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Some drugs prolong the QT interval, which can be fatal in the presence of other risk factors. In the 3040 forensic autopsy cases that underwent toxicological analysis over the past five years, in which no certain cause of death could be identified, at least one drug with QT interval prolonging potential was detected in 188 individuals (6%). Risk factors for cardiac events, incl. a history of drug and/or alcohol abuse (45%), pathological cardiovascular changes (66%), and more than one QT-prolonging drug (64%) pointed toward fatal arrhythmic events resulting from the drug, of which antipsychotics were the most prevalent in our cohort., (© 2024. Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature.)

Purpose: To determine the prevalence and incidence of electrocardiographic abnormalities (EKG-abn)., Material and Methods: Design. 2 stage study: 1st: descriptive cross-sectional, 2nd: prospective cohort., Location: 28 urban primary health centers in Barcelona city area., Participants: The study population was composed by patients who had participated in the population based ARTPER multicentric study. This study has two phases where each patient had one EKG, physical examination and blood test to obtain the secondary variables. The available EKG from both phases were reviewed, achieving a total of 2,727 patients with EKG. 601 (22%) individuals with CV disease were excluded. A total of 2.126 patients were studied of whom 392 (18%) had 2 EKG, one at each phase. Mean measurements. The association between the presence of EKG-abn and explanatory variables was performed using multivariate logistic regression, obtaining odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (95%CI)., Results: 58% women and average age 66years. 32% (95%CI: 30%-34%) (n=671) presented EKG-abn of whom 60% (n=402) were minor and 40% (n=269) major disorders. The most common EKG-abn were the conduction disturbances. EKG-abn were associated with males (OR: 1.7; 95%CI: 1.4-2.1) and patients older than 65 (OR: 1.6; 95%CI: 1.4-2.0). Among the 345 people without EKG-abn at baseline and with 2 available EKG, 71 showed an EKG-abn at the second EKG (incidence in 4.7years of 21% (95%CI: 16%-25%)., Conclusion: EKG abnormalities are common in healthy general population. EKG-abn are more common in male and elderly patients., (Copyright © 2024 Sociedad Española de Médicos de Atención Primaria (SEMERGEN). Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Data on implants of cardiac pacing systems in Spain in 2023 are presented., Methods: The registry is based on the information provided by centers to the recording platform of the Heart Rhythm Association after device implantations, through Cardiodispositivos, the online platform of the National Registry. Other information sources include: a) data transfers from the manufacturing and marketing industry; b) the European pacemaker patient card; and c) local databases submitted by the implanting centers., Results: In 2023, 112 hospitals participated in the registry (30 more than in 2022). A total of 24 343 device implantations were reported (48.1% more than in 2022) compared with 45 120 reported by Eucomed (European Confederation of Medical Suppliers Associations). Of these, 1646 were cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemakers. The devices showing the largest increases were leadless pacemakers, with 963 devices implanted, representing an 18.1% increase over 2022. The most frequent indication was atrioventricular block followed, for the first time, by atrial tachyarrhythmia with slow ventricular response. The number of devices included in remote monitoring also increased (cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators, 71%; cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemakers, 63%; and conventional pacemakers, 28%), although more moderately., Conclusions: In 2023, there was an increase in the number of institutions participating in the registry. The reporting of device implantations rose by 48.1%, and the implantation of leadless pacemakers grew by 18.1%. Remote monitoring also experienced modest growth compared with previous years., (Copyright © 2024 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence of likely pathogenic or pathogenic variants and assess the diagnostic yield from genetic testing for cardiac arrhythmias in Norway since 2003. Data from 1991 probands and 2782 relatives were retrospectively collected from the laboratory information management system at Unit for Cardiac and Cardiovascular Genetics, Oslo University hospital. Of 1991 probands, 57.4% were females, age at genetic testing was 33.1 (±22.7) years, and 32.5% were under the age of 18. A likely pathogenic or pathogenic variant (including 14 novel) was detected in 15.4% in total. Of the 2782 relatives, 53.7% were females, age at genetic testing was 35.6 (±22.5) years, 27.3% were under the age of 18, and 45.3% carried the family variant. Probands and relatives combined, 1/3356 persons in the Norwegian population were heterozygous for an arrhythmia-causing variant. The founder variant p.Q530X (NM_000218.2: c.1588C>T) in KCNQ1 accounted for 34% of all variants in Norway. In conclusion, genetic testing provided a genetic basis of the arrhythmia in 15.4% of the probands. Familial cascade screening identified four times as many variant-positive relatives, allowing early detection and prompt stratification of arrhythmic risk of those variant carriers., (© 2024 The Author(s). Clinical Genetics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Study Objective: Although a prolonged heart rate-corrected QT interval (QTcI) is associated with an increased risk of mortality in the general population, its prognostic value in surgical patients remains unclear. We aimed to examine whether preoperative QTcI prolongation predicts short-term postoperative outcomes in elderly patients undergoing noncardiac surgery., Design: The study was a retrospective analysis using the TriNetX network database., Setting: Operating room., Intervention: Assessment and categorization of preoperative QTcI., Patients: Data of patients aged ≥65 years who underwent non-cardiac surgery between 2010 and 2023 were analyzed., Measurements: Patients were categorized into four groups based on preoperative QTcI: long (500-600 ms), borderline (460-500 ms), high-normal (420-460 ms) and control (370-420 ms) groups. The groups were compared using a propensity score-matched analysis. The primary outcome was the all-cause 90-day mortality risk. The secondary outcomes included 90-day risks of postoperative new-onset atrial fibrillation (Af), ventricular arrhythmias (VAs), emergency visits, hospital readmissions, and pneumonia., Results: In total, data on 519,929 patients were collected in this study. Pairwise comparisons showed that all QTcI prolongation groups demonstrated a heightened incidence of postoperative mortality, arrhythmias, and other complications compared to the control group. Patients with a long QTcI had a 3-fold higher risk of mortality (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.124, p < 0.001), Af (HR = 3.059, p < 0.001), and VAs (HR = 3.617, p < 0.001) than controls. The risks of emergency visits (HR = 1.287, p < 0.001), hospital readmissions (HR = 1.591, p < 0.001), and pneumonia (HR = 1.672, p < 0.001) were also higher in the long QTcI group than in the control group. A dose-dependent response was evident between QTcI and mortality as well as arrhythmia risk., Conclusion: Preoperative QTcI screening effectively risk-stratifies elderly surgical patients, with a QTcI≥500 ms being strongly predictive of short-term postoperative mortality and other complications. Incorporating QTcI assessment into the preoperative evaluation may guide perioperative monitoring and management., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Studies exploring predictors of arrhythmias in the population primarily hospitalized for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) are scarce. Understanding this is crucial for risk stratification and appropriate management., Methods: Using the 2020 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database, we identified primary admissions for COVID-19. A 'greedy neighbor' 1:1 propensity-score matching (PSM) accounted for baseline differences. Then, multivariable logistic regression models were employed to account for confounders and estimate the probability of arrhythmia., Results: There were a total of 1,058,815 admissions for COVID-19 (mean age 64.3 years ±16.8), 47.2% female, 52.5% (107698) White, 18.5% (37973) Blacks, and 20.7% (42,447) Hispanics. Atrial fibrillation was the most prevalent arrhythmia, 15.1% (31,942). After PSM, 166,405 arrhythmia hospitalizations were matched to 166,405 hospitalizations without arrhythmia. Sick sinus syndrome 4.9 (4.4-5.5), dyslipidemia 1.2 (1.2-1.3), cardiac arrest 1.3 (1.1-1.4), invasive mechanical ventilation 1.9 (1.8-2.0) and obesity 1.3 (1.2-1.4), (p<0.0001, all) were all independent predictors of arrhythmias., Conclusions: Our analysis revealed a notable proportion of hospitalized COVID-19 patients with arrhythmias. Dyslipidemia, obesity, sick sinus syndrome, invasive mechanical ventilation, and cardiac arrest were independent predictors of arrhythmias., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

This study aimed to analyze the incidence, clinical characteristics, and risk factors of moxifloxacin-related arrhythmias and electrocardiographic alterations in hospitalized patients using real-world data. Concurrently, a nomogram was established and validated to provide a practical tool for prediction. Retrospective automatic monitoring of inpatients using moxifloxacin was performed in a Chinese hospital from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2021, to obtain the incidence of drug-induced arrhythmias and electrocardiographic alterations. Propensity score matching was conducted to balance confounders and analyze clinical characteristics. Based on the risk and protective factors identified through logistic regression analysis, a prediction nomogram was developed and internally validated using the Bootstrap method. Arrhythmias and electrocardiographic alterations occurred in 265 of 21,711 cases taking moxifloxacin, with an incidence of 1.2%. Independent risk factors included medication duration (odds ratio [OR] 1.211, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.156-1.270), concomitant use of meropenem (OR 4.977, 95% CI 2.568-9.644), aspartate aminotransferase >40 U/L (OR 3.728, 95% CI 1.800-7.721), glucose >6.1 mmol/L (OR 2.377, 95% CI 1.531-3.690), and abnormally elevated level of amino-terminal brain natriuretic peptide precursor (OR 2.908, 95% CI 1.640-5.156). Concomitant use of cardioprotective drugs (OR 0.430, 95% CI 0.220-0.841) was a protective factor. The nomogram showed good differentiation and calibration, with enhanced clinical benefit. The incidence of moxifloxacin-related arrhythmias and electrocardiographic alterations is in the range of common. The nomogram proves valuable in predicting the risk in the moxifloxacin-administered population, offering significant clinical applications., (© 2024, The American College of Clinical Pharmacology.)

As cannabis use is rising and federal restrictions are easing, it is important to recognize its potential adverse cardiovascular effects for better risk stratification and informed guidance. We conducted a retrospective study using the National Inpatient Sample database from 2016 to 2019, where 39,992 subjects were enrolled. The extracted population was classified into two groups based on the presence of cannabis-related disorders. The primary outcomes of the study were cardiovascular-related adverse events, in-hospital mortality, total cost of hospitalization, and cardiac dysrhythmias. The study concluded that cannabis use disorder was not significantly associated with the likelihood of having a cardiovascular adverse event, cardiac dysrhythmias, or with the cost of hospitalization when controlling for other variables (p = 0.257, p=0.481 & p = 0.481, respectively). However, it was significantly associated with the likelihood of mortality (p < 0.0001). Further randomized trials are needed to confirm these findings and elaborate on identified associations., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objectives: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies investigating the diagnostic value of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) features for arrhythmic risk stratification in mitral valve prolapse (MVP) patients., Materials and Methods: EMBASE, PubMed/MEDLINE, and CENTRAL were searched for studies reporting MVP patients who underwent CMR with assessment of: left ventricular (LV) size and function, mitral regurgitation (MR), prolapse distance, mitral annular disjunction (MAD), curling, late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), and T1 mapping, and reported the association with arrhythmia. The primary endpoint was complex ventricular arrhythmias (co-VAs) as defined by any non-sustained ventricular tachycardia, sustained ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, or aborted sudden cardiac death. Meta-analysis was performed when at least three studies investigated a CMR feature. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42023374185., Results: The meta-analysis included 11 studies with 1278 patients. MR severity, leaflet length/thickness, curling, MAD distance, and mapping techniques were not meta-analyzed as reported in < 3 studies. LV end-diastolic volume index, LV ejection fraction, and prolapse distance showed small non-significant effect sizes. LGE showed a strong and significant association with co-VA with a LogORs of 2.12 (95% confidence interval (CI): [1.00, 3.23]), for MAD the log odds-ratio was 0.95 (95% CI: [0.30, 1.60]). The predictive accuracy of LGE was substantial, with a hierarchical summary ROC AUC of 0.83 (95% CI: [0.69, 0.91]) and sensitivity and specificity rates of 0.70 (95% CI: [0.41, 0.89]) and 0.80 (95% CI: [0.67, 0.89]), respectively., Conclusions: Our study highlights the role of LGE as the key CMR feature for arrhythmia risk stratification in MVP patients. MAD might complement arrhythmic risk stratification., Clinical Relevance Statement: LGE is a key factor for arrhythmogenic risk in MVP patients, with additional contribution from MAD. Combining MRI findings with clinical characteristics is critical for evaluating and accurately stratifying arrhythmogenic risk in MVP patients., Key Points: MVP affects 2-3% of the population, with some facing increased risk for arrhythmia. LGE can assess arrhythmia risk, and MAD may further stratify patients. CMR is critical for MVP arrhythmia risk stratification, making it essential in a comprehensive evaluation., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The characteristics of electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities related to cardiac channelopathies potentially linked to sudden cardiac death (SCD) are not widely recognized in Iran. We examined the prevalence of such ECG patterns and their related factors among adult residents of Tehran, Iran., Methods: The clinical characteristics and 12-lead ECGs of Tehran Cohort Study participants were examined. Long QT intervals, short QT intervals, Brugada syndrome (BrS) patterns, and early repolarization (ER) were evaluated using computer-based assessment software validated by cardiologists. Logistic regression models were employed to identify the factors associated with the prevalence of different ECG patterns., Results: Out of 7678 available ECGs, 7350 were included in this analysis. Long QT interval, ER pattern, BrS patterns, and short QT interval were found in 3.08%, 1.43%, 0.31%, and 0.03% of participants, respectively. The prevalence of long QT interval increased with age, opium consumption, and presence of hypertension. Younger age, lower body mass index (BMI), alcohol use and male sex were independently linked to an elevated prevalence of ER pattern. Most individuals with BrS patterns were men (95%) and had lower BMI, high- and low-density lipoprotein, and total cholesterol compared to those without the BrS pattern. At a mean follow-up of 30.2 ± 5.5 months, all-cause mortality in the group exhibiting abnormal ECG patterns (6.3%) was approximately twice as high as that in the group without such patterns (2.96%)., Conclusion: Abnormal ECG patterns corresponding to channelopathies were relatively rare among adult residents of the Tehran population, and their prevalence was influenced by various factors., Clinical Trial Number: Not applicable., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Hawthorn special extract WS 1442 has beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system. Experimental studies have shown an antiarrhythmic effect of the substance. In the present study, we investigated antiarrhythmic effects of WS 1442 compared with magnesium/potassium in a large collective of outpatients. Using the IQVIA Disease Analyzer (DA) database, we included 4550 patients with a prescription of WS 1442 and 4550 matched patients with Tromcardin prescriptions (all registered products under the trademark Tromcardin that are magnesium and potassium supplementing foods for special medical purposes) who were followed for 5 years after the index date. The incidence of various cardiac arrhythmias (atrial fibrillation and flutter (AFF), tachycardia, and other cardiac arrhythmias) was recorded. Cox regression models were used to evaluate the potential association between both drugs and arrhythmias. The cumulative incidence of atrial fibrillation and flutter was significantly lower among patients with a prescription of WS 1442 compared to patients with magnesium/potassium prescriptions (10.8% vs. 16.4%, p < 0.001). WS 1442 prescription was significantly associated with a lower incidence of atrial fibrillation and flutter compared to magnesium/potassium (HR 0.71; 95% CI 0.64-0.80; p < 0.001). The cumulative incidence of tachycardia was significantly lower in the WS 1442 group compared to the magnesium/potassium group (8.3% vs. 9.4%, p < 0.001), similarly, the cumulative incidence of other cardiac arrhythmias was significantly lower among patients with WS 1442 compared to patients with magnesium/potassium (10.2% vs. 14.8%, p < 0.001). This study showed that in a large collective of outpatients, intake of hawthorn special extract WS 1442 was associated with a significantly lower incidence of atrial fibrillation, tachycardia, and other cardiac arrhythmias compared to magnesium/potassium, indicating its potential in treating and preventing such conditions., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Aims: Sports-related physical activity is associated with an increased risk of ventricular dysfunction and arrhythmias in patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). However, there are currently no standardized strategies for activity assessment. Thresholds for harmful levels of physical activity suggested by previous studies vary substantially and neither lifetime activity burden nor continuous modelling approaches were considered., Methods and Results: For this single-centre retrospective study, ARVC patients were interviewed to assess sports-related and non-sports-related physical activity between the age of 10 years and the last follow-up. Activity data were aggregated to the median metabolic equivalent of task-hours (METh) per week for each year. The association between cumulative physical activity burden and clinical study endpoints was investigated using Cox regression models. A total of 124 patients (median age: 39.5 years, 48% male) were included in the analysis, of whom 93 had been diagnosed with definite ARVC. Study participants reported a median overall activity of 202.3 METh/week, with 38.7 METh/week attributed to sports-related activity. In the continuous model, cumulative overall activity burden was associated with the occurrence of symptomatic heart failure [hazard ratio (HR) per 100 METh/week: 1.017, 95% CI (1.003, 1.032), P = 0.015], sustained ventricular tachycardia [HR: 1.021, 95% CI (1.006, 1.037), P = 0.007], and implantable cardioverter defibrillator interventions [HR: 1.017, 95%CI (1.000, 1.034), P = 0.048]. This finding was consistent when considering sports-related activity separately as a predictor variable, whereas the resulting hazard ratios did not show a significant association for non-sports-related physical activity., Conclusion: This study demonstrates for the first time that cumulative physical activity as a continuous predictor variable is associated with symptomatic heart failure and arrhythmic risk in ARVC patients. Collaborative research is required in larger cohorts to investigate the influence of potential confounders on event occurrence and to develop threshold recommendations for clinical practice., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: none declared., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Background: A nomogram is a visualized clinical prediction models, which offer a scientific basis for clinical decision-making. There is a lack of reports on its use in predicting the risk of arrhythmias in trauma patients. This study aims to develop and validate a straightforward nomogram for predicting the risk of arrhythmias in trauma patients., Methods: We retrospectively collected clinical data from 1119 acute trauma patients who were admitted to the Advanced Trauma Center of the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University between January 2016 and May 2022. Data recorded included intra-hospital arrhythmia, ICU stay, and total hospitalization duration. Patients were classified into arrhythmia and non-arrhythmia groups. Data was summarized according to the occurrence and prognosis of post-traumatic arrhythmias, and randomly allocated into a training and validation sets at a ratio of 7:3. The nomogram was developed according to independent risk factors identified in the training set. Finally, the predictive performance of the nomogram model was validated., Results: Arrhythmias were observed in 326 (29.1%) of the 1119 patients. Compared to the non-arrhythmia group, patients with arrhythmias had longer ICU and hospital stays and higher in-hospital mortality rates. Significant factors associated with post-traumatic arrhythmias included cardiovascular disease, catecholamine use, glasgow coma scale (GCS) score, abdominal abbreviated injury scale (AIS) score, injury severity score (ISS), blood glucose (GLU) levels, and international normalized ratio (INR). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) values for both the training and validation sets exceeded 0.7, indicating strong discriminatory power. The calibration curve showed good alignment between the predicted and actual probabilities of arrhythmias. Decision curve analysis (DCA) indicated a high net benefit for the model in predicting arrhythmias. The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test confirmed the model's good fit., Conclusion: The nomogram developed in this study is a valuable tool for accurately predicting the risk of post-traumatic arrhythmias, offering a novel approach for physicians to tailor risk assessments to individual patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors have seen and approved the final version of the manuscript being submitted. The authors declare that there were no conflicts of interest concerning the work contained herein., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Aim: COVID-19 has been associated with cardiovascular complications including ventricular arrhythmias (VA) and an increased number of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. Nevertheless, several authors described a decrease of VA burden in patients with an implantable defibrillator (ICD) during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this study was to determine if these observations could be transferred to later periods of the pandemic as well., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed a total of 1674 patients with an ICD presenting in our outpatient clinic during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and during a control period for the occurrence of VA requiring ICD interventions., Results: Seven hundred ninety-five patients with an ICD had a device interrogation in our ambulatory clinic during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to eight hundred seventy-nine patients in the control period. There was significant higher amount of adequate ICD therapies in the course of the COVID-19 period. Thirty-six patients (4.5%) received in total eighty-five appropriate ICD interventions during COVID-19, whereas only sixteen patients (1.8%) had sustained VA in the control period (p = 0.01)., Conclusion: In contrast to the first wave of COVID-19, which was characterized by a decrease or least stable number of ICD therapies in several centers, we found a significant increase of VA in ICD patients during the second wave of COVID-19. Possible explanations for this observation include higher infectious rates, potential cardiac side effects of the vaccination as well as personal behavioral changes, or reduced utilization of medical services., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objective: Real-world data on cardiopulmonary events among pregnant women receiving β-agonist therapy are scarce. In the present study, we aimed to examine the absolute and relative risks of maternal cardiopulmonary events associated with the use of β-agonist ritodrine during pregnancy., Methods: By linking Taiwan's National Birth Certificate Application Database with National Health Insurance data, 1 831 564 pregnancies at ≥20 weeks' gestation were identified. Age-standardized incidence rates of cardiopulmonary events among pregnant women exposed to ritodrine were estimated. Nested case-control analyses were conducted to evaluate the relative risk of pulmonary edema, heart failure, and arrhythmia associated with prior ritodrine use. Cases and controls were matched using risk set sampling, and adjusted odds ratios were estimated using conditional logistic regression models., Results: A total of 189 cases of pulmonary edema, 126 cases of heart failure, and 162 cases of arrhythmia were identified (corresponding age-standardized incidence rates: 20.90, 8.35, and 16.63 per 100 000 among pregnant women only exposed to oral ritodrine; 91.28, 36.01, and 14.61 per 100 000 among those ever exposed to intravenous ritodrine). Exposure to oral ritodrine was associated with a lower increased risk of pulmonary edema (aOR 1.76; 95% CI: 1.12-2.76) and arrhythmia (2.21; 1.47-3.32) whereas exposure to ritodrine injection was associated with a significantly higher risk of pulmonary edema (10.56; 6.39-17.45), arrhythmia (4.15; 1.99-8.64), and heart failure (5.58; 2.27-13.74)., Conclusions: Pregnant women receiving intravenous ritodrine therapy had higher cardiopulmonary risks and should be intensively monitored. While the relative risk associated with oral ritodrine is not pronounced, it should be used judiciously among pregnant women as well., (© 2024 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.)

Background: The association between alcohol consumption and the risk of sudden cardiac death and/or fatal ventricular arrhythmia remains controversial., Objective: We analyzed the association between alcohol consumption, genetic traits for alcohol metabolism, and the risk of sudden cardiac death and/or fatal ventricular arrhythmia., Methods: We identified 397,164 individuals enrolled between 2006 and 2010 from the UK Biobank database and followed them until 2021. Alcohol consumption was categorized as current nondrinkers (nondrinkers and ex-drinkers), mild drinkers, moderate drinkers, or heavy drinkers. Genetic traits of alcohol metabolism were stratified according to the polygenic risk score tertiles. The primary and secondary outcomes were a composite of sudden cardiac death and fatal ventricular arrhythmia as well as their individual components., Results: During follow-up (median 12.5 years), 3543 cases (0.89%) of clinical outcomes occurred. Although mild, moderate, and heavy drinkers showed deceased risks of outcomes compared with current nondrinkers, there was no prognostic difference among nondrinkers, mild drinkers, moderate drinkers, and heavy drinkers. Ex-drinkers showed an increased risk in univariate analysis, but the significance was attenuated after adjusting covariates (hazard ratio 1.19; 95% confidence interval 0.94-1.50). As a continuous variable, alcohol consumption was not associated with clinical outcomes (hazard ratio 1.01; 95% confidence interval 0.99-1.02). Consistent with these findings, there was no association between genetic traits for alcohol metabolism and the risk of clinical outcomes., Conclusion: Alcohol consumption was neither a protective factor nor a risk factor for sudden cardiac death or fatal ventricular arrhythmia. Genetic traits of alcohol metabolism were not associated with the clinical prognosis., Competing Interests: Disclosures Dr Choi received research grants from Bayer, BMS/Pfizer, Biosense Webster, Chong Kun Dang, Daiichi-Sankyo, Samjin Pharmaceutical, Sanofi-Aventis, Seers Technology, Skylabs, and Yuhan. The other authors have nothing to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Pre-eclampsia (PE), a pregnancy-induced hypertensive disorder, affects 4-5% of pregnancies worldwide. It is well known that hypertension is associated with an increased risk of arrhythmias; however, data on the association between PE and arrhythmias are sparse., Methods and Results: In this observational cohort study, we identified all primiparous women who gave birth in Denmark (1997-2016) using Danish nationwide registries. The women were stratified on whether they developed PE during primiparous pregnancy and followed from primiparous pregnancy to incident arrhythmia, emigration, death, or end of study (31 December 2018). A total of 523 271 primiparous women with a median age of 28 years were included, and 23 367 (4.5%) were diagnosed with PE. During a median follow-up of 10.1 years, women with and without PE were associated with a higher incidence of arrhythmias (1.42 vs. 1.02%): (i) composite of cardiac arrest, ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation, or implantable cardioverter defibrillator implantation [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.60, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.14-2.24], (ii) composite of advanced second- or third-degree atrioventricular block, sinoatrial dysfunction, or pacemaker implantation [adjusted HR 1.48 (95% CI 0.97-2.23)], (iii) composite of supraventricular tachyarrhythmias or extra systoles [adjusted HR 1.34 (95% CI 1.19-1.51)], and (iv) composite of all the above-mentioned arrhythmias [adjusted HR 1.37 (95% CI 1.23-1.54)]., Conclusion: Pre-eclamptic women were associated with a significantly and at hitherto unknown long-term increased rate of arrhythmias. This finding suggests that women with PE may benefit from cardiovascular risk assessment, screening, and preventive education., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: none declared., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Electrical storms (ESs) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients pose a significant challenge, affecting prognostic outcomes and increasing mortality. This meta-analysis synthesized data from 11 studies involving 9,666 AMI patients to identify risk factors associated with ES following PCI. Our findings revealed an average ES incidence of 7.70%, with identified risk factors including low thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grades (0-1), elevated cardiac troponin I levels, persistent hypotension, reperfusion arrhythmias, the right coronary artery being the infarct-related artery, increased diameter of the infarct-related artery, renal dysfunction, elevated creatine kinase-MB, and bradycardia. Notably, the use of β-blockers was found to significantly reduce the risk of ES. The study underscores the importance of early identification and management of these risk factors in AMI patients undergoing PCI to prevent the occurrence of ES, highlighting the protective role of β-blockers. This research provides a foundation for future strategies aimed at reducing the incidence and improving the prognosis of ES in this patient population.

Introduction: Tricyclic antidepressants often cause drug-induced QRS complex prolongation in overdose but are now less commonly prescribed. We sought to determine, among a contemporary cohort of patients, the pharmaceuticals independently associated with QRS complex prolongation in acute overdose., Methods: We performed secondary analysis of data from the Toxicology Investigators Consortium (ToxIC) Core Registry. We included adult patients presenting from January 2016 through March 2023 with acute or acute-on-chronic pharmaceutical exposures. The primary outcome was QRS complex prolongation >0.12 s. Secondary outcomes included cardiac arrest, death, ventricular dysrhythmia, intensive care unit admission, initiation of vasopressors, and treatment with sodium bicarbonate. We used a multivariable logistic regression model with QRS complex prolongation as the outcome and individual pharmaceuticals of interest as independent variables. We assessed yearly trends of the contribution of relevant pharmaceuticals to QRS complex prolongation since 2016., Results: Of 11,945 patients in the total cohort (median age 37 years, 6,652 [55.7%] female), 366 (3.1%) developed QRS complex prolongation. Of 9,417 patients included in the model, 290 (3.1%) developed QRS complex prolongation. Amitriptyline, nortriptyline, doxepin, imipramine, noxiptiline, bupropion, flecainide, carvedilol, propranolol, diphenhydramine, and lamotrigine poisonings were independent predictors of QRS complex prolongation. Flecainide poisoning conferred the greatest odds of QRS complex prolongation (OR 574.1; 95% CI: 88.3-12,747). The contribution of tricyclic antidepressants to QRS complex prolongation decreased from 38.8% to 17.6% of all patients with QRS complex prolongation from 2016 to 2022. In 2022, the proportion of QRS complex prolongation from diphenhydramine (20.6%) surpassed that of tricyclic antidepressants., Discussion: This study provides insights into contemporary pharmaceutical poisoning associated with QRS complex prolongation. Tricyclic antidepressants remain clinically relevant exposures but are no longer the most common cause of drug-induced QRS complex prolongation., Conclusions: Bupropion, diphenhydramine, and antidysrhythmics are increasingly common causes of QRS complex prolongation, each associated with numerous severe outcomes in poisoning. Greater safety measures to protect patients from cardiovascular toxicity from these pharmaceuticals are warranted.

Objectives: To prospectively assess rates of QT prolongation, arrhythmia, syncope, and sudden cardiac death (SCD) in a cohort of people with heroin dependence., Methods: To estimate rates of QT prolongation, arrhythmia, and syncope, a subcohort (n = 130) from the Australian Treatment Outcomes Study, a prospective longitudinal cohort study of 615 people with heroin dependence, underwent medical history, venepuncture, and ECG at the 18- to 20-year follow-up.To estimate rates of SCD, probabilistic matching for the entire cohort was undertaken with the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare National Death Index. Deaths were classified into suicide, accidental overdose, trauma, unknown, and disease, which were then further subclassified by probability of SCD. SCD rate was the number of possible or probable SCDs divided by total patient years from the cohort., Results: From the subcohort, 4 participants (3%) met the criteria for QT prolongation; 3 were prescribed methadone. Seven participants (5%) reported history of arrhythmia, including 2 transferred from methadone to buprenorphine. Thirty participants (23%) reported a previous syncopal event-14 diagnosed as nonarrhythmic syncope and 13 not investigated. In the previous 12 months, 66 participants (51%) reported heroin use; 55 participants (42%) were prescribed methadone. No participant had QTc greater than 500 milliseconds.There were 3 possible SCDs, translating to an estimated SCD rate of 0.29 (CI: 0.05, 0.8) events per 1000 patient years. More cohort members died of overdose (n = 50), suicide (n = 11), and hepatitis C (n = 4)., Conclusions: Low rates of QT prolongation, arrhythmia, syncope, and SCD in the cohort despite high rates of heroin use and methadone treatment., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: We have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 American Society of Addiction Medicine.)

Background: Cardiac comorbidities are common in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). While there is an abundance of research showing an association between cardiac abnormalities and poor postoperative outcomes, relatively little is published on specific pathologies. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of cardiac arrhythmias on postoperative outcomes in the setting of TKA., Methods: This retrospective cohort study included all patients undergoing TKA from a national database, from 2016 to 2019. Patients who had cardiac arrhythmias were identified via International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, and Clinical Modification/Procedure Coding System codes and served as the cohort of interest. Multivariate regression was performed to compare postoperative outcomes. Gamma regression was performed to assess length of stay and total charges, while negative binomial regression was used to assess 30-day readmission and reoperation. Patient demographic variables and comorbidities, measured via the Elixhauser comorbidity index, were controlled in our regression analysis. Out of a total of 1,906,670 patients, 224,434 (11.76%) had a diagnosed arrhythmia and were included in our analyses., Results: Those who had arrhythmias had greater odds of both medical (odds ratio [OR] 1.52; P < .001) and surgical complications (OR 2.27; P < .001). They also had greater readmission (OR 2.49; P < .001) and reoperation (OR 1.93; P < .001) within 30 days, longer hospital stays (OR 1.07; P < .001), and greater total charges (OR 1.02; P < .001)., Conclusions: Cardiac arrhythmia is a common comorbidity in the TKA population and is associated with worse postoperative outcomes. Patients who had arrhythmias had greater odds of both medical and surgical complications requiring readmission or reoperation., Study Design: Level III; Retrospective Cohort Study., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective and Background:  Data on incidence of in-hospital pulmonary embolisms (PE) after catheter ablation (CA) are scarce. To gain further insights, we sought to provide new findings through case-based analyses of administrative data., Methods:  Incidences of PE after CA of supraventricular tachycardias (SVT), atrial fibrillation (AF), atrial flutter (AFlu), and ventricular tachycardias (VT) in three German tertiary centers between 2005 and 2020 were determined and coded by the G-DRG (German Diagnosis Related Groups System) and OPS (German Operation and Procedure Classification) systems. An administrative search was performed with a consecutive case-based analysis., Results:  Overall, 47,344 ablations were analyzed (10,037 SVT; 28,048 AF; 6,252 AFlu; 3,007 VT). PE occurred in 14 (0.03%) predominantly female ( n  = 9; 64.3%) patients with a mean age of 55.3 ± 16.9 years, body mass index 26.2 ± 5.1 kg/m 2 , and left ventricular ejection fraction of 56 ± 13.6%. PE incidences were 0.05% ( n  = 5) for SVT, 0.02% ( n  = 5) for AF, and 0.13% ( n  = 4) for VT ablations. No patient suffered PE after AFlu ablation. Five patients (35.7%) with PE after CA had no prior indication for oral anticoagulation (OAC). Preprocedural international normalized ratio in PE patients was 1.2 ± 0.5. Most patients with PE following CA presented with symptoms the day after the procedure ( n  = 9) after intraprocedural heparin application of 12,943.2 ± 5,415.5 IU. PE treatment included anticoagulation with either phenprocoumon ( n  = 5) or non-vitamin K-dependent OAC ( n  = 9). Two patients with PE died after VT/AF ablation, respectively. The remaining patients were discharged without sequels., Conclusion:  Over a 15-year period, incidence of PE after ablation is low, particularly low in patients with ablation for AF/AFlu. This is most likely due to stricter anticoagulation management in these patients compared with those receiving SVT/VT ablation procedures and could argue for continuation of OAC prior to ablation. Optimizing periprocedural anticoagulation management should be subject of further prospective trials., Competing Interests: None declared., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Objective: While the association between metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and long-term cardiovascular risks has been studied, the impact of MASLD on cardiovascular events during delivery hospitalizations remains relatively unexplored. This study aims to examine the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and cardiac arrhythmias in pregnant patients with MASLD and identify potential risk factors., Methods: A retrospective analysis of hospital discharge records from the National Inpatient Sample database between 2009 and 2019 was conducted to assess maternal cardiovascular outcomes. Multivariable logistic regression models were employed, and adjusted odds ratios (AOR) were calculated to evaluate the association between MASLD and cardiovascular outcomes during pregnancy., Results: The study sample included 17 593 pregnancies with MASLD and 41 171 211 pregnancies without this condition. Women with MASLD exhibited an increased risk of congestive heart failure [AOR 3.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04-11.43], cardiac arrhythmia (AOR 2.60, 95% CI 1.94-3.49), and gestational hypertensive complications (AOR 3.30, 95% CI 2.93-3.72). Pregnancies with MASLD were also associated with a higher rate of pulmonary edema (AOR 3.30, 95% CI 1.60-6.81)., Conclusion: MASLD is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular complications during delivery hospitalizations, emphasizing the necessity for prepregnancy screening and targeted prevention strategies to manage CVD risks in expectant patients with MASLD., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

In Uganda, hypertension is a rapidly increasing non-communicable disease with high morbidity and mortality, leading to complications such as renal failure, heart failure, stroke, and myocardial infarctions. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) among hypertensive patients at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 323 participants using convenience sampling, the study utilized structured questionnaires and data was analyzed using STATA. Results indicated that factors independently associated with LVH included alcohol consumption (aOR 0.26, 95%CI 0.10-0.70, P=0.007), lack of physical exercise (aOR 0.47, 95%CI 0.23-0.94, P=0.033), Low medication adherence (aOR 0.31, 95%CI 0.13-0.71, P=0.006)., female participants who had waist-hip-ratio >0.80 (aOR 3.70, 95%CI 1.18-11.64, P=0.025), diastolic blood pressure of 100 - 109 mmHg (aOR 4.58, 95%CI 1.65-12.74, P=0.004) and diastolic blood pressure of ≤89 mmHg (aOR 3.03, 95%CI 1.03-8.89, P=0.044). The study highlights the need for better management of hypertension and lifestyle modifications to reduce LVH prevalence., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The publishing of this article does not present any conflicts of interest, according to the authors., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Leadless pacemakers have emerged as a promising alternative to transvenous pacemakers in patients with kidney disease. However, studies investigating leadless pacemaker outcomes and complications based on kidney dysfunction are limited., Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) with inpatient complications and outcomes of leadless pacemaker implantations., Methods: National Inpatient Sample and International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes were used to identify patients with CKD and ESRD who underwent leadless pacemaker implantations in the United States from 2016 to 2020. Study end points assessed included inpatient complications, outcomes, and resource utilization of leadless pacemaker implantations., Results: A total of 29,005 leadless pacemaker placements were identified. Patients with CKD (n = 5245 [18.1%]) and ESRD (n = 3790 [13.1%]) were younger than patients without CKD and had higher prevalence of important comorbidities. In crude analysis, ESRD was associated with higher prevalence of major complications, peripheral vascular complications, and inpatient mortality. After multivariable adjustment, CKD and ESRD were associated with inpatient mortality (CKD: adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.62 [95% CI, 1.40-1.86]; ESRD: aOR, 1.38 [95% CI, 1.18-1.63]) and prolonged length of stay (CKD: aOR, 1.55 [95% CI, 1.46-1.66]; ESRD: aOR, 1.81 [95% CI 1.67-1.96]). ESRD was also associated with higher hospitalization costs (aOR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.50-1.77) and major complications (aOR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.13-1.57) after leadless pacemaker implantation., Conclusion: Approximately one-third of patients undergoing leadless pacemaker implantation had CKD or ESRD. CKD and ESRD were associated with greater length and cost of stay and inpatient mortality., Competing Interests: Disclosures The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: There is a paucity of data regarding the impact of cardiac conduction disease (CD) on clinical outcomes in patients with cardiac amyloidosis (CA)., Methods: The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) was queried to identify all CA admissions and those with CD using ICD-10 codes from 2016 to 2019. We explored baseline characteristics and used multivariate logistic regression to assess the association between CD and several clinical outcomes during index admission; a p-value of <0.05 was significant. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to validate our results., Results: A total of 12,185 patients with CA were identified. Of these, 920 (7.6 %) had CD. The median age of the sample was 72 years (IQR: 64-80). After multivariate adjustment and PSM, the presence of CD in CA was associated with higher odds of ventricular arrhythmias (VA) (aOR = 2.97, 95 % CI 1.78-4.96, p < 0.001), syncope (aOR = 3.44, 95 % CI 1.51-7.83, p = 0.003), and cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) implantation (aOR = 12.86, 95 % CI 5.50-30.04, p < 0.001) but not with sudden cardiac arrest (p = 0.092), acute heart failure (p = 0.060), all-cause in-hospital mortality (p = 0.384), and non-routine discharge in patients admitted for CA (p = 0.271)., Conclusions: Although CD was not associated with all-cause in-hospital mortality, there was a significant association with VAs and syncope. Syncope is associated with worse survival in patients with CA. Further studies that prospectively follow patients are needed to determine the true effect of cardiac CD on mortality in patients with CA., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts to disclose., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: As more patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) survive into adulthood, the population of adults with CHD is expanding. This trend is accompanied by an increasing incidence of complications, including arrhythmias. However, the long-term risk of arrhythmias remains sparsely investigated., Methods: In this observational cohort study, all Danish patients with CHD born from 1977 to 2024 were identified using registries and followed from date of birth until the occurrence of arrhythmia, emigration, death, or end of follow-up (March 2024). The risk of arrhythmias was assessed among patients with CHD and compared to age- and sex-matched controls from the background population., Results: A total of 45,820 patients with CHD (50.9% men) were identified and matched with 183,280 controls from the background population. During a median follow-up of 21.5 years, 2.6% of patients with CHD and 0.2% of controls developed arrhythmias-corresponding to incidence rates (IR) of 1.2 (95% CI 1.2-1.3) and 0.1 (95% CI 0.1-0.1) per 1,000 PY, respectively, and a hazard ratio (HR) of 16.4 (95% CI 14.4-18.7). The most common arrhythmias in patients with CHD were advanced atrioventricular block (IR 0.4 [95% CI 0.4-0.4] per 1,000 PY) and atrial flutter/fibrillation (IR 0.5 [95% CI 0.5-0.6] per 1,000 PY). Patients with malformations of the heart chambers, transposition of the great arteries, tetralogy of Fallot, and atrioventricular septal defect were at the highest risk of arrhythmias. Moreover, the risk of arrhythmias among those with ASD was not negligible. In patients with CHD, arrhythmia was associated with a significantly higher risk of death (HR of 6.9 [95% CI 5.9-8.1])., Conclusions: Patients with CHD are at significantly higher risk of arrhythmias than the background population, and those with complex CHD are at particularly high risk. In patients with CHD, arrhythmia is associated with an increased risk of death. Additional studies are warranted to investigate how we can improve the diagnosis and management of arrhythmias in CHD., Competing Interests: Disclosures None declared., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Hemodynamic gain index (HGI), a novel hemodynamic index obtained from cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX), is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes. However, its specific relationship with ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) is unknown. We aimed to assess the association of HGI with risk of VAs in a prospective study. Design: Hemodynamic gain index was estimated using heart rate and systolic blood pressure (SBP) responses ascertained in 1945 men aged 42-61 years during CPX from rest to maximum exercise, using the formula: [(Heart rate max x SBP max ) - (Heart rate rest x SBP rest )]/(Heart rate rest x SBP rest ). Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) was measured using respiratory gas exchange analysis. Hazard ratios (HRs) (95% confidence intervals, CIs) were estimated for VAs. Results: Over a median follow-up duration of 28.2 years, 75 cases of VA were recorded. In analysis adjusted for established risk factors, a unit (bpm/mmHg) higher HGI was associated with a decreased risk of VA (HR 0.72, 95% CI: 0.55-0.95). The results remained consistent on adjustment for lifestyle factors and comorbidities (HR 0.72, 95% CI: 0.55-0.93). Comparing the top versus bottom tertiles of HGI, the corresponding adjusted HRs (95% CIs) were 0.51 (0.27-0.96) and 0.52 (0.28-0.94), respectively. The associations were attenuated on addition of CRF to the model. HGI improved risk discrimination beyond established risk factors but not CRF. Conclusions: Higher HGI is associated with a reduced risk of VAs in middle-aged and older Caucasian men, but dependent on CRF levels. Furthermore, HGI improves the prediction of the long-term risk for VAs beyond established risk factors but not CRF.

Background: Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has shown promise in treating hematologic malignancies, yet its potential cardiotoxic effects require thorough investigation., Objectives: We aim to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the cardiotoxic effects of CAR-T therapy in adults with hematologic malignancies., Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for studies reporting cardiovascular outcomes, such as arrhythmias, heart failure, and reduced left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF)., Results: Our analysis of 20 studies involving 4789 patients revealed a 19.68% incidence rate of cardiovascular events, with arrhythmias (7.70%), heart failure (5.73%), and reduced LVEF (3.86%) being the most prevalent. Troponin elevation was observed in 23.61% of patients, while NT-Pro-BNP elevation was observed in 9.4. Subgroup analysis showed higher risks in patients with pre-existing conditions, such as atrial arrhythmia (OR 3.12; p < .001), hypertension (OR 1.85; p = .002), previous heart failure (OR 3.38; p = .003), and coronary artery disease (OR 2.80; p = .003)., Conclusion: Vigilant cardiovascular monitoring is crucial for patients undergoing CAR-T therapy to enhance safety and treatment efficacy.Novelty Statements., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) allows comprehensive myocardial tissue characterisation, revealing areas of myocardial inflammation or fibrosis that may predispose to ventricular arrhythmias (VAs). With this study, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of structural heart disease (SHD) and decipher the prognostic implications of CMR in selected patients presenting with significant VAs., Methods: Electronic databases were searched for studies enrolling adult patients that underwent CMR for diagnostic or prognostic purposes in the setting of significant VAs. A random effects model meta-analysis of proportions was performed to estimate the prevalence of SHD. HRs were pooled together in order to evaluate the prognostic value of CMR., Results: The prevalence of SHD was reported in 18 studies. In all-comers with significant VAs, the pooled rate of SHD post-CMR evaluation was 39% (24% in the subgroup of premature ventricular contractions and/or non-sustained ventricular tachycardia vs 63% in the subgroup of more complex VAs). A change in diagnosis after use of CMR ranged from 21% to 66% with a pooled average of 35% (29%-41%). A non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy was the most frequently identified SHD (56%), followed by ischaemic heart disease (21%) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (5%). After pooling together data from six studies, we found that the presence of late gadolinium enhancement was associated with increased risk of major adverse outcomes in patients with significant VAs (pooled HR: 1.79; 95% CI 1.33 to 2.42)., Conclusion: CMR is a valuable tool in the diagnostic and prognostic evaluation of patients with VAs. CMR should be considered early after initial evaluation in the diagnostic algorithm for VAs of unclear aetiology as this strategy may also define prognosis and improve risk stratification., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: This study aimed to identify the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) procedures., Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients who underwent TAVI at the Department of Cardiology, Fujian Provincial Hospital, from January 2018 to March 2022. Based on whether a new PPM was implanted after TAVI, all patients were divided into two groups: NEW PPM and NO PPM. Baseline characteristics and clinical data were compared between the two groups. Univariate analysis was used to analyze different variables between the two groups. A binary logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate independent correlates for PPM implantation after TAVI., Results: The mean age of the 70 patients was 73.1 ± 8.8 years. The incidence of PPM implantation was 17.1%. Patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease were more likely to require PPM (50% vs. 20.7%, p = 0.042, 25% vs. 5.2%, p = 0.042). Our study did not identify any significant differences in the incidence of electrocardiographic conduction disturbances except for the previous right bundle branch block (RBBB) (NO PPM 6.9% vs. NEW PPM 33.3%, p < 0.05). We found that prosthesis size, implantation depth, procedural duration, and length of hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) stays were comparable between the two groups. The leading independent predictors of PPM implantation were previous RBBB (odds ratio 10.129, p = 0.034)., Conclusion: The previous RBBB was the leading independent predictor of PPM implantation. New PPM was not associated with significantly new-onset left BBB, extended post-procedure hospitalization, ICU stay, or procedural duration., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objectives: The objectives of this study are to study the risk of developing cardiac arrhythmia and its subtypes over time in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), to assess potential risk factors for arrhythmia in SSc and to explore whether arrhythmia is associated with mortality., Methods: We used nationwide Swedish registers to identify patients with incident SSc 2004-2019 and matched general population comparators (1:10). The primary outcome was incident arrhythmia. Follow-up started at the date of SSc diagnosis and ended at the primary outcome, death, emigration or 31 December 2019. We estimated the incidence of arrhythmia overall and stratified by subtype and explored the relative risk in relation to time since diagnosis using flexible parametric models. We used Cox regression to study risk factors for arrhythmia and the association of arrhythmia with mortality., Results: We identified 1565 patients and 16 009 comparators. The overall incidence of arrhythmia was 255 (95% CI 221 to 295) and 119 (95% CI 112 to 127) per 10 000 person years in patients with SSc and comparators, respectively, corresponding to an IRR of 2.1 (95% CI 1.8 to 2.5). The greatest hazard difference between patients with SSc compared with the comparators was seen in the first year of follow-up (HR for arrhythmia 3.0; 95% CI 2.3 to 3.8). Atrial fibrillation and flutter were the most common arrhythmia subtypes. Male sex, index age and pulmonary arterial hypertension were significant risk factors for arrhythmia in SSc. Incident arrhythmia was significantly associated with mortality (HR 2.2; 95% CI 1.6 to 3.0)., Conclusion: SSc is associated with higher incidence of cardiac arrhythmia compared with general population. Arrhythmia seems to be an early manifestation of SSc and is associated with higher mortality., Competing Interests: Competing interests: RH is an employee at Boehringer Ingelheim AB. MH is on the Advisory Board for the Myositis Association. MB, ZD and PA have nothing to declare., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Aims: The prediction of ventricular arrhythmia (VA) in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) remains challenging. We sought to characterize the VA risk profile in HCM patients through clustering analysis combining clinical and conventional imaging parameters with information derived from left ventricular longitudinal strain analysis (LV-LS)., Methods: A total of 434 HCM patients (65% men, mean age 56 years) were included from two referral centers and followed longitudinally (mean duration 6 years). Mechanical and temporal parameters were automatically extracted from the LV-LS segmental curves of each patient in addition to conventional clinical and imaging data. A total of 287 features were analyzed using a clustering approach (k-means). The principal endpoint was VA., Results: 4 clusters were identified with a higher rhythmic risk for clusters 1 and 4 (VA rates of 26%(28/108), 13%(13/97), 12%(14/120), and 31%(34/109) for cluster 1,2,3 and 4 respectively). These 4 clusters differed mainly by LV-mechanics with a severe and homogeneous decrease of myocardial deformation for cluster 4, a small decrease for clusters 2 and 3 and a marked deformation delay and temporal dispersion for cluster 1 associated with a moderate decrease of the GLS (p < 0.0001 for GLS comparison between clusters). Patients from cluster 4 had the most severe phenotype (mean LV mass index 123 vs. 112 g/m 2 ; p = 0.0003) with LV and left atrium (LA) remodeling (LA-volume index (LAVI) 46.6 vs. 41.5 ml/m 2 , p = 0.04 and LVEF 59.7 vs. 66.3%, p < 0.001) and impaired exercise capacity (% predicted peak VO 2 58.6 vs. 69.5%; p = 0.025)., Conclusion: Processing LV-LS parameters in HCM patients 4 clusters with specific LV-strain patterns and different rhythmic risk levels are identified. Automatic extraction and analysis of LV strain parameters improves the risk stratification for VA in HCM patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest General Electric Healthcare is providing research facilities to Rennes University Hospital., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Cross-sectional evidence suggests a possible link between frailty and atrial fibrillation (AF). It remains unclear whether frailty and incident arrhythmias are longitudinally associated. This study aimed to determine whether the frailty phenotype is longitudinally associated with incident arrhythmias, especially AF., Methods: In this prospective cohort of UK Biobank, individuals with arrhythmias at baseline, those without data for frailty phenotype, and no genetic data were excluded. Five domains of physical frailty, including weight loss, exhaustion, low physical activity, low grip strength, and slow gait speed, were assessed. A total of 142 single-nucleotide polymorphisms was used to calculate the polygenic risk score (PRS) for AF. Hospital inpatient records and death records were used to identify incident arrhythmias., Results: This study included 464 154 middle-aged and older adults (mean age 56.4 ± 8.1 years, 54.7% female) without arrhythmia at baseline. During a median follow-up of 13.4 years (over 5.9 million person-years), 46 454 new-onset arrhythmias cases were recorded. In comparison with non-frailty, the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of AF were 1.12 (95% CI: 1.09, 1.15, P < 0.0001) and 1.44 (95% CI: 1.36, 1.51, P < 0.0001) for participants with pre-frailty and frailty, respectively. Similar associations were observed for other arrhythmias. We found that slow gait speed presented the strongest risk factor in predicting all arrhythmias, including AF (HR 1.34, 95% CI: 1.30, 1.39), bradyarrhythmias (HR 1.30, 95% CI: 1.22, 1.37), conduction system diseases (HR 1.29, 95% CI: 1.22, 1.36), supraventricular arrhythmias (HR 1.32, 95% CI: 1.19, 1.47), and ventricular arrhythmias (HR 1.37, 95% CI: 1.25, 1.51), with all P values <0.0001. In addition to slow gait speed, weight loss (HR 1.13, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.16, P < 0.0001) and exhaustion (HR 1.11, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.14, P < 0.0001) were significantly associated with incident AF, whereas insignificant associations were observed for physical activity (HR 1.03, 95% CI: 0.996, 1.08, P = 0.099) and low grip strength (HR 1.00, 95% CI: 0.97, 1.03, P = 0.89). We observed a significant interaction between genetic predisposition and frailty on incident AF (P for interaction <0.0001), where those with frailty and the highest tertile of PRS had the highest risk of AF (HR 3.34, 95% CI: 3.08, 3.61, P < 0.0001) compared with those with non-frailty and the lowest tertile of PRS., Conclusions: Physical pre-frailty and frailty were significantly and independently associated with incident arrhythmias. Although direct causal inference still needs to be further validated, these results suggested the importance of assessing and managing frailty for arrhythmia prevention., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Although sustained ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) are a common complication after durable left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation, the incidence, risk factors, and prognostic implications of postoperative early VAs (EVAs) in contemporary patients with LVAD are poorly understood., Methods and Results: A single-center retrospective analysis was performed of patients who underwent LVAD implantation from October 1, 2006, to October 1, 2022. EVA was defined as an episode of sustained VA identified ≤30 days after LVAD implantation. A total of 789 patients underwent LVAD implantation (mean age 62.9 ± 0. years 5, HeartMate 3 41.4%, destination therapy 43.3%). EVAs occurred in 100 patients (12.7%). A history of end-stage renal disease (odds ratio [OR] 5.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.45-21.70), preoperative electrical storm (OR 2.82, 95% CI 1.11-7.16), and appropriate implantable cardiac defibrillator therapy before implantation (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.26-6.19) are independently associated with EVAs. EVA was associated with decreased 30-day survival (hazard ratio 3.02, 95% CI 1.1-8.3, P = .032). There was no difference in transplant-free survival time between patients with and without EVAs (hazard ratio 0.82, 95% CI 0.5-1.4, P = .454)., Conclusions: EVAs are common after durable LVAD implantation and are associated with an increased risk of 30-day mortality., Competing Interests: CONFLICT OF INTEREST Farooq H. Sheikh reports institutional research support and honorarium for speaking at educational conferences from Abbott. No company or agency had any role in this manuscript., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common type of arrhythmia. Heart rate variability (HRV) may be associated with AF risk. The aim of this study was to test HRV indices and arrhythmias as predictors of paroxysmal AF based on 24-hour dynamic electrocardiogram recordings of patients., Methods: A total of 199 patients with paroxysmal AF (AF group) and 204 elderly volunteers over 60 years old (Control group) who underwent a 24-hour dynamic electrocardiogram from August 2022 to March 2023 were included. Time-domain indices, frequency-domain indices, and arrhythmia data of the two groups were classified and measured. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed on variables with significant differences to identify independent risk factors. A nomogram prediction model was established, and the sum of individual scores of each variable was calculated., Results: Gender, age, body mass index and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) did not differ significantly between AF and Control groups ( p > 0.05), whereas significant group differences were found for smoking, hypertension, diabetes, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ( p < 0.05). The standard deviation of all normal to normal (NN) R-R intervals (SDNN), standard deviation of 5-minute average NN intervals (SDANN), root mean square of successive NN interval differences (rMSSD), 50 ms from the preceding interval (pNN50), low-frequency/high-frequency (LF/HF), LF, premature atrial contractions (PACs), atrial tachycardia (AT), T-wave index, and ST-segment index differed significantly between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis identified rMSSD, PACs, and AT as independent predictors of AF. For each unit increase in rMSSD and PACs, the odds of developing AF increased by 1.0357 and 1.0005 times, respectively. For each unit increase in AT, the odds of developing AF decreased by 0.9976 times. The total score of the nomogram prediction model ranged from 0 to 110., Conclusion: The autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays a pivotal role in the occurrence and development of AF. The individualized nomogram prediction model of AF occurrence contributes to the early identification of high-risk patients with AF.

Objectives: To determine whether concomitant use of ceftriaxone and oral or intravenous lansoprazole increases the risk of ventricular arrhythmia and cardiac arrest in the real-world setting in Japan., Methods: The data analyzed were obtained from the JMDC hospital-based administrative claims database for the period April 2014 to August 2022. Patients who received a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) while receiving ceftriaxone or sulbactam/ampicillin were identified. The frequency of ventricular arrhythmia and cardiac arrest was analyzed according to whether oral or intravenous PPI was concomitant with ceftriaxone or sulbactam/ampicillin. Estimates of the incidence of ventricular arrhythmia and cardiac arrest were then compared among the groups, using the Fine-Gray competing risk regression model., Results: The results showed that the risk of ventricular arrhythmia and cardiac arrest was significantly higher with concomitant ceftriaxone and oral lansoprazole (hazard ratio 2.92, 95% confidence interval 1.99-4.29, P < 0.01) or intravenous lansoprazole (hazard ratio 4.57, 95% confidence interval 1.24-16.80, P = 0.02) than with concomitant sulbactam/ampicillin and oral or intravenous lansoprazole., Conclusions: Oral and intravenous lansoprazole may increase the risk of ventricular arrhythmia and cardiac arrest in patients who are receiving ceftriaxone., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare that are relevant to the content of this article., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: The association between opioid use and the risk of ventricular arrhythmias (VA) is poorly understood., Aims: The objective of this study was to synthesize the evidence on the risk of VA associated with opioid use., Materials & Methods: We systematically searched the Cochrane Library, Embase, MEDLINE, and CINAHL databases in July 2022. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk for bias tool for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and ROBINS-I for observational studies. Certainty of evidence was assessed using GRADE., Results: We included 15 studies (12 observational, 2 post hoc analyses of RCTs, 1 RCT). Most studies focused on opioid use for maintenance therapy (n = 9), comparing methadone to buprenorphine (n = 13), and reported QTc prolongation (n = 13). Six observational studies had a critical risk of bias, and one RCT was at high risk of bias. Two studies could not be included in the meta-analysis as they reported a different outcome and studied an opioid antagonist. Meta-analysis of 13 studies indicated that the use of methadone was associated with an increased risk of VA compared to the use of buprenorphine, morphine, placebo, or levacetylmethadol (risk ratio [RR], 2.39; 95% CI, 1.31-4.35; I 2  = 60%). The pooled estimate varied greatly between observational studies (RR, 2.12; 95% CI, 1.15-3.91; I 2  = 62%) and RCTs (RR, 14.09; 95% CI, 1.52-130.61; I 2  = 0%), but both indicated an increased risk., Conclusion: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we found that methadone use is associated with more than twice the risk of VA compared to comparators. However, our findings should be interpreted cautiously given the limited quality of the available evidence., (© 2024 The Author(s). Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) are regularly used in Alzheimer's disease. Of the three ChEIs approved for dementia, donepezil is among the most prescribed drugs in the United States with nearly 6 million prescriptions in 2020; however, it is classified as a "known risk" QT interval-prolonging medication (QTPmed). Given this claim is derived from observational data including single case reports, we aimed to evaluate high-quality literature on the frequency and nature of proarrhythmic major adverse cardiac events (MACE) associated with donepezil., Methods: We searched Medline, Embase, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, and Cochrane Central from 1996 onwards for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving patients age ≥18 years comparing donepezil to placebo. The MACE composite included mortality, sudden cardiac death, non-fatal cardiac arrest, Torsades de pointes, ventricular tachyarrhythmia, seizure or syncope. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed with a treatment-arm continuity correction for single and double zero event studies., Results: Sixty RCTs (n = 12,463) were included. Twenty-five of 60 trials (n = 5886) investigated participants with Alzheimer's disease and 33 trials monitored electrocardiogram data. The mean follow-up duration was 31 weeks (SD = 36). Mortality was the most commonly reported MACE (252/331, 75.8% events), the remainder were syncope or seizures, with no arrhythmia events. There was no increased risk of MACE with exposure to donepezil compared to placebo (risk ratio [RR] 1.08, 95% CI 0.88-1.33, I 2  = 0%) and this was consistent in the subgroup analysis of trials including participants with cardiovascular morbidities (RR 1.14, 95% CI 0.88-1.47). Subgroup analysis suggested a trend toward more events with donepezil with follow-up ≥52 weeks (RR: 1.32, 0.98-1.79)., Conclusions: This systematic review with meta-analysis found donepezil may not be arrhythmogenic. Donepezil was not associated with mortality, ventricular arrhythmias, seizure or syncope, although longer durations of therapy need more study. Further research to clarify actual clinical outcomes related to QTPmed is important to inform prescribing practices., (© 2024 The Authors. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The American Geriatrics Society.)

Low QRS voltages (LQRSV), defined as a QRS amplitude from peak to nadir < 0.5 mV in all limb leads, are an emerging diagnostic finding on the electrocardiogram (ECG). In healthy individuals and athletes, LQRSV are rare (2.2-4% of elite athletes, 0.5% of recreational athletes, and 0.3% of sedentary individuals). LQRSV athletes commonly show ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) on exercise, and up to 40% of those with LQRSV and VAs have late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). The prevalence of LQRSV in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy ranges from 17-40%, predicts left ventricular (LV) involvement, and is correlated with more extensive LGE replacement on CMR. In hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), LQRSV ranges from 0.7-11%. LQRSV-HCM patients have more segments with LGE, despite relatively smaller LV mass, suggesting a more advanced clinical stage and a worse prognosis. In dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), LQRSV range from 6-7%, but may be higher (36%) in certain genetic forms of DCM. On a follow-up, LQRSV are independently associated with incident cardiac events, such as sudden death, sustained ventricular arrhythmia, or appropriate internal cardioverter defibrillator discharge. In cardiac amyloid, LQRSV range from 34-66% and demonstrate a negative prognostic value, with worse clinical outcomes regardless of underlying biologic, genetic, and clinical variables. In conclusion, LQRSV deserve careful consideration for exclusion of arrhythmogenic substrates in healthy individuals, athletes, and patients. While additional research is needed, it is reasonable that LQRSV should trigger clinical investigation to exclude underlying diseases at risk of life-threatening arrhythmias., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: none declared., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background and Objectives: Generalized convulsive seizures (GCSs) are the main risk factor of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), which is likely due to peri-ictal cardiorespiratory dysfunction. The incidence of GCS-induced cardiac arrhythmias, their relationship to seizure severity markers, and their role in SUDEP physiopathology are unknown. The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence of seizure-induced cardiac arrhythmias, their association with electroclinical features and seizure severity biomarkers, as well as their specific occurrences in SUDEP cases., Methods: This is an observational, prospective, multicenter study of patients with epilepsy aged 18 years and older with recorded GCS during inpatient video-EEG monitoring for epilepsy evaluation. Exclusion criteria were status epilepticus and an obscured video recording. We analyzed semiologic and cardiorespiratory features through video-EEG (VEEG), electrocardiogram, thoracoabdominal bands, and pulse oximetry. We investigated the presence of bradycardia, asystole, supraventricular tachyarrhythmias (SVTs), premature atrial beats, premature ventricular beats, nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT), atrial fibrillation (Afib), ventricular fibrillation (VF), atrioventricular block (AVB), exaggerated sinus arrhythmia (ESA), and exaggerated sinus arrhythmia with bradycardia (ESAWB). A board-certified cardiac electrophysiologist diagnosed and classified the arrhythmia types. Bradycardia, asystole, SVT, NSVT, Afib, VF, AVB, and ESAWB were classified as arrhythmias of interest because these were of SUDEP pathophysiology value. The main outcome was the occurrence of seizure-induced arrhythmias of interest during inpatient VEEG monitoring. Moreover, yearly follow-up was conducted to identify SUDEP cases. Binary logistic generalized estimating equations were used to determine clinical-demographic and peri-ictal variables that were predictive of the presence of seizure-induced arrhythmias of interest. The z -score test for 2 population proportions was used to test whether the proportion of seizures and patients with postconvulsive ESAWB or bradycardia differed between SUDEP cases and survivors., Results: This study includes data from 249 patients (mean age 37.2 ± 23.5 years, 55% female) who had 455 seizures. The most common arrhythmia was ESA, with an incidence of 137 of 382 seizures (35.9%) (106/224 patients [47.3%]). There were 50 of 352 seizure-induced arrhythmias of interest (14.2%) in 41 of 204 patients (20.1%). ESAWB was the commonest in 22 of 394 seizures (5.6%) (18/225 patients [8%]), followed by SVT in 18 of 397 seizures (4.5%) (17/228 patients [7.5%]). During follow-up (48.36 ± 31.34 months), 8 SUDEPs occurred. Seizure-induced bradycardia (3.8% vs 12.5%, z = -16.66, p < 0.01) and ESAWB (6.6% vs 25%; z = -3.03, p < 0.01) were over-represented in patients who later died of SUDEP. There was no association between arrhythmias of interest and seizure severity biomarkers ( p > 0.05)., Discussion: Markers of seizure severity are not related to seizure-induced arrhythmias of interest, suggesting that other factors such as occult cardiac abnormalities may be relevant for their occurrence. Seizure-induced ESAWB and bradycardia were more frequent in SUDEP cases, although this observation was based on a very limited number of SUDEP patients. Further case-control studies are needed to evaluate the yield of arrhythmias of interest along with respiratory changes as potential SUDEP biomarkers.

Background: The relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and the occurrence of arrhythmias and heart rate variability (HRV) in hypertensive patients is not elucidated. Our study investigates the association between OSA, arrhythmias, and HRV in hypertensive patients., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis involving hypertensive patients divided based on their apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) into two groups: the AHI ≤ 15 and the AHI > 15. All participants underwent polysomnography (PSG), 24-hour dynamic electrocardiography (DCG), cardiac Doppler ultrasound, and other relevant evaluations., Results: The AHI > 15 group showed a significantly higher prevalence of frequent atrial premature beats and atrial tachycardia (P = 0.030 and P = 0.035, respectively) than the AHI ≤ 15 group. Time-domain analysis indicated that the standard deviation of normal-to-normal R-R intervals (SDNN) and the standard deviation of every 5-minute normal-to-normal R-R intervals (SDANN) were significantly higher in the AHI > 15 group (P = 0.020 and P = 0.033, respectively). Frequency domain analysis revealed that the low-frequency (LF), high-frequency (HF) components, and the LF/HF ratio were also significantly elevated in the AHI > 15 group (P < 0.001, P = 0.031, and P = 0.028, respectively). Furthermore, left atrial diameter (LAD) was significantly larger in the AHI > 15 group (P < 0.001). Both univariate and multivariable linear regression analyses confirmed a significant association between PSG-derived independent variables and the dependent HRV parameters SDNN, LF, and LF/HF ratio (F = 8.929, P < 0.001; F = 14.832, P < 0.001; F = 5.917, P = 0.016, respectively)., Conclusions: Hypertensive patients with AHI > 15 are at an increased risk for atrial arrhythmias and left atrial dilation, with HRV significantly correlating with OSA severity., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Malignant ventricular arrhythmia (VA) and sudden cardiac death (SCD) have been reported in patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP); however, effective risk stratification methods are still lacking. Myocardial fibrosis is thought to play an important role in the development of VA; however, observational studies have produced contradictory findings regarding the relationship between VA and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in MVP patients. The aim of this meta-analysis and systematic review of observational studies was to investigate the association between left ventricular LGE and VA in patients with MVP., Methods: We searched the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases from 1993 to 2023 to identify case-control, cross-sectional, and cohort studies that compared the incidence of VA in patients with MVP who had left ventricular LGE and those without left ventricular LGE., Results: A total of 1464 subjects with MVP from 12 observational studies met the eligibility criteria. Among them, VA episodes were reported in 221 individuals (15.1%). Meta-analysis demonstrated that the presence of left ventricular LGE was significantly associated with an increased risk of VA (pooled risk ratio 2.96, 95% CI: 2.26-3.88, p for heterogeneity = 0.07, I 2  = 40%). However, a meta-regression analysis of the prevalence of mitral regurgitation (MR) showed that the severity of MR did not significantly affect the association between the occurrence of LGE and VA (p = 0.079)., Conclusion: The detection of LGE could be helpful for stratifying the risk of VA in patients with MVP., (© 2024 The Author(s). Clinical Cardiology published by Wiley Periodicals, LLC.)

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, professional societies recommended deferral of elective procedures for optimal resource utilization., Objective: We sought to assess changes in procedural trends and outcomes of electrophysiology (EP) procedures during the pandemic., Methods: National Inpatient Sample databases were used to identify all EP procedures performed in the United States (2016-2020) by International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes. We evaluated trends in utilization, cost/revenue, and outcomes from EP procedures performed., Results: An estimated 1.35 million EP procedures (82% devices and 18% catheter ablations) were performed (2016-2020) with significant yearly uptrend. During the pandemic, there was a substantial decline in EP procedure utilization from a 5-year peak of 298 cases/million population in the second quarter of 2019 to a nadir of 220 cases in the second quarter of 2020. In 2020, the pandemic was associated with the loss of 50,233 projected EP procedures (39,337 devices and 10,896 ablations) with subsequent revenue loss of $7.06 billion. This deficit was driven by revenue deficit from dual-chamber permanent pacemaker (PPM) utilization ($2.88 billion, 49.3% of lost cases), ablation procedures ($1.84 billion, 21.7% of lost cases), and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation ($1.36 billion, 12.0% of lost cases). To the contrary, there was a 9.4% increase in the utilization of leadless PPM. EP device implantation during the pandemic was associated with higher adverse in-hospital events (9.4% vs 8.0%; P < .001)., Conclusion: In the United States, the significant decline in EP procedures during the pandemic was primarily driven by the reduction in dual-chamber PPM utilization, followed by arrhythmia ablation and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation. There was a substantial increase in leadless PPM utilization during the pandemic., Competing Interests: Disclosures The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Topic Importance: Atrial arrhythmias (AA) are common in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) and contribute to morbidity and mortality. Given the growing PH population, understanding the pathophysiology, clinical impact, and management of AA in PH is important., Review Findings: AA occurs in PH with a 5-year incidence of 10% to 25%. AA confers a higher morbidity and mortality, and restoration of normal sinus rhythm improves survival and functionality. AA is thought to develop because of structural alterations of the right atrium caused by changes to the right ventricle (RV) due to elevated pulmonary artery pressures. AA can subsequently worsen RV function. Current guidelines do not provide comprehensive recommendations for the management of AA in PH. Robust evidence to favor a specific treatment approach is lacking. Although the role of medical rate or rhythm control, and the use of cardioversion and ablation, can be inferred from other populations, evidence is lacking in the PH population. Much remains to be determined regarding the optimal management strategy. We present here our institutional approach and discuss areas for future research., Summary: This review highlights the epidemiology and pathophysiology of AA in patients with PH, describes the relationship between AA and RV dysfunction, and discusses current management practices. We outline our institutional approach and offer directions for future investigation., Competing Interests: Financial/Nonfinancial Disclosures The authors have reported to CHEST the following: R. C. reports financial support was provided by Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, Bayer Corporation, Merck, Gossamer Bio Inc, Third Pole, Respira, Aria CV, and Liquidia Corporation Inc. R. S. reports financial support was provided by Merck, United Therapeutics Corporation, and Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine. E. B. reports financial support was provided by Biosense Webster Inc. and AtriCure Inc. None declared (K. O., G. S., A. B., A. E. S., A. B.)., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Autoimmune blistering disorders (ABDs) might elevate cardiovascular risk, but studies are lacking., Objective: The objective of this study was to examine if ABDs elevate the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, heart failure, arrhythmia, venous thromboembolism, and cardiovascular death., Methods: A population-based cohort of Danish patients with ABD (≥18 years of age) diagnosed during 1996-2021 (n = 3322) was compared with an age- and sex-matched comparison cohort from the general population (n = 33,195)., Results: Compared with the general population, patients with ABDs had higher 1-year risks of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (3.4% vs 1.6%), heart failure (1.9% vs 0.7%), arrhythmia (3.8% vs 1.3%), venous thromboembolism (1.9% vs 0.3%), and cardiovascular death (3.3% vs 0.9%). The elevated risk persisted after 10 years for all outcomes but arrhythmia. The hazard ratios associating ABDs with the outcomes during the entire follow-up were 1.24 (1.09-1.40) for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, 1.48 (1.24-1.77) for heart failure, 1.16 (1.02-1.32) for arrhythmia, 1.87 (1.50-2.34) for venous thromboembolism, and 2.01 (1.76-2.29) for cardiovascular death. The elevated cardiovascular risk was observed for both pemphigus and pemphigoid., Limitations: Our findings might only generalize to patients with ABDs without prevalent cardiovascular diseases., Conclusion: Patients with ABDs had an elevated cardiovascular risk compared with age- and sex-matched controls., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest None disclosed., (Copyright © 2024 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In Uganda, hypertension is an escalating health issue, but there is limited specific data regarding the prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) among hypertensive patients in eastern Uganda. This study aimed to establish the prevalence of LVH among hypertensive patients at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital. A cross-sectional study conducted at the hospital enrolled 323 participants using convenience sampling. The results revealed a prevalence rate of 19.50 % for LVH, primarily observed in male participants and younger age groups (25-35 years). Furthermore, the study found a low incidence of associated cardiac arrhythmia, with only 1.59 % of participants having atrial fibrillation. These findings indicate a relatively low burden of LVH and arrhythmia in this population, emphasizing the importance of continued efforts in hypertension management and LVH prevention. Further research and interventions are necessary to mitigate the impact of hypertension-related complications in the eastern region of Uganda., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors affirm that there are no conflicts of interest of the publication of this article., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Clinical studies have shown that cardiovascular diseases in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are often atypical or asymptomatic. The link between T1D and arrhythmia remains unclear. To infer causality between T1D and arrhythmia at the genetic level, we conducted a Mendelian randomization study through the genetic tools of T1D., Methods: In this study, we used genetic variables and summary statistics from genome-wide association studies of T1D and arrhythmia. Single nucleotide polymorphisms were selected based on the assumptions of instrumental variables. The inverse variance-weighted method was used as the primary analysis to summarize the causal effects between exposure and outcome. The weighted median and weighted mode methods were used as secondary methods. We tested for horizontal pleiotropy using the MR-Egger method and detected heterogeneity using the Q-test. A leave-one-out sensitivity analysis was performed. Scatter plots, forest plots, and funnel plots were used to visualize the results of the MR analysis., Results: In this study, we selected 28 T1D-related SNPs as instrumental variables. The IVW [odds ratio (OR) = 0.98, 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 0.97-1.00, P = 0.008], weighted median (OR = 0.98, 95 % CI = 0.96 - 0.99, P = 0.009), and weighted mode (OR = 0.98, 95 % CI = 0.96-0.99, P = 0.018) analysis methods suggested a causal effect of T1D on arrhythmia. The MR-Egger method indicated no horizontal pleiotropy (P = 0.649), and the Q-test showed no heterogeneity (IVW, P = 0.653)., Conclusions: Our MR analysis revealed a causal association between T1D and the development of arrhythmia, indicating that patients with T1D had a higher risk of arrhythmia., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The leading cause of death in people living with HIV (PLWH) is cardiovascular disease, and the high prevalence of tobacco cigarette (TC) smoking is a major contributor. Switching to electronic cigarettes (ECs) has been promoted as a harm reduction strategy. We sought to determine if acute EC compared to TC smoking had less harmful effects on arrhythmogenic risk factors including acute changes in hemodynamics, heart rate variability (HRV), and ventricular repolarization (VR). In PLWH who smoke, changes in hemodynamics, HRV, and VR were compared pre/post acutely using an EC, TC, or puffing on an empty straw on different days in random order, in a crossover study. Thirty-seven PLWH (36 males, mean age 40.5 ± 9.1 years) participated. Plasma nicotine was greater after TC versus EC use (10.12 ± 0.96 vs. 6.18 ± 0.99 ng/mL, respectively, p = 0.004). HR increased significantly, and similarly, after acute EC and TC smoking compared to control. Changes in HRV that confer increased cardiac risk (LF/HF ratio) were significantly smaller after acute EC versus TC use, consistent with a harm reduction effect. In a post-hoc analysis of PLWH with and without positive concurrent recreational drug use as indicated by point of care urine toxicology testing, this differential effect was only seen in PLWH not currently using recreational drugs. Changes in VR were not different among the three exposures. In PLWH who smoke, EC compared to TC smoking resulted in smaller adverse changes in HRV. This differential effect was accompanied by a smaller increase in plasma nicotine, and was negated by concurrent recreational drug use. Additional studies are warranted in this vulnerable population disproportionately affected by tobacco-related health disparities., (© 2024 The Author(s). Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Physiological Society and the American Physiological Society.)