Background: Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) is a standard procedure for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) not responsive to previous treatments, that has been increasingly considered as a first-line therapy. In this context, perioperative screening for risk factors has become important. A previous study showed that a high left atrial (LA) pressure is associated with AF recurrence after ablation, which may be secondary to a stiff left atrium.
Objective: To investigate, through a systematic review and meta-analysis, if LA stiffness could be a predictor of AF recurrence after RFCA, and to discuss its clinical use.
Methods: The meta-analysis followed the MOOSE recommendations. The search was performed in MEDLINE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases, until March 2018. Two authors performed screening, data extraction and quality assessment of the studies.
Results: All studies were graded with good quality. A funnel plot was constructed, which did not show any publication bias. Four prospective observational studies were included in the systematic review and 3 of them in the meta-analysis. Statistical significance was defined at p value < 0.05. LA stiffness was a strong independent predictor of AF recurrence after RFCA (HR = 3.55, 95% CI 1.75-4.73, p = 0.0002).
Conclusion: A non-invasive assessment of LA stiffness prior to ablation can be used as a potential screening factor to select or to closely follow patients with higher risks of AF recurrence and development of the stiff LA syndrome.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.5935/abc.20190040 | DOI Listing |
Foot Ankle Surg
January 2025
Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine), Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. Electronic address:
Background: The optimal treatment of Osteochondral lesion of the talus (OLT) for subchondral bone cysts (SBCs) has not been finalized. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to define whether OLT with small SBCs will affect the clinical outcomes of OLTs after arthroscopic microfracture.
Methods: We searched the Embase, Cochrane Library and PubMed databases up to May 13, 2024 for eligible comparative studies.
Acad Radiol
January 2025
Department of Radiology and Intervention, Hospital Pakar Kanak-Kanak (UKM Specialist Children's Hospital), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Y.L., F.Y.L., J.N.C., H.A.H., H.A.M.); Makmal Pemprosesan Imej Kefungsian (Functional Image Processing Laboratory), Department of Radiology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia (H.A.M.). Electronic address:
Rationale And Objectives: Extrathyroidal extension (ETE) and BRAF mutation in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) increase mortality and recurrence risk. Preoperative identification presents considerable challenges. Although radiomics has emerged as a potential tool for identifying ETE and BRAF mutation, systematic evidence supporting its effectiveness remains insufficient.
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January 2025
Nursing Department, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus.
Objectives: Cancer-related cachexia affects approximately 50% to 80% of cancer patients and contributes significantly to cancer-related mortality, accounting for 20% of deaths. This multifactorial syndrome is characterized by systemic inflammation, anorexia, and elevated energy expenditure, leading to severe weight loss and muscle wasting. Understanding the underlying mechanisms is critical for developing effective interventions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrev Med
January 2025
School of Sport Science, Beijing Sport University, Beijing 100091, China; Key Laboratory of Sports and Physical Health Ministry of Education, Beijing Sport University, Beijing 100091, China. Electronic address:
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of school environmental factors in promoting adolescents' physical activity.
Methods: A systematic search of five databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, EBSCO, and Cochrane Library) was conducted from the earliest available records up to September 2023. Meta-analyses were performed for each school environmental factor, provided that at least two studies reported on the association between that factor and adolescents' physical activity.
Neurospine
December 2024
Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
Our research examines the learning curves of various minimally invasive lumbar surgeries to determine the benefits and challenges they pose to both surgeons and patients. The advent of microsurgical techniques since the 1960s, including advances in fluoroscopic navigation and intraoperative computed tomography, has significantly shifted spinal surgery from open to minimally invasive methods. This study critically evaluates surgical duration, intraoperative conversions to open surgery, and complications as primary parameters to gauge these learning curves.
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