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Introduction: Limited data exist on pulsed‐field ablation (PFA) in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (PeAF) undergoing left atrial posterior wall isolation (LAPWI). Methods: The Advanced TecHnologies For SuccEssful AblatioN of AF in Clinical Practice (ATHENA) prospective registry included consecutive patients referred for PeAF catheter ablation at 9 Italian centers, treated with the FARAPULSETM‐PFA system. The primary efficacy and safety study endpoints were the acute LAPWI rate, freedom from arrhythmic recurrences and the incidence of major periprocedural complications. Patients undergoing pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) alone, PWI + LAPWI and redo procedures were compared. Results: Among 249 patients, 21.7% had long‐standing PeAF, 79.5% were male; mean age was 63 ± 9 years. LAPWI was performed in 57.6% of cases, with 15.3% being redo procedures. Median skin‐to‐skin times (PVI‐only 68 [60−90] vs. PVI + LAPWI 70 [59−88] mins) did not differ between groups. 45.8% LAPWI cases were approached with a 3D‐mapping system, and 37.3% with intracardiac echocardiography. LAPWI was achieved in all patients by means of PFA alone, in 88.8% cases at first pass. LAPWI was validated either by an Ultrahigh‐density mapping system or by recording electrical activity + pacing maneuvers. No major complications occurred, while 2.4% minor complications were detected. During a median follow‐up of 273 [191–379] days, 41 patients (16.5%) experienced an arrhythmic recurrence after the 90‐day blanking period, with a mean time to recurrence of 223 ± 100 days and no differences among ablation strategies. Conclusion: LAPWI with PFA demonstrates feasibility, rapidity, and safety in real‐world practice, offering a viable alternative for PeAF patients. LAPWI is achievable even with a fluoroscopy‐only method and does not significantly extend overall procedural times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The present study aimed to examine longitudinal trends in hospitalizations for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, by reviewing the data from 13 hospitals of the Veneto Region, in the north-east of Italy. Methods: We performed a multicenter, retrospective analysis including all the consecutive patients presenting with ACS and other acute cardiovascular (CV) conditions (defined as heart failure, arrhythmias, cardiac arrest and venous thromboembolism) hospitalized in 13 different hospitals of the Veneto Region covering a population of 2,554,818 inhabitants, during the first (between 15 March 2020 and 30 April 2020) and second (between 15 November 2020 and 30 December 2020) COVID-19 pandemic waves (the 2020 cohort). Data were compared with those obtained at the same time-windows of years 2018 and 2019 (the historical cohorts). Results: Compared to the historical cohorts, a significant decrease in the number of ACS cases was observed in 2020 (−27.3%, p = 0.01 and −32%, p < 0.001, comparing 2018 versus 2020 and 2019 and 2020, respectively). The proportion of patients hospitalized for acute CV conditions decreased during the first and second wave COVID-19 pandemic when compared to the historical cohorts (−36.5%, p < 0.001 and −40.6%, p < 0.001, comparing 2018 versus 2020 and 2019 and 2020, respectively). Pearson's correlation evidenced a significant inverse relationship between the number of COVID-19 cases and both ACS hospital admissions (r = −0.881, p = 0.005) and hospitalizations for acute CV conditions (r = −0.738, p = 0.01), respectively. Conclusions: The decrease in hospitalizations for ACS and other acute CV conditions will strongly affect future patients' management since undiagnosed nonfatal CV events represent a source of increased (and unknown) CV morbidity and mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic disease affecting millions of older adults. We investigated the prevalence of nursing home (NH) residents with COPD and their pharmacologic treatment in relation to the diagnosis of dementia and the prevalence of potentially severe drug-drug interactions (DDIs) of COPD medications with drugs prescribed to treat comorbidities. Retrospective cross-sectional multicentre study. Individuals living in long-term care NHs. This cross-sectional cohort study was conducted in a sample of Italian long-term care NHs located throughout the country. Information on drug prescriptions, diseases, and sociodemographic characteristics was collected using medical records between 2018 and 2020. Potentially severe DDIs were analyzed using INTERCheck, developed by the Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS. Among the 2604 residents living in 27 NHs (mean age 86.4 ± 8.5 years; women 1995, 76.6%; number of drugs 7.3 ± 3.6), 306 had a diagnosis of COPD (11.8%) and 84 (27.5%) of them were treated with at least 1 medication for COPD (27.5%). Those without dementia had a higher prevalence of drugs for COPD than those with dementia (48% vs 20%, P <.0001). The most used classes for COPD were adrenergics in combination with corticosteroids (16.7%) and inhalant anticholinergics (14.7%). Among those receiving medications for COPD, 45 had at least 1 potentially severe DDI with medications for comorbidities (53.6%) and most of them were associated with an increased risk of QTc prolongation, as beta2 agonists with diuretics, antipsychotics or antidepressants. Most NH residents with COPD did not receive any medication for this disease despite the potential benefits. Residents with dementia received fewer COPD medications probably because of their compromised physical and cognitive status. One-half of the NH residents taking medication for COPD were exposed to an increased risk of QTc prolongation and torsades de pointe because of pharmacodynamic DDIs with medication for comorbidities. Close monitoring of electrocardiograms for NH residents with COPD is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The usefulness of opportunistic arrhythmia screening strategies, using an electrocardiogram (ECG) or other methods for random "snapshot" assessments is limited by the unexpected and occasional nature of arrhythmias, leading to a high rate of missed diagnosis. We have previously validated a cardiac monitoring system for AF detection pairing simple consumer-grade Bluetooth low-energy (BLE) heart rate (HR) sensors with a smartphone application (RITMIA™, Heart Sentinel srl, Italy). In the current study, we test a significant upgrade to the above-mentioned system, thanks to the technical capability of new HR sensors to run algorithms on the sensor itself and to acquire, and store on-board, single-lead ECG strips. We have reprogrammed an HR monitor intended for sports use (Movensense HR+) to run our proprietary RITMIA algorithm code in real-time, based on RR analysis, so that if any type of arrhythmia is detected, it triggers a brief retrospective recording of a single-lead ECG, providing tracings of the specific arrhythmia for later consultation. We report the initial data on the behavior, feasibility, and high diagnostic accuracy of this ultra-low weight customized device for standalone automatic arrhythmia detection and ECG recording, when several types of arrhythmias were simulated under different baseline conditions. Conclusions: The customized device was capable of detecting all types of simulated arrhythmias and correctly triggered a visually interpretable ECG tracing. Future human studies are needed to address real-life accuracy of this device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In Italy, a nationwide full lockdown was declared between March and May 2020 to hinder the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. The potential individual health effects of long‐term isolation are largely unknown. The current study investigated the arrhythmic consequences of the COVID‐19 lockdown in patients with defibrillators (ICDs) living in the province of Ferrara, Italy. Methods: Both the arrhythmias and the delivered ICD therapies as notified by the devices were prospectively collected during the lockdown period (P1) and compared to those occurred during the 10 weeks before the lockdown began (P2) and during the same period in 2019 (P3). Changes in outcome over the three study periods were evaluated for significance using McNemar's test. Results: A total of 413 patients were included in the analysis. No differences were found concerning either arrhythmias or shocks or anti‐tachycardia pacing. Only the number of patients experiencing non‐sustained ventricular tachycardias (NSVTs) during P1 significantly decreased as compared to P2 (p = 0.026) and P3 (p = 0.009). The subgroup analysis showed a significant decrease in NSVTs during P1 for men (vs. P2, p = 0.014; vs. P3, p = 0.040) and younger patients (vs. P2, p = 0.002; vs. P3, p = 0.040) and for ischemic etiology (vs. P2, p = 0.003). No arrhythmic deaths occurred during P1. Conclusions: The complete nationwide lockdown, as declared by the Italian government during the first COVID‐19 pandemic peak, did not impact on the incidence of arrhythmias in an urban cohort of patients with ICDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linac‐based STereotactic Arrhythmia Radioablation (STAR) is a safety and effective approach for selected patients with ventricular arrhythmias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) have never been systematically investigated in patients with myocarditis at different stages.Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare baseline and follow-up characteristics of VAs in patients with active myocarditis (AM) versus previous myocarditis (PM).Methods: A total of 185 consecutive patients (69% males, age 44 ± 15 years, left ventricular ejection fraction 49 ± 14%) with myocarditis and VA at index hospitalization, including ventricular fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia (VT), nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT), and Lown's grade ≥2 premature ventricular complexes, were enrolled. AM and PM groups were defined based on endomyocardial biopsy and cardiac magnetic resonance findings. A subset of patients (n = 46, 25%) also underwent electroanatomic mapping and VA transcatheter ablation.Results: At presentation, AM patients (n = 123, 66%) more commonly had ventricular fibrillation (8 cases vs. 0 cases; p = 0.053), and both irregular (61% vs. 11%; p < 0.001) and polymorphic VA (NSVT and VT: 19% vs. 2%; p = 0.002; premature ventricular complexes: 63% vs. 16%; p < 0.001). Only in PM patients with NSVT or VT, the dominant morphology (right-bundle branch block with superior axis) was 100% predictive of abnormal LV inferoposterior substrate at both cardiac magnetic resonance and electroanatomic mapping. At 27 ± 7 months prospective follow-up, 55 patients (30%) experienced malignant VA (AM vs. PM, p = 0.385). Although a prevalence of polymorphic and irregular VA was confirmed in AM patients with persistent inflammation in follow-up (58%), a predominance of monomorphic and regular VA was found in AM patients after myocarditis healing (42%), as well as in PM patients (all p < 0.001).Conclusions: In myocarditis patients, polymorphic and irregular VA are more common during the active inflammatory phase, whereas monomorphic and regular VA are associated with healed myocarditis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) refers to a broad spectrum of disabilities, in infants and children, resulting from moderate to excessive prenatal alcohol exposure. Significant associations with alcohol exposure were already reported with congenital structural heart defects: i.e. ventricular septal defects, atrial septal defects, conotruncal defects. Cases presentation: We describe two cases of children with FASD, both admitted to the Center for Rare Diseases and Birth Defects of Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, in whom asymptomatic cardiac rhythm alterations were detected in absence of structural cardiovascular system anomalies or cardiac channelopathies. Conclusions: No other reports about cardiac rhythm anomalies in individuals affected by FASD are actually available from the literature. We would like to make an alert for clinician, given the possibility of finding anomalies of heart conduction and rhythm in children affected by FASD even without structural congenital heart disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Administrative healthcare databases are useful and inexpensive tools that can provide a comprehensive assessment of the burden of diseases in terms of major outcomes, such as mortality, hospital readmissions, and use of healthcare resources. However, a crucial issue is the reliability of information gathered. The aim of this study was to validate ICD-9 codes for several major cardiovascular conditions, i.e., acute myocardial infarction (AMI), atrial fibrillation/flutter (AF), and heart failure (HF), in order to use them for epidemiological, outcome, and health services research. Methods: Data from the centralised administrative database of the Umbria Region (890,000 residents, located in Central Italy) were considered. Patients with a first hospital discharge for AMI, AF/flutter, and HF, between 2012 and 2014, were identified using ICD-9-CM codes in primary position. A sample of cases and non-cases was randomly selected, and the corresponding medical charts reviewed by specifically trained investigators. For each disease, case ascertainment was based on all clinical, laboratory, and instrumental examinations available in medical charts. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), were calculated. Results: We reviewed 458 medical charts, 128 for AMI, 127 for AF/flutter, 127 for HF, and 76 of non-cases for each condition. Diagnostic accuracy measures of the original discharge diagnosis were as follows. AMI: sensitivity 98% (95% CI, 94–100%), specificity 91% (95% CI, 83–97%), positive predictive value (PPV) 95% (95% CI, 89–98%), negative predictive value (NPV) 97% (95% CI, 91–100%). AF/flutter: sensitivity 95% (95% CI, 90–98%), specificity 95% (95% CI, 87–99%), PPV 97% (95% CI, 92–99%), NPV 92% (95% CI, 84–97%). HF: sensitivity 96% (95% CI, 91–99%), specificity 90% (95% CI, 81–96%), PPV 94% (95% CI, 88–97%), NPV 93% (95% CI, 85–98%). Conclusion: The case ascertainment for AMI, AF and flutter, and HF, showed a high level of accuracy (≥ 90%). The healthcare administrative database of the Umbria Region can be confidently used for epidemiological, outcome, and health services research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia worldwide and in recent years the pharmacological approach has been strongly implemented; in Italy, the prescription of the non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOAC) was also extended to General Practitioners (GPs) since 2020. The aim of the present study was to investigate the GPs prescribing behaviour of NOACs. An observational study was performed by using the computerized medical record of 14 GPs in Sicily: patients affected by AF were selected and stratified according to the prescribed antithrombotic drugs. Patients were considered inadequately managed if antithrombotic treatment was not adherent to recent ESC guidelines. A total of 467 (2.7 %) patients were affected by AF, 276 (59.1 %) were treated with an oral anticoagulant (OAC) regardless the high stroke risk (OR 1.64; 95 %CI 0.74–3.62; p = 0.226). The NOAC users were 236 patients as follow: Rivaroxaban 33.5 %, Apixaban 33,1 %, Dabigatran 17,4 %, Edoxaban 16.1 %. In 7 patients an inappropriate NOAC treatment was observed. Among Vitamin-K antagonist users, 25.0 % were considered inappropriate. Patients not treated with OAC were 191, of them 81.7 % were at high stroke risk and did not receive any OAC despite the indication to treat. In addition, the probability to be not properly managed significantly increased in older and in patients with atherosclerosis. Conversely, patients with at least one reported cardiology counselling significantly reduced the likelihood to be not properly managed (OR 0.38, 95 %CI 0.25–0.58; p 0.01). Our results suggest the need to optimize the management of real-life AF patients by improving prescribing adherence to ESC guidelines. [Display omitted] • Among 467 AF patients 191 were not treated with OAC and 81.7 % of them required OAC. • High stroke risk did not influence the probability of oral anticoagulant treatment. • Patients treated with NOACs were 236, of them 7 had inappropriate prescriptions. • Patients not managed in accordance with the EHRA/ESC guidelines were 173 (37.0 %). • Cardiological counselling improved the management of AF patients [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In this work, we propose an ontology-driven approach to identify events and their attributes from episodes of care included in medical reports written in Italian. For this language, shared resources for clinical information extraction are not easily accessible.Materials and Methods: The corpus considered in this work includes 5432 non-annotated medical reports belonging to patients with rare arrhythmias. To guide the information extraction process, we built a domain-specific ontology that includes the events and the attributes to be extracted, with related regular expressions. The ontology and the annotation system were constructed on a development set, while the performance was evaluated on an independent test set. As a gold standard, we considered a manually curated hospital database named TRIAD, which stores most of the information written in reports.Results: The proposed approach performs well on the considered Italian medical corpus, with a percentage of correct annotations above 90% for most considered clinical events. We also assessed the possibility to adapt the system to the analysis of another language (i.e., English), with promising results.Discussion and Conclusion: Our annotation system relies on a domain ontology to extract and link information in clinical text. We developed an ontology that can be easily enriched and translated, and the system performs well on the considered task. In the future, it could be successfully used to automatically populate the TRIAD database. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The study aimed to fill existing knowledge gaps on the safety of antidepressant drugs (ADs) by estimating the risk of hospitalization for arrhythmia associated with use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and newer atypical ADs (NAAs) among elderly with previous cardiovascular (CV) events. Methods: The cohort was composed by 199,569 individuals aged ≥ 65 years from five Italian healthcare territorial units who were discharged for cardiovascular outcomes in the years 2008-2010. The 17,277 patients who experienced hospital admission for arrhythmia during follow-up were included as cases. Odds of current ADs use among cases (i.e., 14 days before hospital admission) was compared with (i) odds of current use of 1:5 matched controls (between-patients case-control) and with (ii) odds of previous use during 1:5 matched control periods (within-patient case-crossover). The risk of arrhythmia associated with ADs current use was modelled fitting a conditional logistic regression. A set of sensitivity analyses was performed to account for sources of systematic uncertainty. Results: Current users of SSRIs and NAAs were at increased risk of arrhythmia with case-control odds ratios (OR) of 1.37 (95% confidence interval, CI 1.18 to 1.58) and 1.41 (1.16 to 1.71) and case-crossover OR of 1.48 (1.20 to 1.81) and 1.72 (1.31 to 2.27). An increased risk of arrhythmia was associated with current use of trazodone (NAA) consistently in case-control and case-crossover designs. Conclusions: Evidence that current use of SSRIs and NAAs is associated to an increased risk of arrhythmia among elderly with CV disease was consistently supplied by two observational approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Short QT syndrome (SQTS) is a rare and life-threatening arrhythmogenic syndrome characterized by abbreviated repolarization. Hydroquinidine (HQ) prolongs the QT interval in SQTS patients, although whether it reduces cardiac events is currently unknown.Objectives: This study investigated whether long-term treatment with HQ reduces the occurrence of life-threatening arrhythmic events (LAE) (cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac death) in SQTS patients.Methods: In this cohort study on consecutive SQTS patients, 2 analyses were performed: 1) a matched-period analysis for the occurrence of LAE in 17 SQTS patients who received long-term HQ; and 2) a comparison of the annual incidence of LAE off- and on-HQ in 16 SQTS patients who survived a cardiac arrest.Results: A total of 17 patients (82% male, age 29 ± 3 years, QTc before treatment 331 ± 3 ms) received HQ therapy (584 ± 53 mg/day). Therapy was stopped in 2 cases (12%) due to gastrointestinal intolerance, and 15 patients continued treatment for 6 ± 1 year. QTc prolongation was observed in all patients (by 60 ± 6 ms; p < 0.001). We compared the occurrence of LAE during 6 ± 1 years before and after HQ, observing that patients on HQ experienced a reduction in both the rate of LAE from 40% to 0% (p = 0.03) and the number of LAE per patient from 0.73 ± 0.3 to 0 (p = 0.026). Furthermore, the annual rate of LAE in the 16 patients with a previous cardiac arrest dropped from 12% before HQ to 0 on therapy (p = 0.028).Conclusions: We demonstrated for the first time that treatment with HQ was associated with a lower incidence of LAE in SQTS patients. These data point to the importance that quinidine, that in several countries has been removed from the market, remains available worldwide for patients with SQTS. In the present study, therapy with HQ has been proven to be safe, with a relatively low rate of side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: After regulatory restrictions for terfenadine and astemizole in '90s, only scarce evidence on proarrhythmic potential of antihistamines has been published. We evaluate the risk of ventricular tachyarrhythmia (VA) related to the use of individual antihistamines. Methods: A matched case-control study nested in a cohort of new users of antihistamines was conducted within the EU-funded ARITMO project. Data on 1997-2010 were retrieved from seven healthcare databases: AARHUS (Denmark), GEPARD (Germany), HSD and ERD (Italy), PHARMO and IPCI (Netherlands) and THIN (UK). Cases of VA were selected and up to 100 controls were matched to each case. The odds ratio (OR) of current use for individual antihistamines (AHs) was estimated using conditional logistic regression. Results: For agents largely used to prevent allergic symptoms, such as cetirizine, levocetirizine, loratadine, desloratadine and fexofenadine, we found no VA risk. A statistically significant, increased risk of VA was found only for current use of cyclizine in the pooled analysis (ORadj, 5.3; 3.6-7.6) and in THIN (ORadj, 5.3; 95% CI, 3.7-7.6), for dimetindene in GEPARD (ORadj, 3.9; 1.1-14.7) and for ebastine in GEPARD (ORadj, 3.3; 1.1-10.8) and PHARMO (ORadj, 4.6; 1.3-16.2). Conclusions: The risk of VA associated with a few specific antihistamines could be ascribable to heterogeneity in pattern of use or in receptor binding profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Risk stratification in asymptomatic patients remains by far the most important yet unresolved clinical problem in the Brugada syndrome (BrS).Objectives: This study sought to analyze the usefulness of electrocardiographic parameters as markers of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in BrS.Methods: This study analyzed data from 347 consecutive patients (78.4% male; mean age 45 ± 13.1 years) with spontaneous type 1 BrS by ECG parameters but with no history of cardiac arrest (including 91.1% asymptomatic at presentation, 5.2% with a history of atrial fibrillation [AF], and 4% with a history of arrhythmic syncope). Electrocardiographic characteristics at the first clinic visit were analyzed to predict ventricular fibrillation (VF)/SCD during follow-up.Results: During the follow-up (48 ± 38 months), 276 (79.5%) patients remained asymptomatic, 39 (11.2%) developed syncope, and 32 (9.2%) developed VF/SCD. Patients who developed VF/SCD had a lower prevalence of SCN5A gene mutations (p = 0.009) and a higher prevalence of positive electrophysiological study results (p < 0.0001), a family history of SCD (p = 0.03), and AF (p < 0.0001). The most powerful marker for VF/SCD was a significant S-wave (≥0.1 mV and/or ≥40 ms) in lead I. In the multivariate analysis, the duration of S-wave in lead I ≥40 ms (hazard ratio: 39.1) and AF (hazard ratio: 3.7) were independent predictors of VF/SCD during follow-up. Electroanatomic mapping in 12 patients showed an endocardial activation time significantly longer in patients with an S-wave in lead I, mostly because of a significant delay in the anterolateral right ventricular outflow tract.Conclusions: The presence of a wide and/or large S-wave in lead I was a powerful predictor of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias in patients with BrS and no history of cardiac arrest at presentation. However, the prognostic value of a significant S-wave in lead I should be confirmed by larger studies and by an independent confirmation cohort of healthy subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Serum uric acid (SUA) may contribute to the increased cardiovascular damage through direct injury to the endothelium and alteration of cardiovascular function. Aim: To evaluate the association of SUA with the presence of the most recurrent electrographic alterations and with the length of the main ECG intervals in a large sample of general population. Methods: For this study, on the database of the Brisighella Heart Study, we evaluated the available data of 790 men and 849 women, excluding subjects affected by gout or taking antihyperuricemic agents, those taking drug increasing the QT interval and those using beta-blockers or non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers at the moment of the ECG registration. Multiple ascending stepwise regression analyses were carried out to determine the independent predictors of the predefined ECG alterations. Results: The prevalence of predefined ECG alterations was comparable between genders, with the exception of sinus bradicardia, left-anterior fascicular block, atrio-ventricular blocks and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), which appeared to be more frequent in men. The multivariate analysis revealed that SUA was associated to ischaemic alterations, LVH, sinus tachycardia and tachyarrhytmias. Age was associated to all evaluated ECG alterations beyond sinus tachycardia and LVH. Male sex was associated to sinus bradicardia, atrio-ventricular blocks, anterior-left fascicular block and LVH. Blood pressure was associated to different ECG alterations, but with clinically relevant OR with ischaemic alterations and LVH. Conclusion: SUA level is related the prevalence of both organic and rhythm ECG alterations in a wide sample of general population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Frequency and severity of cardiac involvement in DM2 are still controversial. The aims of our study were to determine the frequency and progression of cardiac and muscle involvement in a relatively large cohort of patients with DM2 throughout Italy and Germany and to provide long-term outcomes in this disorder. Methods: 104 DM2 and 117 DM1 patients underwent baseline and follow-up assessments of, ECG, 24h Holter monitoring, 2D echocardiography and electrophysiological study (EPS) when appropriate, and manual muscle strength testing (mean follow-up: 7.4±4.1 for DM2 and 5.7±4years for DM1). Results: Overall, 10% of DM2 patients vs 31% of DM1 patients had PR≥200ms and 17% of DM2 patients vs 48% of DM1 patients had QRSD≥100ms. Six patients with DM2 vs 28 patients with DM1 required PM/ICD implantations. DM2 patients were stronger than DM1 patients at baseline, but muscle strength worsened significantly over time (p<0.0001), just as in DM1, although at a slower annual rate. Conclusion: Our data demonstrate that the frequency and severity of cardiac involvement and of muscle weakness are reduced in DM2 compared to DM1 and that progression is slower and less severe. Nonetheless, careful cardiac evaluation is recommended in this patient population to identify patients at risk for potential major cardiac arrhythmias. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Pre-cordial thump (PT) relies on cardiac mechano-electric transduction to transform mechanically-delivered energy into an electrophysiologically relevant stimulus. Its use for emergency resuscitation has declined recent years, amidst concerns about effectiveness and side-effects. In addition, there is insufficient knowledge about bio-mechanical properties and mechanisms of PT. Using a PT-mechanics recorder, we measured PT off-patient among healthcare professionals (n = 58) in North-East Italy, and related this to retrospective information on self-reported PT outcomes. Impact-speed and peak-force were 4.7 ± 1.3 m s−1 (2.2–7.8 m s−1) and 394 ± 110 N (202–648 N), respectively. Average self-reported cardioversion rate by PT was 35%. No adverse events were stated. All but 3 of PT providers with self-reported cardioversion rates ≥50% had pre-impact fist-speeds of ≥3.7 m s−1. In comparison with previously-reported data from UK and US (n = 22 each), self-reported success-rates and pre-impact fist-speeds were more similar to US (PT-induced cardioversion rate 27.7%; fist-speed 4.17 ± 1.68 m s−1) than to UK participants (PT-induced cardioversion rate 13.3%; fist-speed 1.55 ± 0.68 m s−1). Small cohort-size, retrospective nature of data-gathering, and ‘self-selection bias’ (participants who have used PT on patients) limits the extent to which firm conclusions can be drawn. Observations are compatible, though, with the possibility that pre-impact fist-speed may affect success-rate of PT. Thus, where PT is used for acute resuscitation, it is delivered because it is immediately ‘at hand’. Negative side effects are rare or absent in witnessed cardiac arrest cases. Pre-impact fist-speed may be a determinant of outcome, and this could be trained using devices suitable for self-assessment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

MVI Block vs Trigger Ablation in PMFL. Introduction: Patients with previous ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) may experience recurrence of perimitral flutter (PMFL). These arrhythmias are usually triggered from sources that may also induce AF. This study aims at determining whether ablation of triggers or completing mitral valve isthmus (MVI) block prevents more arrhythmia recurrences. Methods and Results: Sixty-five patients with recurrent PMFL after initial ablation of long standing persistent AF were included in this study. Thirty-two patients were randomized to MVI ablation only (Group 1) and 33 were randomized to cardioversion and repeat pulmonary vein (PV) isolation plus ablation of non-PV triggers (Group 2). MVI bidirectional block was achieved in all but 1 patient from Group 1. In Group 2, reconnection of 17 PVs was detected in 14 patients (42%). With isoproterenol challenge, 44 non-PV trigger sites were identified in 28 patients (85%, 1.57 sites per patient). At 18-month follow-up, 27 patients (84%) from Group 1 had recurrent atrial tachyarrhythmias, of whom 15 remained on antiarrhythmic drug (AAD); however, 28 patients from Group 2 (85%, P < 0.0001 vs Group 1) were free from arrhythmia off AAD. The ablation strategy used in Group 2 was associated with a lower risk of recurrence (hazard ratio = 0.10, 95% CI 0.04-0.28, P < 0.001) and an improved arrhythmia-free survival (log rank P < 0.0001). Conclusion: In patients presenting with PMFL after ablation for longstanding persistent AF, MVI block had limited impact on arrhythmia recurrence. On the other hand, elimination of all PV and non-PV triggers achieved higher freedom from atrial arrhythmias at follow-up. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 23, pp. 137-144, February 2012) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents several abstracts which will be presented at the Venice Arrhythmias 2011 conference, which will be held on October 9-12, 2011 in Venice, Italy, including one on zero-fluoroscopy catheter ablation of the cavotricuspid isthmus, one on ablation with an innovative hexapolar linear ablation catheter and one on the outcome of an atrial flutter patient who underwent successful radiofrequency ablation.

In 1982 a nationwide program of pre-participation screening including 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG) was launched in Italy. The aim of this article is to examine whether this 25-year screening program should be considered a valid and advisable public health strategy. The analysis of data coming from the long-running Italian experience indicates that ECG screening has provided adequate sensitivity and specificity for detection of potentially lethal cardiomyopathy or arrhythmias and has led to substantial reduction of mortality of young competitive athletes by approximately 90%. Screening was feasible thanks to the Italian Health System, which is developed in terms of health care and prevention services, and because of the limited costs of cardiovascular evaluation in the setting of a mass program. On the basis of current scientific evidence the implementation of a mass-screening program aimed to prevent athletic-field sudden cardiac death should be at least carefully considered by public health administrators worldwide. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objectives: Empirical-Bayes adjustment was used to investigate the effects of antibacterials on risk of arrhythmia in a large cohort study based upon automated record linkage. Study Design and Setting: The Prescription Drug Database of the Varese Province, Italy, was used to form a population-based cohort of patients who received at least one prescription of antibacterials for systemic use. All cohort members were followed-up from the beginning of each antibacterial therapeutic cycle up to 60 days afterward, identifying the first prescription of an antiarrhythmic drug and/or the first admission for arrhythmia. Standardized incidence ratios for eight classes of antibacterials, as well as for the specific antibacterial drugs, were estimated using both conventional methods and empirical-Bayes (EB) adjustment. Results: Using EB adjustment, overall precision was greatly enhanced compared to the conventional analysis. Statistical evidence of drug-induced dysrhythmic events was found for 17 drugs mostly belonging to Macrolides and Quinolones. Strongest proarrhythmic effects were found for Ciprofloxacin (standardized incidence ratio [SIR]: 1.98; 95% CI: 1.67, 2.34) and Erythromycin (SIR: 1.91; 95% CI: 1.20, 2.88). Conclusion: Empirical-Bayes may mitigate some problems inherent the conventional analysis. Macrolides and Quinolones were associated with the highest number of positive signals of dysrhythmic events. This requires further investigation by other types of epidemiologic studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The purpose of this paper is twofold: on the one hand, to confirm the positive results on n-3 PUFA from the overall results Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Sopravvivenza nell'Infarto Miocardico (GlSSI)-Prevenzione trial; on the other, to summarize and describe how the results of an important trial can help generate hypotheses either on mechanisms of action or on differential results in particular subgroups of patients, as well as test the pathophysiological hypotheses that have accompanied in the years the story of the hypothesized mechanisms of action of a drug. GISSI-Prevenzione was conceived as a pragmatic population trial on patients with recent myocardial infarction and it was conducted in the framework of the Italian public health system. In GISSI-Prevenzione, 11,323 patients were enrolled in a clinical trial aimed at testing the effectiveness of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and vitamin E. Patients were invited to follow Mediterranean dietary habits, and were treated with up-to-date preventive pharmacological interventions. Long-term n-3 PUFA at 1 g daily, but not vitamin E at 300 mg daily, was beneficial for death and for combined death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and stroke. All the benefit, however, was attributable to the decrease in risk for overall (-20%), cardiovascular (-30%), and sudden death (-45%). At variance from the orientation of a scientific scenario largely dominated by the "cholesterol-heart hypothesis", GISSI-Prevenzione results indicate n-3 PUFA (virtually devoid of any cholesterol-lowering effect) as a relevant pharmacological treatment for secondary prevention after myocardial infarction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on the 13th edition of VeniceArrhythmias to be held in Venice, Italy on October 27-29, 2013.

Abstract: Objective: To examine resident and facility characteristics associated with hospitalization in a cohort of Italian older nursing home residents. Design: A longitudinal observational study. Setting: The nursing homes participating in the U.L.I.S.S.E. study, a project evaluating the quality of care for older persons in Italy. Setting Participants: Nursing home residents in 31 Italian nursing homes. Measurement: Each resident underwent a comprehensive geriatric assessment at baseline, and after 6 months and 1 year by means of the RAI MDS 2.0. Facility characteristics were collected using an ad hoc designed questionnaire. Hospitalizations were self-reported by facilities. Results: A total of 170 (11.6%) of 1466 nursing home residents were admitted to the hospital at least once during the study period. Female gender and higher physician, nurse, and nursing assistant hours per resident were predictive of a lower probability to be admitted to the hospital, whereas a diagnosis of arrhythmia, a previous urinary tract infection, and polypharmacy were associated with a higher probability of being hospitalized. Conclusion: These findings suggest that a reduction of hospitalization of nursing home residents could be achieved by providing an adequate amount of care and optimizing the management of chronic diseases and polypharmacy. This hypothesis should be tested in future clinical trials. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]