Burden of Psychosocial and Cognitive Impairment in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: Impairments in psychosocial status and cognition relate to poor clinical outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, how often these conditions co-occur and associations between burden of psychosocial and cognitive impairment and quality of life (QoL) have not been systematically examined in patients with AF.

Methods: A total of 218 patients with symptomatic AF were enrolled in a prospective study of AF and psychosocial factors between May 2013 and October 2014 at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center.

Association of Left Atrial Function Index With Late Atrial Fibrillation Recurrence after Catheter Ablation.

Introduction: Although catheter ablation (CA) for atrial fibrillation (AF) is commonly used to improve symptoms, AF recurrence is common and new tools are needed to better inform patient selection for CA. Left atrial function index (LAFI), an echocardiographic measure of atrial mechanical function, has shown promise as a noninvasive predictor of AF. We hypothesized that LAFI would relate to AF recurrence after CA.

Relation of Atrial Fibrillation in Acute Myocardial Infarction to In-Hospital Complications and Early Hospital Readmission.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common complication of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and contributes to high rates of in-hospital adverse events. However, there are few contemporary studies examining rates of AF in the contemporary era of AMI or the impact of new-onset AF on key in-hospital and postdischarge outcomes. We examined trends in AF in 6,384 residents of Worcester, Massachusetts, who were hospitalized with confirmed AMI during 7 biennial periods between 1999 and 2011.

Addition of B-Type Natriuretic Peptide to Existing Clinical Risk Scores Enhances Identification of Patients at Risk for Atrial Fibrillation Recurrence After Pulmonary Vein Isolation.

Introduction: Predicting which patients will be free from atrial fibrillation (AF) after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) remains challenging. Clinical risk prediction scores show modest ability to identify patients at risk for AF recurrence after PVI. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is associated with risk for incident and recurrent AF but is not currently included in existing AF risk scores.

PULSE-SMART: Pulse-Based Arrhythmia Discrimination Using a Novel Smartphone Application.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common and dangerous rhythm abnormality. Smartphones are increasingly used for mobile health applications by older patients at risk for AF and may be useful for AF screening.

Objectives: To test whether an enhanced smartphone app for AF detection can discriminate between sinus rhythm (SR), AF, premature atrial contractions (PACs), and premature ventricular contractions (PVCs).

A 30-year perspective (1975-2005) into the changing landscape of patients hospitalized with initial acute myocardial infarction: Worcester Heart Attack Study.

Background: The effects of lifestyle changes and evolving treatment practices on coronary disease incidence rates, demographic and clinical profile, and the short-term outcomes of patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction have not been well characterized. The purpose of this study was to examine multidecade-long trends (1975-2005) in the incidence rates, demographic and clinical characteristics, treatment practices, and hospital outcomes of patients hospitalized with an initial acute myocardial infarction from a population-based perspective.

Methods And Results: Residents of the Worcester, Mass, metropolitan area (median age, 37 years; 89% white) hospitalized with an initial acute myocardial infarction (n=8898) at all greater-Worcester medical centers during 15 annual periods between 1975 and 2005 comprised the sample of interest.

Classification and atherosclerosis distribution in patients with left main coronary disease.

Objective: The purpose of this investigation was to characterize clinical variables and angiographic distribution of coronary atherosclerosis to classify patients with de novo left main (LM) disease in a real-world population presenting for coronary angiography.

Background: Limited quantitative and angiographic published data exist that provide detailed quantitative information to classify potential target population for elective LM percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and guide development of dedicated LM PCI platforms.

Methods: Medical history and clinical presentation were prospectively collected on 177 consecutive patients with LM stenosis > or =50% by coronary angiography.

Age-based differences of percutaneous coronary intervention in the drug-eluting stent era.

Introduction: Limited data are available on contemporary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) practice patterns and outcomes in elderly patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate "real-world" PCI in elderly and nonelderly patients during the first year of availability of drug-eluting stents (DES) in the United States market (May 1, 2003-April 30, 2004).

Methods: One thousand one hundred sixty-six consecutive patients (272 elderly [age > or =75 years] and 894 nonelderly [age <75 years]) having PCI for de novo coronary artery disease (CAD) at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center were included in this study.