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Aims: To assess the relation between atrial fibrillation (AF) characteristics and health-related quality of life (QoL), and which AF characteristic had the greatest impact. Method: The AF characteristics burden (percentage of time in AF), duration and number of AF episodes/month were obtained from implantable cardiac monitors during the 2-month run-in period in 150 patients included in the randomized CAPTAF trial comparing early ablation and antiarrhythmic drug therapy. The QoL was measured by the General Health and Vitality dimensions of the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey. AF characteristics were analysed continuously and in quartiles (Q1-Q4). Results: Greater AF burden (p = 0.003) and longer AF episodes (p = 0.013) were associated with impaired QoL (Vitality score only) in simple linear regression analyses. Greater AF burden was, however, the only AF characteristic associated with lower QoL, when adjusted for sex, type of AF, hypertension, heart rate above 110 beats per minute during AF, and beta-blocker use in multiple linear regression analyses. For every 10% increase in AF burden there was a 1.34-point decrease of Vitality score (95% confidence interval (CI) −2.67 to −0.02, p = 0.047). The Vitality score was 12 points lower (95% CI −22.73 to −1.27, p = 0.03) in patients with an AF burden > 33% (Q4) versus those with

Background: Data on long-term effects of catheter ablation vs antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and atrial fibrillation (AF) burden are limited., Objective: The study aimed to assess long-term HRQoL and rhythm data in patients with symptomatic AF., Methods: The 75 patients who underwent ablation and 74 receiving AAD in the Catheter Ablation compared with Pharmacological Therapy for Atrial Fibrillation trial were followed for 48 months. The General Health subscale of the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey, time to first AF episode ≥1 hour, and AF burden, recorded by implantable cardiac monitors, were compared., Results: One hundred forty-seven patients completed follow-up, with 7 crossovers in the ablation group and 34 crossovers in the AAD group. General Health improved by ablation from a median of 62 points at baseline to 79.2 points at follow-up (P < .001) and by AAD from a median of 67 to 77 points (P < .001), without treatment differences (P = .77). Time to first AF episode ≥1 hour was longer (median 257 days in the ablation group vs 180 days in the AAD group; P = .025). The cumulative AF burden during follow-up was lower in the ablation group (median 0.3%; interquartile range [IQR] 0%-1.4%) than in the AAD group (1.6%; IQR 0.1%-11.0%) (P = .01). The cumulative reduction in AF burden compared with baseline was greater in the ablation group (median -89.5%; IQR -98.4% to -51.3%) than in the AAD group (-52.7%; IQR -92.6% to 263.6%); P < .001)., Conclusion: HRQoL improvement at long-term did not differ between ablation and AAD groups despite a larger reduction in AF burden after ablation. The results should be interpreted in the light of a high crossover rate in the AAD group., Competing Interests: Disclosures All authors have declared no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Prediction of sudden cardiac death (SCD) after acute coronary syndromes (ACS) remains a challenge. Although electrophysiology measures obtained by 3-D vectorcardiography (VCG) shortly after ACS may be useful predictors of SCD, they have not been adopted into clinical practice. The main objective of our study was to assess whether the VCG-derived QRS-T area angle (between area vectors) and the QRS-T angle (between maximum vectors) have additional value beyond standard risk factors in predicting SCD after ACS., Methods and Results: We studied 643 consecutive ACS patients for whom data on VCG and echocardiography during the index hospitalization were available. Seventy-seven patients (12%) died, 37 (6%) from SCD and 21 (3%) from other cardiac causes during the 30-month follow-up. After adjusting for 9 standard risk factors (age, sex, diabetes, previous stroke, left ventricular ejection fraction; and estimated glomerular filtration rate, heart rate, systolic blood pressure<100mmHg, and Killip class>1 on admission), QRS-T area angle and QRS-T angle were shown to have independent predictive value for both SCD and all cardiac deaths. Reclassification analysis showed that both measures had additional predictive value beyond the 9 standard risk factors. For SCD, net reclassification improvements for QRS-T area angle and QRS-T angle were 46% and 45% and relative integrated discriminative improvements were 16% and 13% (vs the average~11% of the 9 standard risk factors)., Conclusions: The VCG-derived QRS-T area angle and QRS-T angle improved prediction of SCD after ACS beyond standard risk factors. Further evaluation of their clinical utility and cost-effectiveness is therefore warranted., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Prolonged exercise can induce cardiac fatigue, which is characterized by biomarker release and impaired myocardial function. The impact on ventricular electrophysiology is largely unknown., Objective: The objective of this study was to examine changes in ventricular repolarization after a 30-km cross-country race in runners aged >or=55 years., Methods: Fifteen healthy participants (62 +/- 5 years) were assessed using biomarkers (N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide [NT-proBNP], troponin T [TnT]), tissue Doppler echocardiography, and vectorcardiography at baseline, within 1 hour postrace and on days 1 and 6 postrace., Results: During the race, NT-proBNP increased from 42 ng/L (interquartile range 25-117) to 187 ng/L (113-464), and TnT increased from undetectable levels to 0.03 microg/L (0.015-0.05). Global strain (19.1% +/- 2.2%) decreased on day 1 (17.2% +/- 1.8%) and day 6 (17.9% +/- 1.5%; P <.01). QT(c) increased from 431 +/- 15 ms prerace to 445 +/- 22 ms postrace and 445 +/- 15 ms on day 1 (P <.05), mainly because of an increased T(peak-end) interval (prerace 108 +/- 13 ms, postrace 127 +/- 43 ms, day 1 127 +/- 43 ms; P <.05). Postrace, T(area) (baseline 75 +/- 26 microVs) peaked on day 1 (105 +/- 42 microVs) and remained high on day 6 (89 +/- 37 microVs; P <.05). Runners with higher baseline NT-proBNP developed greater impairment of myocardial velocities (rho = -0.68 to -0.54; P <.05) and a larger increase in T(area) (rho = 0.73; P <.01)., Conclusion: Cardiac fatigue induced by prolonged exertion is associated with sustained abnormalities in ventricular repolarization. Runners with higher baseline NT-proBNP are especially liable to such alterations of cardiac function.

Background: Right ventricular apical (RVA) pacing induces electrophysiological and structural remodeling. Cardiac memory (CM) evolves during the course of pacing and is readily apparent on electrocardiography (ECG) or vectorcardiography (VCG) when normal ventricular activation resumes., Objective: This study sought to assess ventricular repolarization (VR) changes during pacing and intermittent normal ventricular conduction by ECG and VCG and to determine the temporal and conformational evolution of CM., Methods: Twenty sick sinus patients received a dual-chamber rate-adaptive (DDD-R) pacemaker and were paced from the RVA endocardium. The pacemakers were programmed to a short AV delay to maximize ventricular preexcitation. The ECG and VCG were recorded before and 1 day after implantation, and then daily for the first week (n=6) or weekly for 5 to 8 weeks (n=14), with the pacemakers temporarily programmed to AAI (normal ventricular activation)., Results: The first parameters to change were T-vector amplitude, T(area), and T(peak)-T(end) (T(p-e)), which decreased within 1 day after initiating pacing. CM became apparent between day 1 and day 3, was fully established after 1 week, and then remained stable. Signs of increased VR heterogeneity were observed as the T loop became more circular (decreased T(egenv)) and distorted (increased T(avplan)), which have previously been observed in conditions with increased risk for arrhythmias. Over weeks, VR duration was prolonged (increased QTc). In contrast, during ventricular pacing, a gradual shortening of the repolarization time was observed, suggesting a stabilizing adaptive process., Conclusion: In sick sinus syndrome patients in whom ventricular pacing is indicated, switching between normal AV conduction and ventricular pacing should be minimized to avoid periods of repolarization instability.

Objective: Three-dimensional characterization of the ventricular repolarization by the T vector and T vector loop morphology in coronary artery disease (CAD), and their response to short-term (no flow) ischemia induced by coronary occlusion during a percutaneous intervention (PCI)., Background: The risk for sudden cardiac death is increased in conditions of acute or permanently heterogeneous ventricular repolarization, for which ischemia is a risk factor., Methods: Fifty-six CAD patients without visible collateral circulation were studied during an elective single-vessel PCI, and 10 healthy controls twice at rest. T vector parameters (Televation, Tazimuth, and QRS-T angle), and T loop parameters (Tarea, Tavplan, and Teigenv) were measured by vectorcardiography. ST vector magnitude (ST-VM) and its change (STC-VM) were used for reference., Results: At rest, T vector loop morphology (Tarea, Teigenv) was significantly different in CAD patients and controls, while T vector angles did not separate the groups. Ischemia induced significant changes in T loop parameters in the entire CAD group, whereas in the LAD subgroup significant changes were seen also in T vector angle. The T loop morphology was significantly different at baseline and a more pronounced response to ischemia (Tarea) was seen in patients with, than in those without, a history of hypertension., Conclusion: T loop morphology, rather than the T vector angle, separated CAD patients from healthy controls. Coronary occlusion had significant impact on ventricular repolarization, as assessed by T vector and morphology analysis, and most prominently in the LAD group. Hypertensive patients appeared especially vulnerable to ischemia.

Fecal fat, bile acid, and neutral sterol excretion and biliary bile acid, phospholipid, and cholesterol were studied in 36 patients 6 to 12 months after jejunoileostomy for obesity. No relationship was observed between the degree of steatorrhea and weight loss, although fecal fat rose sharply in all except 2 patients. Mean neutral sterol excretion in feces was unchanged after operation except in cholecystectomized patients. No relationship could be demonstrated between serum cholesterol decrease and fecal biel acid, which rose 3-fold, or between cholesterol and the sum of fecal fat and neutral sterol. Fecal excretion of cholic and deoxycholic acid together increased more than the total excretion of cxcretion patterns were demonstrable: moderate fecal fat (24 g or less on 65-g intake) was associated with a predominance of secondary bile acids in feces and in bile; high fecal fat (above 24 g/day) was associated with predominantly primary bile acids. A high incidence of gallstones or previous cholecystectomy (36%) was found preoperatively and of 25 patients with normal cholecystograms, four developed stones and five had nonvisualization of gallbladder 6 to 12 months postoperatively. Bile saturation ratio and lithogenic index were not consistently changed postoperatively. No clear cut increase in lithogenic potential or in bile acid (lithocholic acid) hepatotoxic potential after jejunoileostomy was demonstrable.