Renal Artery Denervation for the Management of Hypertension: Current Trends and Future Direction.

Renal artery denervation has re-emerged as a potential therapeutic option for patients with hypertension, especially those resistant to conventional pharmacotherapy. This comprehensive review explores the importance of careful patient selection, procedural techniques, clinical efficacy, safety considerations, and future directions of renal artery denervation in hypertension management. Drawing upon a wide range of available evidence, this review aims to provide a thorough understanding of the procedure and its role in contemporary hypertension treatment paradigms.

Extent of routine diagnostic cardiac work-up at certified German stroke units participating in the prospective MonDAFIS study.

Background: About 25% of all ischaemic strokes are related to cardio-embolism, most often due to atrial fibrillation (AF). Little is known about the extent and standardization of routine cardiac diagnostic work-up at certified stroke-units in Germany.

Methods: The MonDAFIS study included non-AF patients with acute ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) at 38 certified stroke-units in Germany.

In-Hospital ECG Findings, Changes in Medical Management, and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients With Acute Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack.

Background In patients with acute ischemic stroke, little is known regarding the frequency of abnormal ECG findings other than atrial fibrillation and their association with cardiovascular outcomes. We aim to analyze the frequency and type of abnormal ECG findings, subsequent changes in medical treatment, and their association with cardiovascular outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Methods and Results In the investigator-initiated multicenter MonDAFIS (impact of standardized monitoring for detection of atrial fibrillation in ischemic stroke) study, 3465 patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack and without known atrial fibrillation were randomized 1:1 to receive Holter-ECG for up to 7 days in-hospital with systematic evaluation in a core cardiology laboratory (intervention group) or standard diagnostic care (control group).

Systematic monitoring for detection of atrial fibrillation in patients with acute ischaemic stroke (MonDAFIS): a randomised, open-label, multicentre study.

Background: Systematic electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring improves detection of covert atrial fibrillation in stroke survivors but the effect on secondary prevention is unknown. We aimed to assess the effect of systematic ECG monitoring of patients in hospital on the rate of oral anticoagulant use after 12 months.

Methods: In this investigator-initiated, randomised, open-label, parallel-group multicentre study with masked endpoint adjudication, we recruited patients aged at least 18 years with acute ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack without known atrial fibrillation in 38 certified stroke units in Germany.

Contemporary use of excimer laser in percutaneous coronary intervention with indications, procedural characteristics, complications and outcomes in a university teaching hospital.

Background: Excimer laser coronary atherectomy (ELCA) can be used as an adjunctive percutaneous coronary intervention treatment for challenging, heavily calcified lesions. Although previous studies have documented high rates of complication and restenosis, these predate the introduction of the smaller 0.9 mm laser catheter.

Quantification of fibroblast growth factor 23 and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide to identify patients with atrial fibrillation using a high-throughput platform: A validation study.

Background: Large-scale screening for atrial fibrillation (AF) requires reliable methods to identify at-risk populations. Using an experimental semi-quantitative biomarker assay, B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) were recently identified as the most suitable biomarkers for detecting AF in combination with simple morphometric parameters (age, sex, and body mass index [BMI]). In this study, we validated the AF model using standardised, high-throughput, high-sensitivity biomarker assays.

Detection of unknown atrial fibrillation by prolonged ECG monitoring in an all-comer patient cohort and association with clinical and Holter variables.

Objectives: Prolonged ECG monitoring is clinically useful to detect unknown atrial fibrillation (AF) in stroke survivors. The diagnostic yield of prolonged ECG monitoring in other patient populations is less well characterised. We therefore studied the diagnostic yield of prolonged Holter ECG monitoring for AF in an patient cohort referred from primary care or seen in a teaching hospital.

Almanac 2015: atrial fibrillation research in Heart.

Atrial fibrillation continues to attract interest in the cardiovascular community and in Heart Over 60 original research and review papers published in Heart in 2014-2015 cover various aspects of atrial fibrillation, from associated conditions and precipitating factors to new approaches to management. Here, we provide an overview of articles on atrial fibrillation published in Heart in 2014-2015, highlighting new developments, emerging concepts and novel approaches to treatment.