Journal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology最新文献

Background: Slow activation areas, characterized by decreased conduction velocities in the left atrium, are commonly observed in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (PeAF). However, it remains unclear whether the ablation of slow activation areas combined with pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) improves clinical outcomes in these patients.

Methods: This single-center retrospective study included patients who underwent catheter ablation for PeAF. A total of 78 consecutive patients were included in the PVI + SAA group, while another 78 patients who underwent PVI with/without the roof line, matched 1:1 by propensity score, served as the control group. Slow activation area was defined as ≥ 4 10 ms-step isochrones within 10 mm distance. The endpoint was AF recurrence, atrial flutter, or atrial tachycardia (AT) lasting > 30 s after the blanking period.

Results: The mean mapping time was 10 ± 3 min in the PVI + SAA group. Slow activation areas were identified in 37 of the 78 patients, predominantly located in the anterior wall and often overlapping with the low-voltage areas. The proportion of atrial arrhythmia-free patients was significantly higher in the PVI + SAA group compared to the PVI group (Log-rank P = 0.024; hazard ratio [HR]: 0.40; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.19-0.85). Subgroup analysis showed no significant difference in AT/AF recurrence rates between patients who underwent additional ablation of slow activation area and those without identified slow activation areas in the PVI + SAA group (Log-rank P = 0.73; HR: 1.20; 95% CI: 0.42-3.42).

Conclusions: Slow activation areas can be efficiently identified using isochronal mapping. Targeted ablation of slow activation areas helps reduce AT/AF recurrence in patients with PeAF.

Background: The relationship between premature ventricular contractions (PVC) and right ventricular (RV) function is not widely known. Left ventricular (LV) dysfunction due to PVC is known as PVC-induced cardiomyopathy (PIC) and suppressing the PVC substrate would improve LV function. The effect of PVC ablation on changes in RV function in patients with subtle RV subclinical dysfunction remains unknown.

Objective: Understanding the alterations in RV function parameters after PVC ablation.

Method: Basic and speckle-tracking echocardiography has been performed on 42 individuals with symptomatic idiopathic outflow tract PVC before and 1 month after a successful ablation.

Result: At the baseline of the study, there were 26 patients with RV subclinical dysfunction and 16 patients without RV dysfunction. Patients with RV subclinical dysfunction exhibited significantly higher PVC burden and QRS complex duration than those with normal RV function (p < 0.05). A PVC burden ≥ 21% (OR 9.11, 1.54-53.87, p = 0.015) and a QRS complex duration ≥ 138 ms (OR 5.74, 1.07-30.90, p = 0.042) were independently associated with RV subclinical dysfunction. In both groups, measurements of RV subclinical function before and after ablation, specifically by free wall longitudinal strain (FWLS) and global longitudinal strain (GLS), demonstrated significant changes. These improvements were more pronounced in the group with RV dysfunction (FWLS 9.7 ± 4.0, p < 0.001; GLS 7.5 ± 4.2, p < 0.001). Lower initial FWLS and GLS before ablation emerged as significant parameters in the multivariate analysis for the improvement of RV function post-ablation.

Conclusion: Patients with RV subclinical dysfunction had higher PVC burden and wider QRS duration. Patients with idiopathic outflow tract PVC with RV subclinical dysfunction may experience improvements in RV function after successful PVC ablation.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with adverse remodeling of the left atrium (LA). The impact of the extent of atrial myopathy and post-ablation remodeling on quality-of-life (QoL) outcomes has not been studied.

Objective: The aim of our study was to investigate the association between atrial myopathy and post-ablation remodeling on quality-of-life outcomes in patients with persistent AF.

Methods: We conducted an analysis of DECAAF II participants who underwent late-gadolinium enhancement MRI (LGE-MRI) before and after AF ablation. We assessed atrial myopathy and post-ablation atrial remodeling, scar formation, and fibrosis coverage with ablation. QoL metrics were assessed using the Short Form Survey (SF-36) and Atrial Fibrillation Severity Scale (AFSS). Uni- and multivariable regression models were developed for this analysis.

Results: Six hundred thirteen patients with persistent AF were included in our analyses. At baseline, AFSS burden and total AFSS score were 18.94 ± 7.35 and 12.24 ± 8.17, respectively. Following ablation, all QoL and AFSS metrics improved in both the pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) and MRI-guided fibrosis ablation groups. On average, one unit of post-ablation reduction in left atrial volume index (LAVI) was associated with an improvement of 0.085 in total AFSS score (p = 0.001), 0.01 in shortness of breath with activity (p < 0.001), 0.15 in AF burden (p < 0.001), - 0.016 in global well-being (p = 0.018), 0.519 in health change (p < 0.001), 0.19 in vitality (vitality (p = 0.01), and 0.27 in physical functioning (p = 0.001). Baseline fibrosis and residual fibrosis post-ablation were associated with improved vitality and general health.

Conclusion: Atrial myopathy and post-ablation atrial remodeling significantly impact QoL in patients with persistent AF undergoing ablation.

Background: Atrioventricular node ablation (AVNA) and pacemaker implantation enhance prognosis in heart failure patients experiencing rapid ventricular response due to atrial fibrillation. This meta-analysis assessed the clinical benefits of various pacing modalities following AVNA.

Methods: The electrophysiological endpoint was defined as QRS duration, while the echocardiographic endpoint was the change in left ventricular ejection fraction. Secondary endpoints included pacing threshold, mortality rates, and improvements in the 6-min walk test.

Results: This meta-analysis of 13 studies involving 1257 patients suggested that His bundle pacing (HBP) and left bundle branch area pacing (LBBAP) conferred an advantage in narrowing QRS duration compared to biventricular pacing (BVP) (HBP vs BVP OR = - 59.05, 95%CI = - 73.12 to - 44.97; LBBAP vs BVP OR = - 48.64, 95%CI = - 64.05 to - 33.24). The findings of echocardiographic endpoints suggested that LBBAP and HBP emerged as the optimal strategies over RVP (vs HBP OR = - 7.59, 95%CI = - 11.85 to - 3.32; vs LBBAP OR = - 6.58, 95%CI = - 12.08 to - 1.07). LBBAP reduced all-cause mortality compared to BVP (OR = 0.10, 95%CI = 0.01-0.78); however, no significant differences in all-cause mortality were observed between LBBAP and HBP. The pacing threshold of LBBAP was significantly lower than HBP (OR = - 0.40, 95%CI = - 0.57 to - 0.23).

Conclusion: LBBAP not only demonstrated superior clinical outcomes regarding mortality compared to ventricular pacing strategies, but also was associated with a lower pacing threshold than HBP, thereby indicating its potential advantage over HBP in patients undergoing AVNA and subsequent pacemaker implantation.

Background: To determine differences in baseline characteristics and outcomes of leadless pacemaker implantation based on sex.

Methods: For the purpose of this study, data were extracted from the National Inpatient Sample database for years 2016-2020. The study group was then stratified based on sex. Baseline characteristics and in-hospital outcomes including complications were then analyzed in each group. Multivariable logistic regression models were created to analyze the association of sex with important outcomes of mortality, major complications (defined as pericardial effusion requiring intervention and any vascular complication), prolonged length of stay (defined as > 6 days), and increased cost of hospitalization (defined as median cost > 34,098$) after leadless pacemaker implantation.

Results: A total of 29,000 leadless pacemakers (n in women = 12,960, 44.7%) were implanted during our study period. Women were found to have an increased burden of co-morbidities as compared to men. In the adjusted analysis, the likelihood of mortality (aOR 1.27, 95% CI 1.14-1.43), major complications (aOR 1.07, 95% CI 0.98-1.18), prolonged length of stay (aOR 1.09, 95% CI 1.04-1.15), and increased hospitalization cost (aOR 1.14, 95% CI 1.08-1.20) were higher in women as compared to men after leadless pacemaker implantation.

Conclusion: Important and significant differences exist in leadless pacemaker implantation in women as compared to men. These findings highlight the need for evaluating etiologies behind such differences with a goal of improving outcomes in all patients after leadless pacemaker implantation.