Clinical impact of cryoballoon posterior wall isolation using the cross-over technique in persistent atrial fibrillation.

Background And Aims: Successful left atrial posterior wall isolation (LAPWI) using only the cryoballoon (CB) is technically challenging for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the cross-over technique, wherein an overlapped ablation is performed by placing the CB from both directions in contact with the LAPW.

Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective, observational study of 194 consecutive patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (PerAF) who underwent a first-time procedure of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) + PWI (108 patients) or PVI-only (86 patients) using the CB.

Effects of Phase II Cardiac Rehabilitation on Physical Function and Anxiety Levels in Frail Patients.

Frailty is an important prognostic factor in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and patients with CVD have a high rate of concurrent psycho-emotional stress, as well as depressive mood and anxiety symptoms. Despite this, few reports have examined the effects of the efficacy of Phase II cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in frail patients, including improvements in anxiety levels. In all, 137 patients (mean [±SD] age 65.

Trend in Age at the Initial Pacemaker Implantation in Patients With Bradyarrhythmia - A 50-Year Analysis (1970-2019) in Japan.

Background: This study investigated whether the age of patients undergoing pacemaker implantation is increasing.

Methods and results: This study retrospectively reviewed the consecutive cases of 3,582 patients who underwent an initial pacemaker implantation at our hospitals because of symptomatic bradyarrhythmias between 1970 and 2019. The exclusion criteria were: patients with AV block due to cardiac surgery or AV junction ablation, and patients aged <20 years.

Relationship between skin autofluorescence levels and clinical events in patients with heart failure undergoing cardiac rehabilitation.

Background: Advanced glycation end-products, indicated by skin autofluorescence (SAF) levels, could be prognostic predictors of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and renal disease. However, the clinical usefulness of SAF levels in patients with heart failure (HF) who underwent cardiac rehabilitation (CR) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the associations between SAF and MACE risk in patients with HF who underwent CR.

Association Between Constipation and Frailty Components in Patients Undergoing Late Phase II Cardiac Rehabilitation.

Background: The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare reported that the overall constipation complaint rates among men and women are 2.5% and 4.6%, respectively.

Arterial Stiffness Index and Exercise Tolerance in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Rehabilitation.

Arterial stiffness contributes to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the relationship between the arterial stiffness and exercise tolerance in CVD patients with preserved ejection fraction (pEF) and those with reduced EF (rEF) is unclear. We enrolled 358 patients who participated in cardiac rehabilitation and underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing at Juntendo University Hospital.

Prognostic impact of peak oxygen uptake and heart rate reserve in patients after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

Background: Peak oxygen uptake (peak VO ) and heart rate reserve (HRR) are independent prognostic markers of cardiovascular disease. However, the impact of peak VO and HRR on long-term prognosis after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OP-CABG) remains unclear.

Hypothesis: To determine the prognostic impact of peak VO and HRR in patients after OP-CABG.

Association between the tissue accumulation of advanced glycation end products and exercise capacity in cardiac rehabilitation patients.

Background: Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are associated with aging, diabetes mellitus (DM), and other chronic diseases. Recently, the accumulation of AGEs can be evaluated by skin autofluorescence (SAF). However, the relationship between SAF levels and exercise capacity in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains unclear.

Relationship between the Kihon Checklist and the clinical parameters in patients who participated in cardiac rehabilitation.

Aim: The Kihon Checklist is a useful screening tool for assessing frailty in older individuals. However, the clinical significance of the Kihon Checklist in cardiac rehabilitation patients remains unclear. The present study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the Kihon Checklist and the clinical parameters in patients who participated in cardiac rehabilitation.