controls. By using these measurements artery elasticity, overall baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) assessed between RR and systolic blood pressure variation, and neural BRS assessed between RR and artery diameter variation were estimated. In addition, BRS was estimated using traditional and causal methods which enable separation of feedforward and feedback variation.

Complexity of heart rate variability in type 2 diabetes - effect of hyperglycemia.

Heart rate variability (HRV) is reduced in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients, suggesting dysfunction of cardiac autonomic regulation which has been associated with increased risk for pathological cardiac events. In this paper, we examined changes in HRV complexity in association to blood glucose level (BGL) and duration of diabetes. Resting HRV and BGL measurements of 32 healthy controls and 54 type 2 DM (T2DM) patients were analyzed.