Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Adrian D. Elliott, Jonathan Ariyaratnam, Erin J. Howden, Andre La Gerche, Prashanthan Sanders
Summary: The left atrium (LA) plays a critical role in receiving pulmonary venous return and modulating left ventricular filling, with its function contributing to the augmentation in stroke volume during exercise. Structural remodeling and dysfunction of the LA are associated with adverse outcomes in cardiovascular disease, leading to exercise intolerance and increased risk of hospital admissions and mortality. Exercise training is recommended in patients with cardiovascular disease to improve outcomes and maintain functional capacity, with less attention given to the changes in LA structure and function compared to the left ventricle.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-HEART AND CIRCULATORY PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Xin Tian, Cen Wang, Duo Gao, Bu-Lang Gao, Cai-Ying Li
Summary: This study aimed to assess the morphological and functional features of the left atrium (LA) and the left atrial appendage (LAA) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) using computed tomography angiography (CTA) images. The results showed that AF patients had a larger minor axis of the LAA orifice and a more circular LAA orifice compared to the control group. The LAA orifice area and perimeter were positively correlated with LAA volume change. Female patients had larger LAA orifice major and minor axes, area, perimeter, and LAA depth compared to male patients in the AF group.
QUANTITATIVE IMAGING IN MEDICINE AND SURGERY
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Eivind Sorensen, Marius Myrstad, Magnar Gangas Solberg, Erik Oie, Arnljot Tveit, Marit Aaronaes
Summary: The study found that male veteran athletes had significantly larger left atrial volumes compared to non-athletes, while left atrial strain values were lower in individuals with paroxysmal AF, regardless of athletic status. Left atrial strain was a better indicator for identifying participants with AF compared to volumetric measurements.
EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL-CARDIOVASCULAR IMAGING
(2021)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Henrique M. Lobo, Icaro G. Naves, Silvia Botelho Marcal, Camila Cassia Canzi, Amanda Braun Sabino Rodrigues, Antonio S. Menezes Jr
Summary: According to the 2016 ESC recommendations, moderate regular physical activity is beneficial for preventing atrial fibrillation (AF), while long-lasting vigorous sports engagement may lead to AF. This study synthesized 112 articles on AF and endurance athletes, confirming the negative effects of exercise on cardiac structure and function, as well as the associations between body composition and AF risk.
REVIEWS IN CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Lavinia-Lucia Matei, Roxana-Mihaela Popescu, Andreea Catarina Popescu, Serban Mihai Balanescu
Summary: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a result of structural and electrical remodeling of the atria, particularly the left atrium (LA), and LA changes are recognized as important prognostic markers. Echocardiography is a widely available and noninvasive method used to monitor the form and function of the LA. Early functional remodeling of the LA precedes anatomical alterations. Advanced echocardiographic techniques can evaluate impaired LA functions and reduced atrial compliance due to atrial fibrosis. Functional evaluation of the LA provides prognostic information about the risk of AF.
REVIEWS IN CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Biology
Mattia Corti, Alberto Zingaro, Luca Dede', Alfio Maria Quarteroni
Summary: This study analyzes the hemodynamics of the left atrium, comparing differences between healthy individuals and patients with atrial fibrillation. Using patient-specific geometries, a computational simulation of blood flow dynamics in the left atria is conducted. A novel procedure for computing boundary data for 3D hemodynamic simulations is introduced, which is particularly helpful in the absence of clinical measurements. Various fluid dynamics indicators are evaluated for atrial hemodynamics and validated against clinical measurements. The impact of geometric and clinical characteristics on the risk of thrombosis is investigated, and a new indicator called "age stasis" is proposed to highlight the correlation between thrombus formation and atrial fibrillation.
COMPUTERS IN BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Yi Ching Chen, Aleksandr Voskoboinik, Andre La Gerche, Thomas H. Marwick, Julie R. McMullen
Summary: Studies have extensively researched the differences between physiological and pathological ventricular hypertrophy, while the differences between physiological and pathological atrial enlargement remain poorly understood.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Megan Watts, Gopi K. Kolluru, Parinita Dherange, Sibile Pardue, Man Si, Xinggui Shen, Krystle Trosclair, John Glawe, Zaki Al-Yafeai, Mazen Iqbal, Brenna H. Pearson, Kathryn A. Hamilton, A. Wayne Orr, Edward Glasscock, Christopher G. Kevil, Paari Dominic
Summary: Oxidative stress is a driving factor in the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation (AF), with hydrogen sulfide (H2S) playing an important role in regulating electrical remodeling and susceptibility to AF. Patients with AF had significantly lower plasma sulfide levels, and those with persistent AF had even lower levels compared to paroxysmal AF patients. Additionally, CSE knockout mice showed decreased atrial sulfide levels, increased atrial superoxide levels, and enhanced propensity for induced persistent AF compared to wild type mice.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Mireia Ble, Begona Benito, Elisa Cuadrado-Godia, Silvia Perez-Fernandez, Miquel Gomez, Aleksandra Mas-Stachurska, Helena Tizon-Marcos, Lluis Molina, Julio Marti-Almor, Merce Cladellas
Summary: This study aimed to detect atrial disease in CrS patients through analyzing atrial size and function. The results showed that patients with AF had larger atrial volume and worse atrial function, with an independent association between detection of AF and atrial volume, LAEF, and strain.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Naoko Yamaguchi, Junhua Xiao, Deven Narke, Devin Shaheen, Xianming Lin, Erik Offerman, Alireza Khodadadi-Jamayran, Akshay Shekhar, Alex Choy, Sojin Y. Wass, David R. Van Wagoner, Mina K. Chung, David S. Park
Summary: This study revealed that ETV1 is downregulated in the left atrium during cardiac pressure overload, contributing to both electrical and structural remodeling.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Angela Zagatina, Maria Rivadeneira Ruiz, Quirino Ciampi, Karina Wierzbowska-Drabik, Jaroslaw Kasprzak, Elena Kalinina, Irina Begidova, Jesus Peteiro, Rosina Arbucci, Sofia Marconi, Jorge Lowenstein, Alla Boshchenko, Fiore Manganelli, Jelena Celutkiene, Doralisa Morrone, Elisa Merli, Federica Re, Clarissa Borguezan-Daros, Maciej Haberka, Ariel K. Saad, Ana Djordjevic-Dikic, Nithima Chaowalit Ratanasit, Fausto Rigo, Paolo Colonna, Jose Luis de Castro e Silva Pretto, Fabio Mori, Maria Grazia D'Alfonso, Miodrag Ostojic, Bojan Stanetic, Tamara Kovacevic Preradovic, Fabio Costantino, Andrea Barbieri, Rodolfo Citro, Annalisa Pitino, Mauro Pepi, Scipione Carerj, Patricia A. Pellikka, Eugenio Picano
Summary: In patients with chronic coronary syndromes, left atrial dilation and reservoir dysfunction are often present in paroxysmal and permanent atrial fibrillation. These abnormalities are associated with more frequent inducible ischemia and pulmonary congestion during stress.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Chia-Hung Yang, Hao-Tien Liu, Hui-Ling Lee, Fen-Chiung Lin, Chung-Chuan Chou
Summary: This study found that left atrial function plays an important role in the absence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with left atrial dimension greater than or equal to 50 mm, and the late diastolic component of left atrial strain rate is the only independent variable associated with AF.
QUANTITATIVE IMAGING IN MEDICINE AND SURGERY
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Chan Soon Park, Eue-Keun Choi, So-Ryoung Lee, Hyo-Jeong Ahn, Soonil Kwon, Sunhwa Kim, Suk Ho Sohn, Jae Woong Choi, Ho Young Hwang, Seil Oh
Summary: In patients with persistent AF and a large LA, there was no significant difference in prognosis between RFCA, CBA, and thoracoscopic maze procedures. Early recurrence during the blanking period predicted late recurrence in catheter ablation, but not in thoracoscopic maze surgery.
FRONTIERS IN CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cynthia Cousergue, Eric Saloux, Emmanuel Reboursiere, Amelia Rocamora, Paul Milliez, Herve Normand, Amir Hodzic
Summary: This study analyzed the effects of aging on the left atrial and left ventricular functions in trained athletes and found that regardless of chronic sports practice, master athletes exhibited age-related changes in left atrial function closely coupled to left ventricular diastolic properties.
Review
Physiology
Yajun Yao, Mei Yang, Dishiwen Liu, Qingyan Zhao
Summary: Immune remodeling is a new direction for research and therapeutic strategies for atrial fibrillation (AF) as it has complex relationships with atrial electrical, structural, and neural remodeling. It may provide effective therapies for AF.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Matthias Wilhelm, Ana Abreu, Paolo Emilio Adami, Marco Ambrosetti, Maria Antonopoulou, Alessandro Biffi, Elena Cavarretta, Flavio D'Ascenzi, Irene Gibson, Diederick E. Grobbee, Marie-Christine Iliou, Konstantinos Koskinas, Pedro Marques-Vidal, Uwe Nixdorff, Michael Papadakis, Massimo F. Piepoli, Vass Vassiliou, David Wood, Paul Dendale, Martin Halle
Summary: Preventive cardiology encompasses the whole spectrum of cardiovascular disease prevention, from promoting cardiovascular health to managing high-risk individuals and patients with established disease. It addresses all aspects of cardiovascular health, including lifestyle, behavior change, and environmental factors. This European Core Curriculum aims to standardize and improve training in preventive cardiology, with the goal of enhancing quality and outcomes in cardiovascular disease prevention.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PREVENTIVE CARDIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Martijn Scherrenberg, Nastasia Marinus, Francesco Giallauria, Maarten Falter, Hareld Kemps, Matthias Wilhelm, Eva Prescott, Carlo Vigorito, Ed De Kluiver, Gerson Cipriano Jr, Paul Dendale, Dominique Hansen
Summary: Due to advancements in cardiovascular medicine, patients with significant disease burden now have a better prognosis. However, aging-related syndromes like frailty become more common among these patients. Frailty leads to exercise intolerance and compromised adherence to cardiovascular rehabilitation. Recent technological advancements in telemedicine have made it possible to remotely monitor and supervise cardiovascular patients, providing promising benefits. This article aims to provide a framework for developing and implementing a tele-rehabilitation program for managing prevention and rehabilitation in cardiovascular disease patients with frailty.
TRENDS IN CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Nathalia Gonzalez-Jaramillo, Thimo Marcin, Sophia Matter, Prisca Eser, Claudia Berlin, Arjola Bano, Dik Heg, Oscar H. Franco, Stephan Windecker, Lorenz Raeber, Matthias Wilhelm
Summary: Age is a major factor associated with disparities in mortality among different groups undergoing PCI, while migration status and sex do not significantly affect mortality rates. Women and older adults have lower cardiac rehabilitation uptake, but migration status did not result in absence of cardiac rehabilitation.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PREVENTIVE CARDIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Rehabilitation
P. Eser, E. Jaeger, T. Marcin, D. Herzig, L. D. Trachsel, M. Wilhelm
Summary: The study showed that high-intensity interval training (HILT) tended to increase heart rate during sleep, while moderate-intensity continuous exercise (MICE) helped reduce resting heart rate and improve heart rate variability, indicating more significant benefits for individuals with recent ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.
ANNALS OF PHYSICAL AND REHABILITATION MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Rehabilitation
Thimo Marcin, Lukas D. Trachsel, Michelle Dysli, Jean Paul Schmid, Prisca Eser, Matthias Wilhelm
Summary: Self-tailored high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is feasible in patients early after ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), but it is not superior to moderate-intensity continuous exercise (MICE) in improving peak oxygen consumption (VO2). Both exercise regimes had similar energy expenditure and training time, but HIIT required higher perceived exertion.
ANNALS OF PHYSICAL AND REHABILITATION MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Nathalia Gonzalez-Jaramillo, Matthias Wilhelm, Ana Maria Arango-Rivas, Valentina Gonzalez-Jaramillo, Cristina Mesa-Vieira, Beatrice Minder, Oscar H. Franco, Arjola Bano
Summary: This study found that maintaining or adopting an active lifestyle can reduce all-cause mortality risk in patients with CHD, especially for those who remained active. The results also suggest that the benefits of past activity in reducing CVD mortality risk may be lost if appropriate physical activity is not maintained.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Aurelie Pahud de Mortanges, Eldem Sinaci, Dante Salvador, Lia Bally, Taulant Muka, Matthias Wilhelm, Arjola Bano
Summary: GLP-1 RAs have beneficial effects on glycemic control and cardiovascular system, but the underlying mechanisms linking GLP-1 RAs with coronary artery disease are not fully understood.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Helge Servatius, Simon Raab, Babken Asatryan, Andreas Haeberlin, Mattia Branca, Stefano de Marchi, Nicolas Brugger, Nikolas Nozica, Eleni Goulouti, Elena Elchinova, Anna Lam, Jens Seiler, Fabian Noti, Antonio Madaffari, Hildegard Tanner, Samuel H. Baldinger, Tobias Reichlin, Matthias Wilhelm, Laurent Roten
Summary: Structural and electrical atrial remodeling is more advanced in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) compared to patients with hypertensive heart disease (HHD) and athletes.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Christoph P. Ryffel, Prisca Eser, Thimo Marcin, Dario Herrsche, Nicolas Brugger, Lukas D. Trachsel, Matthias Wilhelm
Summary: This study found that in healthy, non-elite, middle-aged runners, a higher proximal aortic distensibility (AD) was significantly associated with a younger age of starting endurance training (ET) or a longer duration of ET. However, with increasing age, the benefits of more years of ET on AD decreased. These findings suggest that the age at which training starts should be considered in future studies on the effects of exercise training on arterial properties.
Review
Sport Sciences
Flavio D'Ascenzi, Luna Cavigli, Antonio Pagliaro, Marta Focardi, Serafina Valente, Matteo Cameli, Giulia Elena Mandoli, Stephan Mueller, Paul Dendale, Massimo Piepoli, Matthias Wilhelm, Martin Halle, Marco Bonifazi, Dominique Hansen
Summary: Exercise training is highly recommended for cardiovascular disease prevention. Personalized exercise prescription based on cardiopulmonary exercise testing provides quantifiable data for risk stratification.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF SPORTS MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Marco Guazzi, Matthias Wilhelm, Martin Halle, Emeline Van Craenenbroeck, Hareld Kemps, Rudolph A. de Boer, Andrew J. S. Coats, Lars Lund, Donna Mancini, Barry Borlaug, Gerasimos Filippatos, Burkert Pieske
Summary: Patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) commonly experience exercise intolerance and dyspnoea. Various factors contribute to the limited exercise capacity, including impaired cardiac and peripheral vascular function, reduced pulmonary vascular reserve, skeletal muscle dysfunction, and iron deficiency/anaemia. However, the current algorithms/scores for HFpEF diagnosis do not consider the objective measures of exercise performance. This clinical consensus statement aims to highlight the role of exercise testing in HFpEF and its pathophysiological, clinical, and prognostic insights. Additionally, combining echocardiography and/or invasive haemodynamic evaluation with cardiopulmonary exercise testing is essential for assessing, quantifying, and differentiating the origin of dyspnoea and exercise impairment.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HEART FAILURE
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Prisca Eser, Lukas D. Trachsel, Thimo Marcin, David Herzig, Irina Freiburghaus, Stefano De Marchi, Andreas J. Zimmermann, Jean-Paul Schmid, Matthias Wilhelm
Summary: This study aimed to compare the short- and long-term effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) in patients early after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The results showed that there were no significant differences between HIIT and MICT in terms of left ventricular remodeling and cardiopulmonary fitness in optimally treated STEMI patients. However, the HIIT group had a smaller improvement in global longitudinal strain (GLS) at 1 year follow-up.
FRONTIERS IN CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Devine S. Frundi, Eva Kettig, Lena Luise Popp, Melanie Hoffman, Marine Dumartin, Magali Hughes, Edgar Lamy, Yvonne Joko Walburga Fru, Arjola Bano, Taulant Muka, Matthias Wilhelm
Summary: This study aims to assess the changes in physical performance in patients with ASCVD or high cardiovascular risk after 4 weeks of exercise therapy and investigate the impact of baseline glycemic control and new antidiabetic treatment on physical performance. The study includes 450 participants categorized into three groups and the results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.
FRONTIERS IN CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Roberto F. E. Pedretti, Dominique Hansen, Marco Ambrosetti, Maria Back, Thomas Berger, Mariana Cordeiro Ferreira, Veronique Cornelissen, Constantinos H. Davos, Wolfram Doehner, Carmen de Pablo Y. Zarzosa, Ines Frederix, Andrea Greco, Donata Kurpas, Matthias Michal, Elena Osto, Susanne Pedersen, Rita Esmeralda Salvador, Maria Simonenko, Patrizia Steca, David R. Thompson, Matthias Wilhelm, Ana Abreu
Summary: Optimal patient adherence to treatment is crucial for successful secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, unsatisfactory adherence rates have been consistently observed for CVD risk factors and treatment. This consensus document provides a modern reappraisal of adherence to optimal treatment and offers simple, practical, and feasible suggestions to achieve this goal in the clinical setting, focusing on evidence-based concepts.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PREVENTIVE CARDIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Caroline Schneider, Sina Reimann, Julia Schmid, Juerg Bernhard, Manuela Rabaglio, Kristin L. Campbell, Matthias Wilhelm, Prisca Eser
Summary: This study found that breast cancer patients have more facilitators for supervised centre-based exercise and more barriers, especially psychological barriers, for unsupervised home-based exercise. Providing structured supervised exercise programmes is crucial for enhancing and maintaining long-term exercise participation in breast cancer patients.
SWISS MEDICAL WEEKLY
(2022)