Fat, fib, and forgetfulness: The interplay between adiposity, atrial fibrillation, and dementia.

Atrial Fibrillation, dementia, and obesity are prevalent and interconnected pathologic states with significant morbidity and mortality and increasing global incidence. This review examines the current literature regarding the known and hypothesized relationships between these three conditions, their risk factors, and treatment strategies. We aim to highlight a stepwise and potentially causative interplay between them.

Economics and outcomes of sotalol in-patient dosing approaches in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: There exists variability in the administration of in-patient sotalol therapy for symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF). The impact of this variability on patient in-hospital and 30-day posthospitalization costs and outcomes is not known. Also, the cost impact of intravenous sotalol, which can accelerate drug loading to therapeutic levels, is unknown.

Impact of Catheter Ablation on Stroke, Cognitive Decline and Dementia.

AF has been consistently associated with multiple forms of dementia, including idiopathic dementia. Outcomes after catheter ablation for AF are favourable and patients experience a better quality of life, arrhythmia-free survival, and lower rates of hospitalisation compared to patients treated with antiarrhythmic drugs. Catheter ablation is consistently associated with lower rates of stroke compared to AF management without ablation in large national and healthcare system databases.

Long-term outcomes in patients treated with flecainide for atrial fibrillation with stable coronary artery disease.

Background: Class 1C antiarrhythmic drugs (AAD) have been associated with harm in patients treated for ventricular arrhythmias with a prior myocardial infarction. Consensus guidelines have advocated that these drugs not be used in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). However, long-term data are lacking to know if unique risks exist when these drugs are used for atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with CAD without a prior myocardial infarction.

Predicting mortality in cardiogenic shock secondary to ACS requiring short-term mechanical circulatory support: The ACS-MCS score.

Objective: To identify predictors of 30-day all-cause mortality for patients with cardiogenic shock secondary to acute coronary syndrome (ACS-CS) who require short-term mechanical circulatory support (ST-MCS).

Background: ACS-CS mortality is high. ST-MCS is an attractive treatment option for hemodynamic support and stabilization of deteriorating patients.

Ceramide: a novel inducer for neural tube defects.

Background: Circulating plasma ceramides, a class of bioactive sphingolipids, are elevated in metabolic disorders, including obesity. Infants of women with these disorders are at 2- to 3-fold greater risk for developing a neural tube defect (NTD). This study aimed to test the effects of embryonic exposure to C2-ceramides (C2) during neural tube closure.