Prognostic Importance of Novel Oxygen Desaturation Metrics in Patients With Heart Failure and Central Sleep Apnea.

Background: Sleep-disordered breathing, particularly central sleep apnea (CSA), is highly prevalent in heart failure (HF) and an independent prognostic marker. We assessed the hypothesis that an increased hypoxemic burden during sleep may have greater prognostic value than the frequency of apneic and hypopneic episodes.

Methods And Results: We prospectively conducted overnight cardiorespiratory polygraphy on consecutive HF patients referred to our hospital from 2008 to 2011.

Major bleeding complications related to combined antithrombotic therapy in atrial fibrillation patients 12 months after coronary artery stenting.

Background And Purpose: Many patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and coronary artery stent deployment are given both antiplatelet drug and warfarin. Little information is available as to the relationship between the antithrombotic therapies in the late phase after stenting and the clinical outcomes of these patients. We examined the clinical outcomes of AF patients 12 months after coronary artery stenting.

Central sleep apnoea and inflammation are independently associated with arrhythmia in patients with heart failure.

Aims: We examined whether the severity of central sleep apnoea (CSA) and the level of C-reactive protein are associated with the prevalence and complexity of arrhythmias, and whether these factors contribute to increased risk of nocturnal sudden death.

Methods And Results: We prospectively examined 178 patients (age 70 ± 1 years) who were admitted to our hospital due to worsening heart failure. We recorded a simultaneous overnight cardiorespiratory polygraph and Holter ECG.

Eicosapentaenoic acid for the prevention of recurrent atrial fibrillation.

Background: n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, primarily eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), has been reported to have antiarrhythmic and antiinflammatory effects. The aim of the present study was to examine whether the combination of antiarrhythmic drugs and EPA reduced the frequency of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with paroxysmal AF.

Methods: We studied 50 patients with paroxysmal AF (age, 54 ± 9 years) after excluding the clinical conditions associated with an increased risk of AF.

Prognostic significance of T-wave amplitude in lead aVR in heart failure patients with narrow QRS complexes.

Background: Prolonged duration of the QRS complex is a prognostic marker in patients with heart failure (HF), whereas electrocadiographic markers in HF with narrow QRS complex remain unclear. We evaluated the prognostic value of the T-wave amplitude in lead aVR in HF patients with narrow QRS complexes.

Methods: We examined 331 patients who were admitted to our hospital for worsening HF (68 ± 15 years, mean ± standard deviation) from January 2000 to October 2004 who had sinus rhythm and QRS complex <120 ms.

Beat-to-beat variability of T-wave amplitude for the risk assessment of ventricular tachyarrhythmia in patients without structural heart disease.

Aims: Increased temporal repolarization lability, assessed by beat-to-beat variability of T-wave amplitude (TAV), has been shown to be associated with ventricular tachyarrhythmia in patients with a variety of clinical conditions. The aim of this study was to test the ability of TAV to identify patients presenting with malignant ventricular arrhythmia and to predict subsequent occurrences.

Methods And Results: We studied 20 consecutive patients (age 42 ± 15 years, mean ± standard deviation) presenting with ventricular tachyarrhythmia who did not have substantial underlying heart disease and compared them with 40 age- and sex-matched control subjects.