Venous thromboembolisms and stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation: a nationwide cohort study.

Aims: Little is known about the association of venous thromboembolisms (VTEs) on the risk of ischaemic stroke (IS) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Nevertheless, both pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep venous thromboembolism (DVT) are often included in the calculation of the CHA2DS2-VASc score, which is used for stroke risk stratification. Therefore, we conducted this nationwide retrospective cohort study to evaluate whether a history of VTE is associated with an increased risk of IS in patients with AF.

Photoplethysmography in recent-onset atrial fibrillation: automatic detection of rhythm change and burden.

Aims: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia, increasing stroke risk. Detecting AF is challenging due to its asymptomatic and paroxysmal nature. This study combines photoplethysmography (PPG) with automated techniques to detect AF, assess AF burden, and monitor rhythm changes from AF to sinus rhythm (SR).

Heart Failure and Stroke Risk in Atrial Fibrillation: Temporal Trends From a Nationwide Cohort Study.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a well-recognized risk factor for ischemic stroke (IS) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Advancements in medical research have significantly improved the detection and management of both AF and HF. However, limited data are available on whether these changes have modified the stroke risk associated with HF in patients with AF.

Factors associated with oral anticoagulant non-use at first ischemic stroke in atrial fibrillation: A nationwide study.

Background: Limited data exist on characteristics and patterns associated with patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who encounter first-ever ischemic stroke (IS) while not on oral anticoagulation (OAC) therapy.

Methods: From a nationwide registry-linkage database including all patients with AF in Finland from 2007 to 2017, we included those with IS after diagnosis of AF and those without IS. Factors associated with non-OAC use among IS patients were examined using logistic regression, with separate models for independent variables and risk scores.

Hemorrhagic Stroke in Atrial Fibrillation: Trends in Incidence, Case Fatality, and Prior Oral Anticoagulation.

Background: Despite increased atrial fibrillation (AF) and oral anticoagulation (OAC) use among patients with intracerebral hemorrhage, trends in hemorrhagic stroke (HS) incidence in AF remain unclear. We examined recent epidemiological trends, considering advances in stroke prevention and an aging population.

Methods And Results: A Finnish nationwide study using linked administrative registries followed 168 121 patients with incident AF (2009-2017) until the first-ever intracerebral or subarachnoid hemorrhage, death, or study end (November 2018).

Quality of anticoagulation and outcomes after mechanical aortic valve replacement in patients with atrial fibrillation: a nationwide cohort study.

Aims: Mechanical aortic valve replacement (AVR) remains the primary treatment for younger patients with severe aortic valve disease. However, limited information is available regarding the quality of the required lifelong vitamin K antagonist (VKA) therapy, atrial fibrillation (AF), and their relationship with adverse events after AVR. This study assessed the quality of VKA therapy prior to bleeding and ischaemic events following mechanical AVR in patients with AF.

Reduced dose direct oral anticoagulants and time-in-therapeutic-range defined warfarin in new-onset atrial fibrillation: a report from the nationwide FinACAF study.

Aims: Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) at reduced dosage regimens are the first choice of ischaemic stroke (IS) prevention for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and elevated bleeding risk or renal insufficiency. We compared the outcomes of reduced dose DOACs and warfarin.

Methods And Results: We included all new-onset patients with AF in Finland from 2011 to 2018.

Optimizing feasibility and reproducibility of pacing-induced heart failure model in pigs.

Heart failure (HF) is a major health problem worldwide, where gene therapy could provide promising new approaches for effective treatments. Pacing-induced tachycardiomyopathy in large animals is a well-established HF model but it suffers from poor tolerability and variable outcomes. In this study, we developed a reproducible, feasible, and tolerable pacing protocol for HF gene therapy studies.

The use of antiarrhythmic drugs for atrial fibrillation in Finland 2007-2018.

Background: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are often treated with antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) to maintain sinus rhythm and with heart rate-lowering drugs to achieve the optimal rate control. In this study, we investigated trends in the use of AADs and rate control drugs in Finnish patients with AF.

Methods And Results: The Finnish AntiCoagulation in Atrial Fibrillation (FinACAF) study is a nationwide study including all patients with AF in Finland from 2007 to 2018.

Alcohol use disorder and initiation of oral anticoagulant therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation: A nationwide cohort study.

Objective: Patients with alcohol use disorders (AUD) often receive inferior care for somatic comorbidities. Our objective was to explore whether AUDs influence oral anticoagulant (OAC) initiation for stroke prevention among atrial fibrillation (AF) patients, using a nationwide dataset to assess treatment disparities.

Methods: The Finnish AntiCoagulation in Atrial Fibrillation registry includes data on all 229,565 patients diagnosed with incident AF in Finland during 2007-2018, identified from national registries covering all levels of care.

Endothelialization of coronary stents after intra-luminal adenoviral VEGF-A gene transfer in a preclinical porcine restenosis model - Studies with optical coherence tomography, angioscopy, multiphoton and scanning electron microscopy.

Background: Coronary stenting operations have become the main option for the treatment of coronary heart disease. Vessel recovery after stenting has emerged as a critical factor in reducing possible complications. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility, safety and efficacy of locally administered intraluminal gene therapy delivered using a specialized infusion balloon catheter.

Temporal Trends of Ischemic Stroke Risk in Patients With Incident Atrial Fibrillation Before Anticoagulation.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a major risk factor for ischemic stroke (IS), but whether the magnitude of this risk has changed over time is unknown.

Objectives: This study sought to investigate temporal trends in IS rates in patients with incident AF before oral anticoagulant agent (OAC) therapy.

Methods: The nationwide FinACAF (Finnish Anticoagulation in Atrial Fibrillation) study covers patients with AF at all levels of care in Finland from 2007 to 2018.

QClus: a droplet filtering algorithm for enhanced snRNA-seq data quality in challenging samples.

Single-nuclei RNA sequencing remains a challenge for many human tissues, as incomplete removal of background signal masks cell-type-specific signals and interferes with downstream analyses. Here, we present Quality Clustering (QClus), a droplet filtering algorithm targeted toward challenging samples. QClus uses additional metrics, such as cell-type-specific marker gene expression, to cluster nuclei and filter empty and highly contaminated droplets, providing reliable filtering of samples with varying number of nuclei and contamination levels.

Temporal trends of catheter ablation procedures in patients with atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter: A nationwide cohort study.

Background: Catheter ablation is a well-established treatment to prevent atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter (AFL) recurrences and to relieve symptoms, whereas pacemaker implantation and atrioventricular node (AVN) ablation is used for rate control when medical therapy fails.

Aims: We investigated temporal trends and patient characteristics in catheter ablation procedures for AF, AFL and AVN in Finland between 2012-2018.

Methods: Finnish AntiCoagulation in Atrial Fibrillation (FinACAF) is a registry-based study including all patients with AF or AFL in Finland between 2012-2018.

Clinical development and proof of principle testing of new regenerative vascular endothelial growth factor-D therapy for refractory angina: rationale and design of the phase 2 ReGenHeart trial.

Background: Despite tremendous therapeutic advancements, a significant proportion of coronary artery disease patients suffer from refractory angina pectoris, that is, quality-of-life-compromising angina that is non-manageable with established pharmacological and interventional treatment options. Adenoviral vascular endothelial growth factor-D (AdVEGF-D)-encoding gene therapy (GT) holds promise for the treatment of refractory angina.

Methods: ReGenHeart is an investigator-initiated, multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled and double-blinded phase 2 clinical trial that aims to study the safety and efficacy of intramyocardially administered angiogenic AdVEGF-D GT for refractory angina.

Vascular disease and ischemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation: Temporal trends and age-related differences.

Background And Aims: We examined temporal trends and age-related differences in the prevalence of vascular diseases and in their association with ischemic stroke (IS) risk in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods: The registry-based FinACAF study covered all patients with AF in Finland during 2007-2018. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of IS were computed with Poisson regression, and the interaction of vascular diseases with age and calendar year period was assessed.

Temporal trends in mortality and causes of death in patients with incident atrial fibrillation: a nationwide register study from 2010 to 2018.

Objectives: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with increased mortality. Previous studies have reported conflicting results in temporal trends of mortality after AF diagnosis. We aim to address this disparity by investigating the 1-year mortality and causes of death in Finnish patients diagnosed with AF between 2010 and 2017.

Cardiac autonomic responses in relation to cognitive workload during simulated military flight.

Understanding the operator's cognitive workload is crucial for efficiency and safety in human-machine systems. This study investigated how cognitive workload modulates cardiac autonomic regulation during a standardized military simulator flight. Military student pilots completed simulated flight tasks in a Hawk flight simulator.

Association between peripheral endothelial function and myocardial perfusion in patients with coronary artery disease.

Aims: Endothelial dysfunction is a systemic disorder and risk factor for atherosclerosis. Our aim was to assess whether there is a relation between peripheral endothelial function and myocardial perfusion in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods And Results: We prospectively studied 54 patients, who had a positive result for obstructive CAD in coronary CT angiography.

Comorbidity and Medication Trends in Chronic Kidney Disease and Incident Atrial Fibrillation: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with an increased incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF). Also, patients with AF are prone to adverse kidney outcomes. We examined comorbidities and medication use in patients with CKD and incident AF.

Thromboembolic and bleeding complications after elective cardioversion of atrial fibrillation: a nationwide cohort study.

Aims: Elective cardioversion (ECV) is routinely used in atrial fibrillation (AF) to restore sinus rhythm. However, it includes a risk of thromboembolism even during adequate oral anticoagulation treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of thromboembolic and bleeding complications after ECV in a real-life setting utilizing data from a large AF population.

Transcriptomic and spatial dissection of human ex vivo right atrial tissue reveals proinflammatory microvascular changes in ischemic heart disease.

Cardiovascular disease plays a central role in the electrical and structural remodeling of the right atrium, predisposing to arrhythmias, heart failure, and sudden death. Here, we dissect with single-nuclei RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomics the gene expression changes in the human ex vivo right atrial tissue and pericardial fluid in ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, and ischemic and non-ischemic heart failure using asymptomatic patients with valvular disease who undergo preventive surgery as the control group. We reveal substantial differences in disease-associated gene expression in all cell types, collectively suggesting inflammatory microvascular dysfunction and changes in the right atrial tissue composition as the valvular and vascular diseases progress into heart failure.