Assessment of the bleeding risk of anticoagulant treatment in non-severe frail octogenarians with atrial fibrillation.

Background: Physicians estimate the frailty in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) to aid in the decision making with respect to oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy. There are limited data on the safety of OAC therapy in non-severe frail elderly patients. We evaluated the risk factors of bleeding among non-severe frail octogenarians with AF taking OACs.

Assessment of a novel transdermal selective β1-blocker, the bisoprolol patch, for treating frequent premature ventricular contractions in patients without structural heart disease.

Background: The autonomic nervous system involves the genesis of premature ventricular contractions (PVCs). Previous studies demonstrated that heart rate (HR) dependency of idiopathic PVCs has different autonomic mechanisms. Recently, the bisoprolol patch, a novel transdermal β1-blocker formulation containing bisoprolol, became clinically available.

Assessment of drug-induced proarrhythmias due to pilsicainide in patients with atrial tachyarrhythmias.

Background: Pilsicainide, a pure Na channel blocker, is a popular antiarrhythmic drug for the management of atrial tachyarrhythmias (AT), in Japan. However, serious drug-induced proarrhythmias (DIPs) may unexpectedly occur. We assessed the clinical background of AT patients presenting with DIPs caused by pilsicainide.

Obesity Is Associated With the Development of Interstitial Pneumonia Under Long-Term Administration of Amiodarone in Refractory Atrial Fibrillation Patients.

Although oral amiodarone (AMD) has been used for the management of atrial fibrillation (AF), serious complications such as interstitial pneumonia (IP) occur very occasionally. We evaluated which factors were associated with the development of IP under the long-term administration of AMD in patients with refractory AF.This study included 122 consecutive patients (65.

Efficacy of Dabigatran for Dissolving Deep Vein Thromboses in Outpatients With a Deteriorated General Condition.

Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) have been widely used for the prevention of ischemic strokes in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF). At present, NOACs have been evaluated for the treatment of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). We examined the efficacy of dabigatran, the first NOAC for anticoagulation of AF in Japan, in outpatients who suffered from DVTs under a deteriorated general condition.

Comparison of late potentials for 24 hours between Brugada syndrome and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy using a novel signal-averaging system based on Holter ECG.

Background: Late potentials (LP) detected with signal-averaged ECGs are known to be useful in identifying patients at risk of Brugada syndrome (BS) and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). Because the pathophysiology is clearly different between these disorders, we clarified the LP characteristics of these disorders.

Methods And Results: This study included 15 BS and 12 ARVC patients and 20 healthy controls.

Electroanatomic remodeling of the left stellate ganglion after myocardial infarction.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the changes of left stellate ganglionic nerve activity (SGNA) and left thoracic vagal nerve activity (VNA) after acute myocardial infarction (MI).

Background: Whether MI results in remodeling of extracardiac nerve activity remains unclear.

Methods: We implanted radiotransmitters to record the SGNA, VNA, and electrocardiogram in 9 ambulatory dogs.

Cryoablation of stellate ganglia and atrial arrhythmia in ambulatory dogs with pacing-induced heart failure.

Background: There is an association between autonomic nerve discharges and atrial arrhythmias (including bradycardia and tachycardia) in ambulatory dogs with pacing-induced heart failure (HF).

Objective: The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that stellate ganglia ablation can reduce the incidence of atrial arrhythmias in a canine model of pacing-induced HF.

Methods: Cryoablation of the caudal half of the left and right stellate ganglia and T2-T4 thoracic sympathetic ganglia was performed in six dogs (experimental group).

Intracellular calcium dynamics at the core of endocardial stationary spiral waves in Langendorff-perfused rabbit hearts.

In vitro models of sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (MVT) are rare and do not usually show spiral reentry on the epicardium. We hypothesized that MVT is associated with the spiral wave in the endocardium and that this stable reentrant propagation is supported by a persistently elevated intracellular calcium (Ca(i)) transient at the core of the spiral wave. We performed dual optical mapping of transmembrane potential (V(m)) and Ca(i) dynamics of the right ventricular (RV) endocardium in Langendorff-perfused rabbit hearts (n = 12).

Defibrillation effects of intravenous nifekalant in patients with out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation.

Nifekalant (NF), a pure K(+) channel blocker developed in Japan, has been reported to be effective in the treatment of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. We studied its efficacy in 18 men and 4 women with out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation (VF) admitted to our emergency department between August 2001 and March 2004. The number of DC shocks delivered for out-of-hospital VF, serum Na(+) and K(+), arterial blood pH, and base excess were compared in 8 patients treated with NF, 0.

Electrical connections between pulmonary veins: implication for ostial ablation of pulmonary veins in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Background: Electrical disconnection of the myocardial extensions into arrhythmogenic pulmonary veins (PVs) is recognized as a curative technique for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the presence of electrical connections between the PVs, which may make achievement of PV disconnection difficult, has not been systematically evaluated.

Methods And Results: Forty-nine consecutive patients with drug-resistant AF underwent ostial radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation of arrhythmogenic PVs with foci triggering AF.