Effects of a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor, fluvastatin, on coronary spasm after withdrawal of calcium-channel blockers.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine whether a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor (statin) suppresses coronary spasm.

Background: Coronary spasm is associated with endothelial dysfunction. Statins have been shown to improve endothelial function.

Electrophysiologic characteristics of verapamil-sensitive atrial tachycardia originating from the atrioventricular annulus.

We examined the electrophysiologic characteristics and mechanisms of verapamil-sensitive atrial tachycardia (AT) originating from the atrioventricular (AV) annulus in 18 patients. AT originated from the AV node vicinity (AV nodal AT, 10 patients) and the area distant from the AV node (non-AV nodal AT, 8 patients). There was no significant difference in the tachycardia cycle length between AV nodal and non-AV nodal AT.

Localization of the ventricular insertion site of concealed left-sided accessory pathways using ventricular pace mapping.

The aim of the present study was to localize the ventricular insertion site of concealed accessory pathway (APs) by using the ventricular pace mapping and examined if the analysis of the timing of retrograde atrial electrogram recorded at the ventricular side of the mitral annulus is useful in identifying the ventricular insertion site of the AP. In 39 patients with concealed left-sided APs, ventricular pacing was delivered along the mitral annulus at a cycle length of 500 ms while measuring the conduction interval from the pacing stimulus to the earliest retrograde atrial electrogram recorded in the coronary sinus (St-A). The ventricular insertion site of the AP was localized by identifying the shortest St-A.

Conduction properties of the crista terminalis and its influence on the right atrial activation sequence in patients with typical atrial flutter.

The conduction properties of the crista terminalis (CT) and its influence on the right atrial activation sequence were analyzed in 14 patients with typical atrial flutter (AF). Atrial mapping was performed with 35 points of the right atrium during typical AF and during atrial pacing performed after linear ablation of inferior vena cava-tricuspid annulus (IVC-TA) isthmus. Atrial pacing was delivered from the septal isthmus at cycle lengths of 600 ms and the tachycardia cycle length (TCL).