Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
James Freeman, Angela Y. Higgins, Yongfei Wang, Chengan Du, Daniel J. Friedman, Usama A. Daimee, Karl E. Minges, Lucy Pereira, Andrew M. Goldsweig, Matthew J. Price, Vivek Y. Reddy, Douglas Gibson, Shephal K. Doshi, Paul D. Varosy, Frederick A. Masoudi, Jeptha P. Curtis
Summary: This study evaluated the postprocedure care patterns and compared the risk of adverse events for different discharge antithrombotic strategies after left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) with the Watchman device. The study found that practitioners rarely followed the recommended postprocedure treatment protocols and that discharge on warfarin or direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) without aspirin was associated with a lower risk of adverse outcomes.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Mette F. Hindsholm, Dorte Damgaard, M. Edip Gurol, David Gaist, Claus Z. Simonsen
Summary: Atrial fibrillation is a significant risk factor for ischemic stroke and oral anticoagulation can reduce the risk but also increase bleeding risk. AF-related strokes have worse outcomes compared to non-AF strokes. The management of AF-related strokes is challenging and requires considering individual risks and benefits in treatment and prevention strategies. This review summarizes the current knowledge and implications for the acute and long-term management of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke in patients with AF.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Editorial Material
Medicine, General & Internal
[Anonymous]
Summary: This interactive feature discusses screening for atrial fibrillation in asymptomatic older adults through a case vignette and two essays that present arguments for and against screening.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Adenike R. Adelakun, Ricky D. Turgeon, Mary A. De Vera, Kimberlyn McGrail, Peter S. Loewen
Summary: The study aims to examine the phenomenon of oral anticoagulant (OAC) switching in patients with atrial fibrillation. The results show that OAC switching is common, with varying types and frequencies. However, there is limited research on switching from direct-acting OACs (DOACs).
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Mu Chen, Jian Sun, Qun-Shan Wang, Peng-Pai Zhang, Wei Li, Rui Zhang, Bin-Feng Mo, Yi-Chi Yu, Xingxing Cai, Mei Yang, Xiao-Ming Lian, Yan Zhao, Changqi Gong, Yi Yu, Bo Liu, Xiangfei Feng, Qiufen Lu, Yi-Gang Li
Summary: This study evaluated the procedural safety and long-term outcome of the combined procedure of catheter ablation and left atrial appendage closure in patients with atrial fibrillation. The results showed that the combined procedure was safe and effective in controlling heart rhythm and reducing the risk of strokes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Inigo Anduaga, Alessandro Affronti, Pedro Cepas-Guillen, Jorge Alcocer, Eduardo Flores-Umanzor, Ander Regueiro, Salvatore Brugaletta, Eduard Quintana, Laura Sanchis, Manel Sabate, Xavier Freixa
Summary: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia worldwide and is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. Thromboembolism prevention is crucial in managing AF, and oral anticoagulation is the first-line treatment. However, surgical and percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) have emerged as non-pharmacological alternatives due to the formation of thrombi in the left atrial appendage and contraindications to anticoagulant therapy. This review provides a summary of existing evidence on surgical and percutaneous LAAO.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Emma Svennberg, Leif Friberg, Viveka Frykman, Faris Al-Khalili, Johan Engdahl, Marten Rosenqvist
Summary: A randomized controlled trial in Sweden showed that systematic screening for atrial fibrillation in older populations can reduce mortality and morbidity compared to no screening.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gernot Wagner, Michael Smeikal, Christoph Gisinger, Deddo Moertl, Stephan Nopp, Gerald Gartlehner, Ingrid Pabinger, Gerald Ohrenberger, Cihan Ay
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in long-term care hospital patients. The study found a high burden of AF, but only half of the patients received oral anticoagulation therapy.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
K. E. Juhani Airaksinen
Summary: Cardioversion is an important strategy in the treatment of atrial fibrillation, and the timing of the procedure is crucial for its success and safety. Early cardioversion has a higher success rate and lower risk of early recurrences compared to later elective cardioversion. However, cardioversion does increase the risk of thromboembolic complications, which can be reduced with effective anticoagulation. Even with therapeutic anticoagulation, each elective cardioversion still carries a higher risk of stroke compared to acute cardioversion or avoiding cardioversion. For otherwise healthy patients on therapeutic anticoagulation, a short wait-and-see approach may be a reasonable option.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Jose Maria Farinha, Dhiraj Gupta, Gregory Y. H. Lip
Summary: Premature atrial contractions are a common cardiac phenomenon that have been associated with a higher risk of atrial fibrillation and other adverse outcomes. The concept of atrial cardiomyopathy suggests that changes in the atria lead to arrhythmia occurrence and thromboembolic events. However, more research is needed to establish a clear definition and explore treatment options for excessive premature atrial contractions.
CARDIOVASCULAR RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Laura Amaya Pascasio, Miguel Quesada Lopez, Juan Manuel Garcia-Torrecillas, Antonio Arjona-Padillo, Patricia Martinez Sanchez
Summary: This study developed a screening for atrial fibrillation scale (SAFE) to select ischemic stroke patients at higher risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) for a more thorough evaluation. The SAFE scale showed good sensitivity and specificity in identifying patients with paroxysmal AF.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Naja E. c Vinding, Jawad H. Butt, Jonas B. Olesen, Ying Xian, Soren Lund Kristensen, Rasmus Rorth, Anders Nissen Bonde, Anna Gundlund, Adelina Yafasova, Peter E. Weeke, Gunnar H. Gislason, Christian Torp-Pedersen, Lars Kober, Emil L. Fosbol
Summary: Half of the atrial fibrillation patients with stroke were on inappropriate OAC therapy. Subtherapeutic VKA therapy was associated with worse stroke severity and higher mortality rate than therapeutic VKA therapy. Neither underdosed nor overdosed DOAC was associated with worse outcomes in adjusted models compared with appropriately dosed DOAC.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Hui-Jin Lee, So-Ryoung Lee, Eue-Keun Choi, Sang-Hyun Park, Jae-Wook Chung, Jung-Min Choi, Min-Ju Han, Jin-Hyung Jung, Kyung-Do Han, Seil Oh, Gregory Y. H. Lip
Summary: The findings of this cohort study suggest that all types of smoking were associated with a significantly higher risk of dementia in patients with new-onset AF. Smoking cessation after AF diagnosis was associated with a lower risk of dementia than among current smokers.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Alexander P. Benz, Stefan H. Hohnloser, John W. Eikelboom, Anthony P. Carnicelli, Robert P. Giugliano, Christopher B. Granger, Josephine Harrington, Ziad Hijazi, David A. Morrow, Manesh R. Patel, David J. Seiffge, Ashkan Shoamanesh, Lars Wallentin, Qilong Yi, Stuart J. Connolly
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the prognosis of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and ischemic stroke while on oral anticoagulation. The results showed that among the 1163 patients who had a post-randomization ischemic stroke while on study medication, 7.0% had a recurrent ischemic stroke within 1 year, and the all-cause mortality rate within 3 months was 12.4%.
EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Adnan Mujanovic, Christoph C. Kurmann, Tomas Dobrocky, Marta Olive-Gadea, Christian Maegerlein, Laurent Pierot, Vitor Mendes Pereira, Vincent Costalat, Marios Psychogios, Patrik Michel, Morin Beyeler, Eike I. Piechowiak, David J. Seiffge, Pasquale Mordasini, Marcel Arnold, Jan Gralla, Urs Fischer, Johannes Kaesmacher, Thomas R. Meinel
Summary: This study analyzed the safety and functional outcome of bridging intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) in acute ischemic stroke patients. Patients with atrial fibrillation and those taking oral anticoagulants had a higher risk of intracranial hemorrhage, but receiving bridging IVT was associated with good 90-day outcome.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Gorav Batra, Suleman Aktaa, Lars Wallentin, Aldo P. Maggioni, Chris Wilkinson, Barbara Casadei, Chris P. Gale
Summary: This paper describes the methodology adopted by EuroHeart for the development of clinical data standards for cardiovascular disease, including the identification of clinical domains, construction of specifications, selection of variables, validation of standards, and implementation. The EuroHeart data standards can be used to record individual patient data about clinical care and for research purposes.
EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL-QUALITY OF CARE AND CLINICAL OUTCOMES
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Renate B. Schnabel, Elena Andreassi Marinelli, Elena Arbelo, Giuseppe Boriani, Serge Boveda, Claire M. Buckley, A. John Camm, Barbara Casadei, Winnie Chua, Nikolaos Dagres, Mirko de Melis, Lien Desteghe, Soren Zoga Diederichsen, David Duncker, Lars Eckardt, Christoph Eisert, Daniel Engler, Larissa Fabritz, Ben Freedman, Ludovic Gillet, Andreas Goette, Eduard Guasch, Jesper Hastrup Svendsen, Stephane N. Hatem, Karl Georg Haeusler, Jeff S. Healey, Hein Heidbuchel, Gerhard Hindricks, F. D. Richard Hobbs, Thomas Huebner, Dipak Kotecha, Michael Krekler, Christophe Leclercq, Thorsten Lewalter, Honghuang Lin, Dominik Linz, Gregory Y. H. Lip, Maja Lisa Lochen, Wim Lucassen, Katarzyna Malaczynska-Rajpold, Steffen Massberg, Jose L. Merino, Ralf Meyer, Lluis Mont, Michael C. Myers, Lis Neubeck, Teemu Niiranen, Michael Oeff, Jonas Oldgren, Tatjana S. Potpara, George Psaroudakis, Helmut Purerfellner, Ursula Ravens, Michiel Rienstra, Lena Rivard, Daniel Scherr, Ulrich Schotten, Dipen Shah, Moritz F. Sinner, Rudiger Smolnik, Gerhard Steinbeck, Daniel Steven, Emma Svennberg, Dierk Thomas, Mellanie True Hills, Isabelle C. van Gelder, Burcu Vardar, Elena Pala, Reza Wakili, Karl Wegscheider, Mattias Wieloch, Stephan Willems, Henning Witt, Andre Ziegler, Matthias Daniel Zink, Paulus Kirchhof
Summary: This article summarizes the key outcomes of the 8th AFNET/EHRA Consensus Conference, which was held in Hamburg in October 2021 and attended by 83 international experts. The consensus paper highlights new evidence-based approaches to improve care for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), including population-based screening, evolving management strategies, atrial cardiomyopathy characterization, cognitive function assessment, and the role of artificial intelligence (AI).
Article
Primary Health Care
Clare J. Taylor, Jose M. Ordonez-Mena, Sarah L. Lay-Flurrie, Clare R. Goyder, Kathryn S. Taylor, Nicholas R. Jones, Andrea K. Roalfe, F. D. Richard Hobbs
Summary: This study evaluated the performance of natriuretic peptide (NP) testing in the diagnosis of chronic heart failure (HF). The results showed differences in the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of NP testing at the referral thresholds recommended by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The higher NICE threshold can reduce misdiagnosis in primary care, while the lower ESC threshold requires more diagnostic evaluations.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF GENERAL PRACTICE
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Suleman Aktaa, Gorav Batra, Stefan K. James, Daniel J. Blackman, Peter F. Ludman, Mamas A. Mamas, Mohamed Abdel-Wahab, Gianni D. Angelini, Martin Czerny, Victoria Delgado, Giuseppe De Luca, Agricola Eustachio, Dan Foldager, Christian W. Hamm, Bernard Iung, Norman Mangner, Julinda Mehilli, Gavin J. Murphy, Darren Mylotte, Radoslaw Parma, Anna Sonia Petronio, Bodgan A. Popescu, Lars Sondergaard, Rui C. Teles, Manel Sabate, Christian J. Terkelsen, Luca Testa, Jianhua Wu, Aldo P. Maggioni, Lars Wallentin, Barbara Casadei, Chris P. Gale
Summary: The EuroHeart project aims to create pan-European data standards for cardiovascular diseases and interventions, including TAVI, to quantify quality of care and patient outcomes.
EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL-QUALITY OF CARE AND CLINICAL OUTCOMES
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Gorav Batra, Suleman Aktaa, A. John Camm, Francisco Costa, Luigi Di Biase, David Duncker, Laurent Fauchier, Nikolaos Fragakis, Lars Frost, Ziad Hijazi, Tord Juhlin, Jose Luis Merino, Lluis Mont, Jens Cosedis Nielsen, Jonas Oldgren, Anna Polewczyk, Tatjana Potpara, Frederic Sacher, Philipp Sommer, Roland Tilz, Aldo P. Maggioni, Lars Wallentin, Barbara Casadei, Chris P. Gale
Summary: This study aimed to develop standardized data definitions for atrial fibrillation/flutter (AF/AFL) and catheter ablation. Through a systematic literature review and expert consensus, a total of 70 mandatory variables and 92 additional variables were established. The development of these standards will help improve the quality of care, facilitate international observational research, and enable post-marketing surveillance.
EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL-QUALITY OF CARE AND CLINICAL OUTCOMES
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Surawee Chuaiphichai, Sandy M. Chu, Ricardo Carnicer, Matthew Kelly, Jenifer K. Bendall, Jillian N. Simon, Gillian Douglas, Mark J. Crabtree, Barbara Casadei, Keith M. Channon
Summary: This study reveals a critical role for endothelial cell Gch1/BH4 biosynthesis in coronary vascular function and cardiac function. Loss of cardiac endothelial cell BH4 leads to coronary vascular dysfunction, reduced functional recovery, and increased myocardial infarct size following ischemia/reperfusion injury. Targeting endothelial cell Gch1 and BH4 biosynthesis may provide a novel therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of cardiac dysfunction, ischemia injury, and heart failure.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-HEART AND CIRCULATORY PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Primary Health Care
Clare J. Taylor
BRITISH JOURNAL OF GENERAL PRACTICE
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Louise Bowman, Franz A. Weidinger, Michelle Albert, Edward T. A. J. Fry, Fausto Pinto
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Wouter B. van Dijk, Ewoud Schuit, Rieke van der Graaf, Rolf H. H. Groenwold, Sara Laurijssen, Barbara Casadei, Marco Roffi, Seye Abimbola, Martine C. de Vries, Diederick E. Grobbee
Summary: This study evaluated the feasibility of implementing ESC guidelines on general cardiology in 102 countries and found that compliance varied based on the country's income level. High-income countries had better compliance, while low-income countries had lower compliance, largely due to lack of reimbursement and financial barriers.
EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL
(2023)
Editorial Material
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Louise Bowman, Franz Weidinger, Michelle A. Albert, Edward T. A. Fry, Fausto J. Pinto
EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL
(2023)
Editorial Material
Primary Health Care
Nicholas R. Jones, Thomas Round, Brian D. Nicholson
BRITISH JOURNAL OF GENERAL PRACTICE
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Nicholas R. Jones, Jose M. Ordonez-Mena, Andrea K. Roalfe, Kathryn S. Taylor, Clare R. Goyder, F. D. Richard Hobbs, Clare J. Taylor
Summary: In patients with heart failure, there is a U-shaped relationship between body mass index (BMI) and long-term survival. Overweight and obese patients have a lower risk of mortality, while underweight patients have a higher risk. Class III obesity is associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality compared to overweight. These findings suggest the need for a personalized approach to determining optimal weight for patients with heart failure in primary care.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Philip Moons, Tone M. Norekval, Elena Arbelo, Britt Borregaard, Barbara Casadei, Bernard Cosyns, Martin R. Cowie, Donna Fitzsimons, Alan G. Fraser, Tiny Jaarsma, Paulus Kirchhof, Josepa Mauri, Richard Mindham, Julie Sanders, Francois Schiele, Aleksandra Torbica, Ann Dorthe Zwisler
Summary: Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) play a crucial role in understanding patients' perspectives on their health and medical conditions. Their use can lead to improvements in healthcare quality and informed clinical decisions. This article provides an overview of PROs for cardiovascular populations, including disease-specific and domain-specific measures, as well as international standards and guidelines for their selection. Collaboration and evaluation of PROs are needed to guide decision-making in regulatory contexts and to monitor care quality and resource allocation. New sources, such as wearable devices and electronic health records, offer opportunities for collecting PROs.
EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Rohan Wijesurendra, Rebecca Sardell, Raja Jayaram, Nathan Samuel, Zhengming Chen, Natalie Staplin, Rory Collins, Zhe Zheng, Richard Haynes, Michael Hill, Jonathan Emberson, Barbara Casadei
EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL
(2023)