Mitral valve prolapse in sudden cardiac arrest survivors - coincidence or causal relationship?

Background: Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) risk stratification in patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) may be complicated by other potential causes of arrhythmia.

Objectives: We aimed to characterize SCA survivors with isolated (iMVP) and non-isolated MVP (non-iMVP) and to assess their long-term follow-up.

Methods: This ambispective study included 75 patients with MVP who experienced SCA and were treated in our center between 2009-2024.

Should lethal arrhythmias in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy be predicted using non-electrophysiological methods?

While sudden cardiac death (SCD) in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is due to arrhythmias, the guidelines for prediction of SCD are based solely on non-electrophysiological methods. This study aims to stimulate thinking about whether the interests of patients with HCM are better served by using current, 'risk factor', methods of prediction or by further development of electrophysiological methods to determine arrhythmic risk. Five published predictive studies of SCD in HCM, which contain sufficient data to permit analysis, were analysed to compute receiver operating characteristics together with their confidence bounds to compare their formal prediction either by bootstrapping or Monte Carlo analysis.

Computed tomography with positron emission tomography is more useful in local than systemic infectious process related to cardiac implanted electrotherapy device: a prospective controlled multicenter diagnostic intervention PET-Guidance Trial.

Assess the diagnostic value of 18-F FDG PET/CT in cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) infections in facilitating diagnostic process and optimizing decision-making process.Study group (n = 21) patients with initial suspected diagnosis of CIED-related infection or fever of unknown origin and patients referred for device removal due to infection. Control group (n = 13) patients with implanted CIED, who underwent PET/CT due to other non-infectious indications and had no data for infectious process in follow-up.

Mexiletine for recurrent ventricular tachycardia in adult patients with structural heart disease and implantable cardioverter defibrillator: an EHRA systematic review.

The aim of the study was to systematically review evidence on the effectiveness and safety of oral mexiletine administered in monotherapy or in combination with other antiarrhythmic drugs for recurrent ventricular arrhythmia (ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation, VT/VF) in adult patients with structural heart disease (SHD) and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). We systematically searched MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL databases from inception to 27 August 2021 for prospective and retrospective studies investigating mexiletine in the target population. The main outcome was the reduction of ICD therapy.

A quality of life, clinical and biochemical improvements after catheter ablation of persistent arrhythmia in patients with structural heart disease and arrhythmia-mediated cardiomyopathy.

Background: Arrhythmia-mediated cardiomyopathy (AMC) is an essential clinical situation that is commonly underdiagnosed. Successful arrhythmia control leads to improvement in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and heart failure (HF) symptoms in patients with structural heart disease (SHD).

Aims: The study aimed to evaluate the impact of catheter ablation (CA) of persistent arrhythmia on HRQoL, biochemical and clinical parameters HF in patients with SHD and AMC.

The Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Different Anticoagulation Strategies for Treatment of Left Atrial Appendage Thrombus in the Setting of Chronic Anticoagulation for Atrial Fibrillation or Flutter.

Purpose: To compare effectiveness of different treatments for atrial fibrillation (AF) patients who were scheduled for cardioversion (CV) or ablation (CA) presenting with left atrium appendage (LAA) thrombus despite chronic oral anticoagulation therapy (OAC).

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study. We analyzed 2014-2019 medical records of patients scheduled for CV or CA of AF who were diagnosed with LAA thrombus despite optimal OAC and had a follow-up transesophageal echocardiogram (TOE).

Rapid pharmacological cardioversion of recent-onset atrial fibrillation using antazoline in elderly patients.

Introduction: There is insufficient evidence on the efficacy and safety of pharmacological cardioversion of recent‑onset atrial fibrillation (AF) in elderly patients. Antazoline has been shown to be effective and safe in various patient populations.

Objectives: We aimed to compare the clinical efficacy and safety of intravenous antazoline for pharmacological cardioversion of recent‑onset AF between patients aged 75 years or older and those younger than 75 years.

Effectiveness and safety of a single freeze strategy of cryoballoon ablation of atrial fibrillation: an EHRA systematic review and meta-analysis.

To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the effectiveness and safety of cryoballoon ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) performed using a single freeze strategy in comparison to an empiric double ('bonus') freeze strategy. We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL databases from inception to 12 July 2020, for prospective and retrospective studies of patients undergoing cryoballoon for paroxysmal or persistent AF comparing a single vs. bonus freeze strategy.

Adenosine usage during AF ablation in Europe and selected long-term findings from the ESC-EHRA EORP Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Long-Term registry.

Background: Adenosine can be used to reveal dormant pulmonary vein (PV) conduction after PV isolation (PVI). This study presents a subanalysis of real-world 1-year follow-up data from the ESC-EHRA EORP Atrial Fibrillation (AF) Ablation Long-Term registry to analyze the usage of adenosine during PVI treatment in terms of rhythm outcome and safety.

Methods: The registry consists of 104 participating centers in 27 countries within the European Society of Cardiology.