Cardiac automaticity is modulated by IKACh in sinoatrial node during pregnancy.

Aims: Pregnant (P) women have a significantly elevated resting heart rate (HR), which makes cardiac arrhythmias more likely to occur. Although electrical remodelling of the sinoatrial node (SAN) has been documented, the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. The acetylcholine-activated potassium current (IKACh), one of the major repolarizing currents in the SAN, plays a critical role in HR control by hyperpolarizing the maximal diastolic potential (MDP) of the SAN action potential (AP), thereby reducing SAN automaticity and HR.

Liver adrenoceptor alpha-1b plays a key role in energy and glucose homeostasis in female mice.

The liver plays a major role in glucose and lipid homeostasis and acts as a key organ in the pathophysiology of metabolic diseases. Intriguingly, increased sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity to the liver has been associated with the development and progression of type 2 diabetes and obesity. However, the precise mechanisms by which the SNS regulates hepatic metabolism remain to be defined.

Anger Expression Styles, Cynical Hostility, and the Risk for the Development of Type 2 Diabetes or Diabetes-Related Heart Complications: Secondary Analysis of the Health and Retirement Study.

Objective: Limited research has examined associations between trait anger and hostility and incident type 2 diabetes (T2D) and diabetes-related heart complications. However, anger expression styles (i.e.

Role of apolipoprotein B in the clinical management of cardiovascular risk in adults: An Expert Clinical Consensus from the National Lipid Association.

This National Lipid Association (NLA) Expert Clinical Consensus provides an overview of the physiologic and clinical considerations regarding the role of apolipoprotein B (apoB) measurement to guide clinical care based on the available scientific evidence and expert opinion. ApoB represents the total concentration of atherogenic lipoprotein particles in the circulation and more accurately reflects the atherogenic burden of lipoproteins when compared to low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). ApoB is a validated clinical measurement that augments the information found in a standard lipoprotein lipid panel; therefore, there is clinical value in using apoB in conjunction with a standard lipoprotein lipid profile when assessing risk and managing lipid-lowering therapy (LLT).

Toxoplasma gondii DNA in Tissues of Anadromous Arctic Charr, Salvelinus alpinus, Collected From Nunavik, Québec, Canada.

Background: Toxoplasma gondii is a very common zoonotic parasite in humans and animals worldwide. Human seroprevalence is high in some regions of Canada's North and is thought to be associated with the consumption of traditionally prepared country foods, such as caribou, walrus, ringed seal and beluga. While numerous studies have reported on the prevalence of T.

Thrombocytopenia after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Introduction And Objectives: Thrombocytopenia frequently occurs after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) but its impact is poorly understood. We aimed to analyze the incidence, clinical impact, and predictors of acquired thrombocytopenia after TAVI.

Methods: This retrospective multicenter registry included 3913 patients undergoing TAVI with a baseline platelet count of ≥ 100 *10/L.

Improving Reliability of Immunological Assays by Defining Minimal Criteria for Cell Fitness.

Human PBMC-based assays are often used as biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of disease, as well as for the prediction and tracking of response to biological therapeutics. However, the development and use of PBMC-based biomarker assays is often limited by poor reproducibility. Complex immunological assays can be further complicated by variation in cell handling before analysis, especially when using cryopreserved cells.

Validity of a Heart Rate Monitor for Heart Rate Variability Analysis During an Orthostatic Challenge.

Unlabelled: Heart rate variability (HRV) is used as a measure of autonomic nervous system (ANS) function and is based on heart rate (HR) beat-to-beat time interval variance analysis. Various techniques are used for recording HR, however, few studies have compared Holter-type recordings vs HR monitors (HRM) during an orthostatic challenge.

Objectives: Compare HRV measures from an electrocardiogram (ECG) Holter and a HRM as a tool for investigating ANS response for post-concussion rehabilitation follow-up.

Uncovering possible silent acquired long QT syndrome using exercise stress testing in long-term pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivors.

An example of chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity in cancer survivors is acquired long QT syndrome (aLQTS), which may cause serious yet preventable life-threatening consequences. Our objective was to identify and characterize childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) survivors with possible aLQTS using maximal exercise testing. In this cross-sectional study with exploratory analysis, a total of 250 childhood ALL survivors were evaluated for abnormal QT interval prolongation using the McMaster cycle exercise test.

Risk of cardiovascular events after influenza infection-related hospitalizations in adults with congenital heart disease: A nationwide population based study.

Background: Cardiovascular complications due to viral infection pose a significant risk in vulnerable patients such as those with congenital heart disease (CHD). Limited data exists regarding the incidence of influenza and its impact on cardiovascular outcomes among this specific patient population.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was designed using the Canadian Congenital Heart Disease (CanCHD) database-a pan-Canadian database of CHD patients with up to 35 years of follow-up.

Update on antithrombotic therapy and body mass: a clinical consensus statement of the European Society of Cardiology Working Group on Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy and the European Society of Cardiology Working Group on Thrombosis.

Obesity and underweight are a growing health problem worldwide and a challenge for clinicians concerning antithrombotic therapy, due to the associated risks of thrombosis and/or bleeding. This clinical consensus statement updates a previous one published in 2018, by reviewing the most recent evidence on antithrombotic drugs based on body size categories according to the World Health Organization classification. The document focuses mostly on individuals at the extremes of body weight, i.

Prediction of Cumulative Exposure to Atherogenic Lipids During Early Adulthood.

Background: The ability of a 1-time measurement of non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) to predict the cumulative exposure to these lipids during early adulthood (age 18-40 years) and the associated atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk after age 40 years is not clear.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to evaluate whether a 1-time measurement of non-HDL-C or LDL-C in a young adult can predict cumulative exposure to these lipids during early adulthood, and to quantify the association between cumulative exposure to non-HDL-C or LDL-C during early adulthood and the risk of ASCVD after age 40 years.

Methods: We included CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study) participants who were free of cardiovascular disease before age 40 years, were not taking lipid-lowering medications, and had ≥3 measurements of LDL-C and non-HDL-C before age 40 years.

Assessment of the Omius™ cooling headband effectiveness during a 70-min submaximal running effort followed by a 5-km time-trial in hot/humid conditions.

Exercise performed under hot/humid conditions can hinder endurance performance. The Omius™ headband (OH) is purported to reduce the perception of heat and improve performance. We examined the impact of OH on selected thermal and cardiovascular functions, subjective perceptions and running performance.

Association Between Kidney Stone History and Cardiovascular Event Risk in US Adults.

Objective: To determine the association between kidney stone history and predicted 10-year risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) events in a nationally representative US adult sample without existing CVD.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of the 2017-2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey that included a nationally representative sample of 3842 adults aged 40-79 free from CVD. Kidney stone history was assessed through self-reporting.

Prediction of incident atrial fibrillation using deep learning, clinical models, and polygenic scores.

Background And Aims: Deep learning applied to electrocardiograms (ECG-AI) is an emerging approach for predicting atrial fibrillation or flutter (AF). This study introduces an ECG-AI model developed and tested at a tertiary cardiac centre, comparing its performance with clinical models and AF polygenic score (PGS).

Methods: Electrocardiograms in sinus rhythm from the Montreal Heart Institute were analysed, excluding those from patients with pre-existing AF.

PRKAG2 -Related Lethal Congenital Glycogen Storage Disease of the Heart as Rare Cause of Fetal Hydrops With Bradycardia and Cardiomyopathy: Clinical Report and Literature Review.

Nonimmune foetal hydrops is a prenatal condition associated with significant perinatal mortality. It has so far been associated with over 200 chromosomal and monogenic conditions, most frequently chromosomal aneuploidies and RASopathies. Thorough clinical phenotyping and genetic evaluation are essential to determine the underlying etiology of this clinical entity and guide obstetrical and postnatal management.

Automatic segmentation of echocardiographic images using a shifted windows vision transformer architecture.

Echocardiography is one the most commonly used imaging modalities for the diagnosis of congenital heart disease. Echocardiographic image analysis is crucial to obtaining accurate cardiac anatomy information. Semantic segmentation models can be used to precisely delimit the borders of the left ventricle, and allow an accurate and automatic identification of the region of interest, which can be extremely useful for cardiologists.