Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology
-
In patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), echocardiographic tissue velocity imaging (TVI) enables assessment of electrical and structural remodelling by measuring, respectively, the AF cycle length (AFCL-TVI) and the atrial fibrillatory wall motion velocity (AFV-TVI). We investigated the clinical and echocardiographic correlates of atrial remodelling assessed by TVI. ⋯ This study investigated the clinical and echocardiographic correlates of atrial remodelling assessed by TVI. The AFV-TVI is reduced in patients with a long AF duration and who have mitral regurgitation. In addition, the AFCL is long if LAVI is high and LVEF preserved. Tissue velocity imaging parameters measured during AF may be helpful to characterize the degree of atrial remodelling and optimize treatment.
-
Previous studies have suggested a lower risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) with higher intakes of fish and marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), but the results have been inconsistent. The aim was to investigate the association between consumption of marine n-3 PUFA and development of AF. ⋯ We found a U-shaped association between consumption of marine n-3 PUFA and risk of incident AF, with the lowest risk close to the median intake of total marine n-3 PUFA (0.63 g/day).
-
Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has a well-documented positive effect on mortality and heart failure morbidity. The aim of this study was to assess the long-term survival and the predictive value of self-assessed functional status on the long-term prognosis of patients treated with CRT-pacemaker (CRT-P). ⋯ Real-life patient characteristics and predictors of outcome compare well with those in published prospective trials. Self-assessed functional status is a strong predictor of long-term survival, which may have implications for a more active follow-up of patients without spontaneous improvement.
-
Primary prevention (PP) implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implant rates in the UK are below national targets and barriers to this are not well known. This study was designed to identify the stages along the referral pathway from general to specialist care that eligible patients reach and what proportion eventually receive an ICD. ⋯ Failure to refer from the general physician to cardiology and from the cardiologist to EP is the principle reason for low PP ICD implant rates among eligible patients in the UK.
-
To describe obstetric/neonatal and cardiac outcomes for a cohort of women carrying implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) during pregnancy. ⋯ Pregnancy had no effect on ICD operation and no evidence was found to link ICD carriage with adverse pregnancy outcomes, although one miscarriage may have been induced by ICD shock therapy. A worsening of cardiac condition occurs in specific cardiac diseases and β-blocker therapy should be continued for all women carrying ICDs in pregnancy as the benefits outweigh the risks of taking this medication.