Association of Tricuspid Regurgitation With Mortality in Heart Failure With Left-Sided Heart Disease.

Background: Left-sided heart disease is the leading etiology of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) in heart failure (HF); however, the association between different HF phenotypes and the adverse effects of TR remains unclear.

Objectives: The authors aimed to elucidate the association between TR and outcomes across the subtypes of left-sided heart disease in patients hospitalized for HF.

Methods: We analyzed data from the multicenter West Tokyo Heart Failure registry between January 2006 and December 2021.

Associations of the fibrosis-4 index with left atrial low-voltage areas and arrhythmia recurrence after catheter ablation: cardio-hepatic interaction in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Background: The relationship between liver fibrosis and left atrial (LA) remodeling in atrial fibrillation (AF) remains uncertain. We examined the associations between the fibrosis-4 (FIB4) index, an indicator of liver fibrosis, and both LA low-voltage areas (LVAs) on electroanatomic mapping and AF recurrence postablation.

Methods: We recruited 343 patients who underwent radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) or cryoballoon ablation (CBA) for AF.

Utility of short-time electrocardiogram to assess risk for atrial arrhythmia recurrence: Impact of atrial premature beat occurrence 1 day after pulmonary vein isolation for atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: Atrial premature beats (APBs) are the trigger for atrial fibrillation (AF). We sought to investigate the clinical significance of APB occurrence 1 day after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for AF using a short-time electrocardiogram.

Methods: A total of 206 patients undergoing PVI for paroxysmal AF were included.

Left atrial epicardial adipose tissue exacerbates electrical conduction disturbance in normal-weight patients undergoing pulmonary vein isolation for atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) exacerbates both electrical and structural remodeling in obese atrial fibrillation (AF) patients, but the impacts of EAT on atrial arrhythmogenicity remain unclear in normal-weight AF patients. Therefore, we sought to investigate this issue using electroanatomic mapping.

Methods And Results: We enrolled drug-refractory 105 paroxysmal AF patients in the normal body mass index range (18.

Utility of a novel wearable electrode embedded in an undershirt for electrocardiogram monitoring and detection of arrhythmias.

Background: A 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) and Holter ECG have been established as gold standards for detection of arrhythmias. Recently, wearable ECG monitoring devices have been available. Our purpose of the present study was to investigate whether a novel wearable electrode embedded in an undershirt is useful for ECG monitoring and detection of arrhythmias.

Procedural characteristics of pulmonary vein isolation with high-power short-duration setting compared to conventional setting.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of high-power short-duration (HP-SD) ablation compared to conventional ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods: We enrolled consecutive 158 drug-refractory symptomatic AF patients (119 males, mean age 63 ± 10 years) who had undergone first radiofrequency pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). PVI was performed using the conventional setting (20-35 W) in 73 patients (Conventional group) and using the HP-SD setting (45-50 W) in 85 patients (HP-SD group).

Albumin-Bilirubin Score for Prediction of Outcomes in Heart Failure Patients Treated with Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy.

Background: Liver function may be a useful indicator of response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). We aimed to investigate the clinical significance of albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score, an assessment tool of liver function, on outcomes in heart failure (HF) patients treated with CRT.

Methods: We studied 180 patients undergoing CRT.

Predictive impacts of chronic kidney disease and cardiac sympathetic nervous activity on lethal arrhythmic events in chronic heart failure.

Background: The clinical implications of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiac sympathetic nervous activity (CSNA) regarding lethal arrhythmic events have not yet been fully elucidated in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). We hypothesized that the combination of CKD and abnormal CSNA, assessed by I-metaiodobenzylguanidine ( I-MIBG) scintigraphy, may provide useful prognostic information for lethal arrhythmic events.

Methods: We studied 165 consecutive hospitalized CHF patients without dialysis.

Influence of power setting on superior vena cava potential during right pulmonary vein isolation.

Purpose: High-power short-duration (HP-SD) ablation could reduce collateral tissue damage by shortening the conductive heating phase. However, it is difficult to evaluate the transmural effect of ablation lesions during pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) procedures. The present study aimed to evaluate the change in superior vena cava (SVC) potential delay as a surrogate marker of collateral tissue damage during right PVI, which is adjacent to SVC.

Autonomic cardiogastric neural interaction after pulmonary vein isolation in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Purpose: Clinical significance of reduced vagal activity following pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for atrial fibrillation (AF) remains unclear. Periesophageal vagal nerve injury following PVI may be a powerful contributing factor of decreased vagal tone.

Methods: Drug-refractory 51 AF patients (31 males, 64 ± 11 years), who underwent successful PVI, were enrolled.

Visit-to-Visit Blood Pressure Variability Predicts Atrial Fibrillation Recurrence After Pulmonary Vein Isolation in Patients With Hypertension and Atrial Fibrillation.

The impact of preprocedural visit-to-visit blood pressure variability (BPV) on pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) outcome in patients with hypertension (HTN) and atrial fibrillation (AF) remains unclear. This study enrolled 138 AF patients with HTN who underwent successful PVI. Patients were classified into 2 groups, those with AF recurrence (AF-Rec; n=42) and those without AF recurrence (No-AF-Rec; n=96).

The relationship between red cell distribution width and cardiac autonomic function in heart failure.

Background: Both increases in red cell distribution width (RDW) levels and autonomic dysfunction are considered to be correlated with worsening heart failure. However, the relation of RDW levels to autonomic function remains uncertain. We aimed to investigate the association of RDW levels in heart failure with autonomic function, evaluated by heart rate variability (HRV) and heart rate turbulence (HRT), and prognosis.

Clinical impact of long PR-interval and presence of late gadolinium enhancement on hospitalized patients with non-ischemic heart failure.

Background: The combination of electrical and structural remodeling may have a strong effect on the prognosis of non-ischemic heart failure (HF). We aimed to clarify whether prolonged PR-interval and the presence of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) influence the outcomes of patients with non-ischemic HF.

Methods: We studied 262 consecutive hospitalized patients with non-ischemic HF.

Associations of the Prognostic Nutritional Index with the Cardiac Function and Survival after Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy.

Objective The relationship between changes in the nutritional status after cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) and the prognosis has not been fully elucidated. We aimed to evaluate the changes in the nutritional status as assessed by the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and their associations with the improvement in the cardiac function and subsequent clinical outcomes. Methods The study population consisted of 119 patients with a CRT-device.

Sporadic Cardiac Amyloidosis by Amyloidogenic Transthyretin V122I Variant.

Hereditary ATTR amyloid cardiomyopathy is defined as the intramyocardial deposition of amyloid fibrils derived from the mutation of transthyretin (TTR). A 51-year-old man was referred to our hospital for congestive heart failure. He and his family had no past history of heart diseases.

Apolipoprotein B correlates with intra-plaque necrotic core volume in stable coronary artery disease.

Objective: To determine the relationship between plaque composition and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), apolipoprotein B (Apo-B), and Apo-A1 using virtual-histology intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS).

Methods: We assessed plaque composition in patients with stable coronary artery disease (SCD) admitted to our hospital for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between November 1, 2012, and March 10, 2015. Before PCI, fibrous (FI), fibrofatty (FF), necrotic core (NC), and dense calcium (DC) regions were evaluated using VH-IVUS, and the contributions of each to the culprit lesion volume were recorded.