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Introduction: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection causes a severe respiratory disease with a 3% global mortality. In the absence of effective treatment, controlling of risk factors that predispose to severe disease is essential to reduce coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mortality. Large observational studies suggest that exercise can reduce the risk of all-cause and disease-specific mortality. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of the baseline physical activity level on COVID-19 mortality METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study that included patients between 18 and 70 years old, diagnosed with COVID-19 and hospitalized in our center between February 15 and April 15, 2020. After discharge all the patients included in the study were contacted by telephone. Baseline physical activity level was estimated using the Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity Scale questionnaire and patients were divided into two groups for comparison: sedentary patients (group 1) and active patients (group 2)., Results: During the study period 552 patients were admitted to our hospital and met the inclusion criteria. Global mortality in group 1 was significantly higher than in group 2 (13.8% vs 1.8%; p < 0.001). Patients with a sedentary lifestyle had increased COVID-19 mortality independently of other risk factors previously described (hazard ratio 5.91 (1.80-19.41); p = 0.003)., Conclusion: A baseline sedentary lifestyle increases the mortality of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. This finding may be of great utility in the prevention of severe COVID-19 disease.

Pressure overload and heart failure electrophysiological remodeling (HF-ER) in pigs are associated with decreased conduction velocity (CV) and dispersion of repolarization, which lead to higher risk of ventricular arrhythmia. This work aimed to establish the correlation between QRS complex duration and underlying changes in CV during increased intraventricular pressure (IVP) and/or HF-ER ex-vivo, and to determine whether QRS duration could be sensitive to an acute increase in left ventricular (LV) afterload in-vivo. HF-ER was induced in 7 pigs by high-rate ventricular pacing. Seven weight-matched animals were used as controls. Isolated Langendorff-perfused hearts underwent programmed ventricular stimulation to study QRS complex duration and CV under low/high IVP, using volume-conducted ECG and epicardial optical mapping, respectively. Four additional pigs underwent open-chest surgery to increase LV afterload by partially clamping the ascending aorta, while measuring QRS complex duration during sinus rhythm (SR). In 13 hearts included for analysis, both HF-ER and increased IVP showed significantly slower epicardial CV (-40% and -15%, p < 0.001 and p = 0.004, respectively), which correlated with similar widening of the QRS complex (+41% and +17%, p = 0.005 and p < 0.001, respectively). HF-ER hearts shower larger prolongation of the QRS complex than controls upon increasing the IVP (+21% vs. +12%, respectively. HF-ER*IVP interaction: p = 0.004). QRS complex widened after increasing LV afterload in-vivo (n=3), with correlation between QRS duration and aortic diastolic pressures (R = 0.58, p < 0.001). In conclusion, high IVP and/or HF-ER significantly decrease CV, which correlates with QRS widening on the ECG during ventricular pacing. Increased myocardial wall stress also widens the QRS complex during SR in-vivo., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A 41-year-old man with a history of tachycardia refractory to multiple antiarrhythmic drugs was sent to our institution. His 12-lead electrocardiogram demonstrated incessant narrow QRS complex tachycardia with negative P waves in the inferior leads and long RP interval. Occasionally, the tachycardia terminated after a P wave and then was restarted after a sinusal beat. An EP study was performed during tachycardia. Intracardiac electrograms during tachycardia and response to pacing maneuvers are shown. What is the tachycardia mechanism?

A 74-year-old man underwent an electrophysiological study because of Mobitz type II second-degree atrioventricular (AV) block with narrow QRS and frequent junctional extrasystoles. During the study, there were very frequent single His bundle depolarizations with multiple coupling intervals that reproduce the ECG findings. In this case, some His bundle extrasystoles result in retrograde concealed conduction and prolonged local refractoriness in the AV node that manifest as block of the next atrial impulse., (© 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Results from randomized trials designed to compare cryoenergy with radiofrequency for pulmonary vein (PV) isolation are lacking., Objective: To compare the efficacy of a simplified strategy for PV cryoablation (group C) vs PV isolation with open-irrigated radiofrequency catheters (group R)., Methods: Fifty patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) and 4 independent PVs received a Reveal XT implantable cardiac monitor and were randomized to group C or group R. In group C, PV ablation was done with a single Arctic Front balloon (23 or 28 mm) per patient and two 300-second applications per PV. No further applications were delivered to close residual conduction gaps. In group R, bidirectional PV conduction block was pursued with Lasso and Navistar ThermoCool catheters and the CARTO system. The primary end point was the proportion of patients remaining free from AF recurrences ≥2 minutes without taking antiarrhythmic drugs 12 months after ablation., Results: The primary end point was met by 12 (48%) patients in group C and 25 (68%) patients in group R (odds ratio 0.43; P = .05). This difference disappeared after adjustment for acute procedural outcome. In patients for whom all 4 PVs were blocked at the end of the procedure, there was no difference between group C and group R in the primary end point (67% vs 68%; P = .94)., Conclusions: The efficacy of the simplified strategy for PV cryoablation tested in this study is inferior to PV isolation using open-irrigated radiofrequency catheters with electrophysiological and electroanatomical guidance. Complete PV conduction block is critical to the success of AF ablation., (© 2013 Heart Rhythm Society Published by Heart Rhythm Society All rights reserved.)

Background: The Killip classification categorizes heart failure (HF) in acute myocardial infarction, and has a prognostic value. Although non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) is increasing steadily, little information is available about the prognostic value of low Killip class in this scenario. Our aim was to assess the prognostic value of mild HF in NSTEMI., Methods: 835 patients with NSTEMI between 2005 and 2007 were prospectively recruited. Patients in Killip-1 (K1=684) or Killip-2 class (K2=113) were selected (38, with K>2, excluded). Clinical, angiographic, treatment strategies, and 30-day all-cause mortality, together with other cardiovascular outcomes were recorded., Results: K2 patients were mostly women (K1 27.9% vs K2 48.0%, p<0.001) and older (K1 66.6years vs K2 73.8years, p<0.001) with a higher frequency of diabetes mellitus (p<0.001) and hypertension (p<0.001). Smoking was less frequent in the K2-group (p=0.003). A previous infarction/revascularization history was similar in both groups. The infarction size, assessed by Troponin I/Creatin kinase, did not differ between groups (p=0.378 and p=0.855). Multivessel coronary disease and revascularization procedures were less common in group K2 (p=0.015 and p=0.005 vs group K1, respectively). Patients in K2 had a worse prognosis in terms of maximum Killip class, death and major adverse cardiovascular events (p<0.001). After multivariate analysis, mild HF at presentation was an independent risk factor for mortality (OR=6.50; IC 95%: 2.48-16.95; p<0.001)., Conclusion: Mild HF at presentation in NSTEMI is linked to a poor prognosis, with increased short-term mortality. Thus, a more aggressive approach including early cardiac catheterization and revascularization should be considered., (Copyright (c) 2010 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We report our short-term and mid-term results with sutureless repair of postinfarction subacute left ventricular free wall rupture (LVFWR). For this purpose, we evaluated the short-term and mid-term postoperative results assessed by clinical examination and echocardiography of all patients who underwent surgery for subacute LVFWR between January 2004 and January 2009. Twenty-one patients were operated. Direct suture repair of LVFWR was carried out in only one patient. In all other cases we used a pericardial patch with biological glue. Early mortality was 19% (n=4). The median duration of follow-up was 17.3 months (interquartile range, 5-38.7), with a 13-month survival of 76%. Follow-up echocardiography showed no constriction associated with the rupture zone in any patient. According to our early experience, sutureless LVFWR repair is safe, effective and reproducible, and offers acceptable morbidity and mortality during follow-up.

Introduction and Objectives: The admission plasma glucose (APG) level is a recognized prognostic factor in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, little is known about the prognostic value of the first fasting plasma glucose (FPG) measurement. The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic value of the first FPG measurement relative to that of the APG level in patients with ACS., Methods: The study involved 547 consecutive patients who were admitted to our center with a diagnosis of ACS in 2006. Patients were divided into three groups according to their first FPG or APG level (i.e., <126 mg/dL, 126-200 mg/dL, or >200 mg/dL). The primary endpoint was the combined outcome of death or reinfarction during hospitalization., Results: The primary endpoint was observed in 46 patients, 25 of whom died. Patients in this group were older, were more often diabetics or smokers, more often had had a prior myocardial infarction, were in a higher admission Killip class, showed more than one vessel disease on catheterization, had a lower left ventricular ejection fraction, and had higher admission creatinine, APG, and first FPG levels. Multivariate analysis, adjusted for previously identified factors, revealed that the first FPG level was an independent risk factor for death or reinfarction (126-200 mg/dL, odds ratio [OR]=5.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09-25.45; >200 mg/dL, OR=6.66; 95% CI, 2.05-21.63), but that the APG level was not (126-200 mg/dL, OR=0.84; 95% CI, 0.63-1.05; >200 mg/dL, OR=1.14; 95% CI, 0.29-4.51)., Conclusions: The first FPG level was found to be a better predictor of an adverse outcome (i.e., death or reinfarction) during hospitalization in ACS patients than the APG level.

We report five consecutive patients with transient midventricular dyskinesia, a recently described variant of transient apical dyskinesia. It is a syndrome that shares a broad clinical, prognostic and, probably, pathogenetic resemblance to the latter. The patients, the majority of whom were experiencing an episode of emotional or physical stress, were all admitted to an emergency department with a clinical presentation compatible with acute myocardial infarction. Evidence of dyskinesia or akinesia in midventricular segments was seen on ventriculography. These ventricular abnormalities resolved completely over a short period of time. No coronary artery abnormality was evident in any patient. The existence of this variant shows that segments other than apical ventricular segments, which are affected in takotsubo syndrome, can also undergo reversible change. The occurrence of new variants raises further questions about the relationship between the nervous system, catecholamines and reversible myocardial lesions.