Impact of Atrial Fibrillation Triggers on Long-Term Outcomes of a Second Catheter Ablation of Nonparoxysmal Atrial Fibrillation.

Catheter ablation (CA) of atrial fibrillation (AF) triggers, including non-pulmonary vein (PV) foci, contributes to improved procedural outcomes. However, the clinical significance of an AF trigger ablation during second CA procedures for nonparoxysmal AF is unknown. We enrolled 94 patients with nonparoxysmal AF undergoing a second CA.

Non-bacterial Thrombotic Endocarditis Presenting as a Mass in the Right Atrium Diagnosed by Open Chest Surgery.

Non-bacterial thrombotic endocarditis (NBTE) is a condition that results in the development of vegetation on cardiac valves that are devoid of inflammation and bacteria. We herein report a 60-year-old man who transferred to our hospital because of a systemic embolism and heart failure. A mass in the right atrium and vegetation on the mitral valve were observed.

A Case of Young Obese Heart Failure Patient Using Multidisciplinary Treatment Centered on the Fantastic Four Improved Cardio Ankle Vascular Index and Cardiac Function.

Obesity-induced heart failure (HF) in young people is a serious problem. The treatments for HF have developed in recent years. The following four basic HF drugs have been widely recognized as the "Fantastic Four": beta-adrenergic blocking agents, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA), sodium glucose transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2 inhibitors), and angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitors (ARNI).

Sacubitril/Valsartan Shows Improvement of the Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index in a Hypertensive Patient.

A 72-year-old man presented to our clinic with hypertension. Arterial stiffness evaluated by cardio ankle vascular index (CAVI) was markedly increased at 13.5.

Activation recovery interval as an electrocardiographic repolarization index to detect doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.

Background: It has been reported that early detection and treatment of cancer therapy- related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) improves its prognosis. The detailed relationships between electrocardiographic repolarization indices and decreased left ventricular function in CTRCD have not been elucidated. We closely assessed such relationships in patients with doxorubicin (DOX)-induced CTRCD.

Significance of mitral L-waves in predicting late recurrences of atrial fibrillation after radiofrequency catheter ablation.

Background: The mitral L-wave, a prominent mid-diastolic filling wave in echocardiographic examinations, is associated with severe left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. The relationship between the mitral L-wave and outcome of catheter ablation (CA) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) has not been established. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of mitral L-waves on AF recurrence after CA.

Cardio-Vascular Interaction Evaluated by Speckle-Tracking Echocardiography and Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index in Hypertensive Patients.

Hypertension increases arterial stiffness, leading to dysfunction and structural changes in the left atrium (LA) and left ventricle (LV). However, the effects of hypertension on the right atrium (RA) and the right ventricle are still not fully understood. The purpose of this study was to clarify whether there is an interaction not only in the left ventricular system but also in the right ventricular system in hypertensive patients with preserved LV ejection fraction.

The inducibility and focus of atrial fibrillation after ablation in patients with tachycardia-induced heart failure.

Background: The inducibility of atrial fibrillation (AF) and incidence of nonpulmonary vein (nonPV) triggers in patients with heart failure (HF) have not been elucidated. Furthermore, the relationship between AF triggers and the change in the left ventricular (LV) function after catheter ablation (CA) remains unclear.

Methods: A total of 101 consecutive patients with a history of HF due to tachycardia who underwent CA of AF were prospectively enrolled (64.

Predictive value of the cardio-ankle vascular index for recurrence of atrial fibrillation after catheter ablation.

Background: The predictive value of the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) for estimating the efficacy outcome of catheter ablation (CA) in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients is unclear. We aimed to examine the predictive performance of the CAVI for recurrences of atrial arrhythmias after CA.

Methods: We enrolled a total of 193 patients with AF (paroxysmal 126 and non-paroxysmal 67) who underwent initial CA procedures at our institute, and CAVI measurements were conducted between January 2016 and March 2017.

Role of Intracardiac Defibrillation During the Ablation Procedure as a Predictor of Atrial Fibrillation Recurrence After Catheter Ablation.

Intracardiac defibrillation (IDF) is performed to restore sinus rhythm (SR) during radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) of atrial fibrillation (AF). This study aimed to investigate the change in the IDF threshold before and after RFCA during the ablation procedure and determine whether the IDF threshold after RFCA was associated with the AF substrate and AF recurrence. A total of 141 consecutive patients with drug-refractory persistent AF (age 62.

Relationship between the nutritional status and safety and efficacy outcomes in atrial fibrillation patients aged 80 years and over receiving oral anticoagulants.

Background: Malnutrition has been reported to be associated with worse clinical outcomes in various cardiovascular diseases. We aimed to investigate the clinical significance of the nutritional status in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients aged 80 years and over receiving oral anticoagulants (OACs), focusing on the difference between direct OACs (DOACs) and warfarin treatment.

Methods: This was a retrospective and observational study.

Early electrocardiographic indices for predicting chronic doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.

Background: Dealing with chemotherapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) remains a significant problem complicated by the difficulty in early detection of cardiotoxicity. Electrocardiogram (ECG) is expected to be the most realistic methodology due to lower cost-performance and non-invasiveness. We investigated the long-term visual fluctuations in the ECG waveforms in patients with chronic doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiotoxicity to identify ECG indices for the early detection of cardiotoxicity.

Combined evaluation of ambulatory-based late potentials and nonsustained ventricular tachycardia to predict arrhythmic events in patients with previous myocardial infarction: A Japanese noninvasive electrocardiographic risk stratification of sudden cardiac death (JANIES) substudy.

Background: Noninvasive electrocardiographic (ECG) markers are promising arrhythmic risk stratification tools for identifying sudden cardiac death. However, little is known about the usefulness of noninvasive ECG markers derived from ambulatory ECGs (AECG) in patients with previous myocardial infarction (pMI). We aimed to determine whether the ECG markers derived from AECG can predict serious cardiac events in patients with pMI.

Comparison of Landiolol and Digoxin as an Intravenous Drug for Controlling the Heart Rate in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation and Severely Depressed Left Ventricular Function.

Clinical experience with landiolol use in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and a severely depressed left ventricular (LV) function is limited. We compared the efficacy and safety of landiolol with that of digoxin as an intravenous drug in controlling the heart rate (HR) during AF associated with a very low LV ejection fraction (LVEF).We retrospectively analyzed 53 patients treated with landiolol (n = 34) or digoxin (n = 19) for AF tachycardias with an LVEF ≤ 25.

Comparison of the Transdermal Bisoprolol Patch with Oral Bisoprolol Fumarate Administration as a Therapeutic Agent for Idiopathic Frequent Premature Ventricular Contractions.

The transdermal bisoprolol patch (TB) was designed to maintain a sustained concentration of bisoprolol in plasma by a higher trough concentration than oral bisoporolol (OB). We compared the efficacy between TB and OB in patients with idiopathic premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) while considering their duration of action.A total of 78 patients with a PVC count of ≥ 3,000 beats/24 hours were divided into groups treated with TB 4 mg (n = 43) or OB 2.

Clinical Factors Associated with a Successful Catheter Ablation Outcome in Elderly Patients with Atrial Fibrillation.

Catheter ablation is currently an established treatment for symptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). We focused on elderly patients with a high prevalence of AF and attempted to identify the clinical factors associated with unsuccessful ablation outcomes.Among 735 consecutive patients who underwent AF ablation procedures, 108 (14.

The Difference in the Changes of Indoxyl Sulfate after Catheter Ablation among Atrial Fibrillation Patients with and without Kidney Dysfunction.

Indoxyl sulfate (IS), a protein-bound uremic toxin, induces chronic kidney disease (CKD) and atrial fibrillation (AF). Catheter ablation (CA) of AF improves the renal function. However, the transition of uremic toxins is unclear.

Evaluation of oral anticoagulants in atrial fibrillation patients over 80 years of age with nonsevere frailty.

Background: The safety and efficacy of an oral anticoagulant (OAC) treatment and the difference between direct OACs (DOACs) and warfarin in nonsevere frail elderly patients with AF are unclear.

Methods: This was a retrospective and observational study of 354 patients over 80 years of age with nonsevere frailty who were diagnosed with AF and treated with OACs. Nonsevere frailty was defined as a clinical frailty scale score of <7.