Heart rhythm : the official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society
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Pulmonary vein isolation by cryoballoon ablation is an accepted method of treating atrial fibrillation. Little data exist regarding factors affecting late electrical reconnection of pulmonary veins following cryoballoon ablation. ⋯ Balloon warming time, vein occlusion score, and pulmonary vein size predict pulmonary vein reconnection. Balloon warming time was the most important predictive factor, and the manipulation of balloon warming may be a novel therapeutic strategy for improving outcomes of cryoballoon ablation for atrial fibrillation.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Clinical outcomes with synchronized left ventricular pacing: analysis of the adaptive CRT trial.
Acute studies have suggested that left ventricular pacing (LVP) may have benefits over biventricular pacing (BVP). The adaptive cardiac resynchronization therapy (aCRT) algorithm provides LVP synchronized to produce fusion with the intrinsic activation when the intrinsic atrioventricular (AV) interval is normal. The randomized double-blind adaptive cardiac resynchronization therapy trial demonstrated noninferiority of the aCRT algorithm compared to echocardiography-optimized BVP (control). ⋯ Higher %sLVP was independently associated with superior clinical outcomes. In patients with normal AV conduction, the aCRT algorithm provided mostly sLVP and demonstrated better clinical outcomes compared to echocardiography-optimized BVP.
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Atrial fibrillation (AF) and systolic heart failure (HF) frequently coexist. Restoration of sinus rhythm by catheter ablation may result in a variable improvement in left ventricular (LV) function. Late-gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging identifies irreversible structural change and may predict incomplete recovery of LV function. ⋯ In patients with AF and LV dysfunction in the absence of LGE on CMR, ventricular function normalizes following the restoration of sinus rhythm. CMR may assist in the selection of patients with combined AF and systolic HF most likely to benefit from catheter ablation.
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Prolongation of the PR interval has been associated with an increased risk of incident atrial fibrillation (AF). ⋯ In this large ECG study, we found an increased risk of AF for longer PR intervals for both women and men. With respect to short PR intervals, we also observed an increased risk of AF for women.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Ganglionated plexus ablation vs linear ablation in patients undergoing pulmonary vein isolation for persistent/long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation: a randomized comparison.
The optimal ablation technique for persistent and long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) is unclear. Both linear lesion (LL) and ganglionated plexus (GP) ablation have been used in addition to pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), but no direct comparison of the 2 methods exists. ⋯ PVI+GP ablation confers superior clinical results with less ablation-related left atrial flutter and reduced AF recurrence compared to PVI+LL ablation at 3 years of follow-up.