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Abstract Electrical cardioversion (ECV) a widely utilized intervention for persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) aimed at restoring sinus rhythm. However, ECV can be ineffective, raising questions about subsequent treatment options. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of non-ablation therapy versus ablation therapy following unsuccessful ECV. A total of 125 consecutive patients with persistent AF who underwent unsuccessful ECV between November 2017 and August 2023 was included in this retrospective analysis. Of these, 51.2% received only medical therapy (non-ablation therapy group, n = 64), while 48.8% underwent AF ablation (ablation therapy group, n = 61). Various ablation methods were employed, including catheter and thoracoscopic ablation. Ablation therapy was associated with significantly better AF-free survival compared to non-ablation therapy [hazard ratio (HR), 0.37; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.22–0.61; p 5 year (HR 1.51; 95% CI 0.930–2.437; p = 0.10), BMI ≤ 25 kg/m2 (HR 1.61; 95% CI 1.004–2.581; p = 0.05) and diabetes (HR 2.38; 95% CI 0.902–6.266; p = 0.08) were considerable as predictor of AF recurrence. Ablation therapy following unsuccessful ECV was associated with maintaining sinus rhythm, regardless of the specific ablation method utilized.

Abstract Background There is limited research on the intra‐individual efficacy of ventricular pacing minimization algorithms developed by Biotronik—the Ventricular Pace Suppression algorithm (VpS) and the Intrinsic Rhythm Support plus algorithm (IRSplus) (BIOTRONIK SE & Co. KG, Berlin, Germany). We performed a randomized pilot trial that evaluated the efficacy of two algorithms in patients with symptomatic sinus node dysfunction (SND) who received a dual‐chamber pacemaker. Methods The trial was conducted in 11 tertiary hospitals in South Korea. The patients were randomized to either the VpS or IRSplus algorithm group after a 3‐month period of fixed atrioventricular (AV) delay. The primary outcome was the ventricular pacing percentage (Vp%) at each follow‐up visit. The secondary outcomes were the occurrence of heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AF) during the study period. Results Data from 131 patients were analyzed. Initially, their average Vp% over 3 months with a fixed AV interval was 14.1 ± 19.4%. Patients were randomly assigned to VpS and IRSplus groups, with 66 and 65 in each. Algorithms reduced average Vp% to 4.0 ± 11.3% at 9 months and 6.7 ± 14.9% at 15 months. These algorithms were more effective for patients with paced AV delay (PAVD) ≤300 ms compared to those with PAVD >300 ms. Both algorithms were equally effective in reducing Vp%. Clinical AF or HF hospitalization was not observed during the study period. Conclusion The VpS and IRSplus algorithms are effective and safe in minimizing unnecessary ventricular pacing in patients with SND.

Background We hypothesized that analysis of serial ECGs could predict new‐onset atrial fibrillation (AF) more accurately than analysis of a single ECG by detecting the subtle cardiac remodeling that occurs immediately before AF occurrence. Our aim in this study was to compare the performance of 2 types of machine learning (ML) algorithms. Methods and Results Standard 12‐lead ECGs of patients selected by cardiologists between January 2010 and May 2021 were used for ML model development. Two ML models (single ECG and serial ECG) were developed using a light gradient boosting machine‐learning algorithm. Model performance was evaluated based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and F1 score. We trained the ML models on 415 964 ECGs from 176 090 patients. When testing the 2 ML models using external validation data sets, the performance of the serial‐ML model was significantly better than that of the single‐ML model for predicting new‐onset AF (single‐ versus serial‐ML model: sensitivity 0.744 versus 0.810; specificity 0.742 versus 0.822; accuracy 0.743 versus 0.816; F1 score 0.743 versus 0.815; area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.812 versus 0.880; P

Summary: Background: Given the rapidly growing burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Asia, this study forecasts the CVD burden and associated risk factors in Asia from 2025 to 2050. Methods: Data from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study was used to construct regression models predicting prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributed to CVD and risk factors in Asia in the coming decades. Findings: Between 2025 and 2050, crude cardiovascular mortality is expected to rise 91.2% despite a 23.0% decrease in the age-standardised cardiovascular mortality rate (ASMR). Ischaemic heart disease (115 deaths per 100,000 population) and stroke (63 deaths per 100,000 population) will remain leading drivers of ASMR in 2050. Central Asia will have the highest ASMR (676 deaths per 100,000 population), more than three-fold that of Asia overall (186 deaths per 100,000 population), while high-income Asia sub-regions will incur an ASMR of 22 deaths per 100,000 in 2050. High systolic blood pressure will contribute the highest ASMR throughout Asia (105 deaths per 100,000 population), except in Central Asia where high fasting plasma glucose will dominate (546 deaths per 100,000 population). Interpretation: This forecast forewarns an almost doubling in crude cardiovascular mortality by 2050 in Asia, with marked heterogeneity across sub-regions. Atherosclerotic diseases will continue to dominate, while high systolic blood pressure will be the leading risk factor. Funding: This was supported by the NUHS Seed Fund (NUHSRO/2022/058/RO5+6/Seed-Mar/03), National Medical Research Council Research Training Fellowship (MH 095:003/008-303), National University of Singapore Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine's Junior Academic Fellowship Scheme, NUHS Clinician Scientist Program (NCSP2.0/2024/NUHS/NCWS) and the CArdiovascular DiseasE National Collaborative Enterprise (CADENCE) National Clinical Translational Program (MOH-001277-01).

Background/Aims Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia and is associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. It is important to identify and control the modifiable risk factors of AF. We aimed to examine the association of exercise capacity with the risk of incident AF within 3 years in healthy subjects. Methods We evaluated asymptomatic adults who had undergone more than two consecutive health checkups. We included subjects who exhibited normal sinus rhythm on the first health examination and who developed AF on the second or subsequent health examinations. Subjects who underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing within 3 years before the diagnosis of AF were examined. Results The study population in the analyses included 428 cases (mean age 58.4 ± 7.6 yr, male 95.6%). There were significant differences in maximal systolic blood pressure (SBP; case 169.4 ± 24.2 vs. control 173.9 ± 22.3 mmHg), peak VO2 (29.5 ± 5.4 vs. 30.4 ± 4.8 mL/kg per minute), and maximal metabolic equivalents (METs; 8.5 ± 1.6 vs. 8.7 ± 1.4) between the two groups. In the multivariable logistic models, adjusted odds ratios were 0.99 for maximal SBP (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.98–0.99), 0.97 for peak VO2 (95% CI 0.95–0.99), and 0.91 for maximal METs (95% CI 0.83–0.98). Conclusions We demonstrated that poorer exercise capacity was associated with the development of AF in a healthy population. A prospective, systematic trial is necessary to confirm that appropriate exercise training will be beneficial in preventing the development of AF in such patients.

Abstract Background In patients with non-paroxysmal AF (atrial fibrillation), various ablation strategies have been attempted to target non-pulmonary vein (PV) foci or to achieve substrate modification beyond pulmonary vein isolation. The efficacy of empirical ablation of the SVC, one of the most common non-PV foci, is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of additional superior vena cava (SVC) isolation in patients with non-paroxysmal AF undergoing thoracoscopic surgical ablation. Methods/results A total of 191 patients with persistent or long-standing persistent AF was enrolled. All patients underwent total thoracoscopic surgical ablation for AF, and half of them also received empirical SVC isolation. We compared the atrial tachyarrhythmia (ATa)-free survival rate and procedure-related complications in the two groups of patients. The 3-year ATa-free survival rate was 53% in the SVC isolation group and 52% in the no-SVC isolation group (p = 0.644). There were no differences between the two groups with respect to AF type or LA size. Procedure-related complications occurred in 12 patients (6%). Pacemakers were implanted only in three patients from the SVC isolation group. The only factor influencing recurrence of ATa was LA diameter. Conclusions Empirical SVC isolation during thoracoscopic ablation for persistent AF did not improve patient outcomes.

Abstract Cardiac physiologic pacing (CPP), encompassing cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) and conduction system pacing (CSP), has emerged as a pacing therapy strategy that may mitigate or prevent the development of heart failure (HF) in patients with ventricular dyssynchrony or pacing‐induced cardiomyopathy. This clinical practice guideline is intended to provide guidance on indications for CRT for HF therapy and CPP in patients with pacemaker indications or HF, patient selection, pre‐procedure evaluation and preparation, implant procedure management, follow‐up evaluation and optimization of CPP response, and use in pediatric populations. Gaps in knowledge, pointing to new directions for future research, are also identified.

Abstract Background The association between bundle branch block (BBB) and recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after catheter ablation is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine whether AF combined with BBB is associated with AF recurrence after catheter ablation. Methods A total of 477 consecutive AF patients who underwent catheter ablation were included. The AF patients were divided into three groups according to BBB: AF without BBB (n = 427), AF with right bundle branch block (AF with RBBB) (n = 16), and AF with intraventricular conduction delay (AF with IVCD) (n = 34). Results Of the 477 AF patients (mean age 57 years, 81% men, median CHA2DS2‐VASc score of 1), 16 (3.4%) patients had RBBB, and 34 (7.1%) patients had IVCD. During a mean follow‐up of 15.2 ± 6.7 months, 119 patients (24.9%) had recurrence of AF. Of these, 111 (26%) patients were in the AF without BBB group, with 2 (12.5%) and 6 (17.6%) patients in the RBBB and IVCD groups, respectively. The Kaplan–Meier estimate of the rate of recurrent AF was not significantly different among the three groups (p = .39). Multivariable analysis showed that persistent AF (HR 1.7, 95% CI 1.15–2.50, p = .007), chronic kidney disease (HR 2.94, 95% CI 1.20–7.17, p = .01), and left atrial diameter (HR 1.04, 95% CI 1.009–1.082, p = .01) were significantly associated with AF recurrence. Conclusion AF with BBB was not significantly associated with the recurrence of AF after catheter ablation in middle‐aged patients with low‐risk cardiovascular profile.

Abstract Background An exponential rise in clinical demand for cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) therapy is observed all over the world due to the rapidly expanding lifespan. Accordingly, appropriate lead management including lead extraction is becoming increasingly essential components for the comprehensive care of patients with various CIEDs. Main body With a high success rate and a low complication rate, transvenous lead extraction (TLE) has now been established as first-line therapy for lead extraction. However, TLE is often challenging when there are heavily calcified fibrous adhesions between leads and cardiovascular structures. Recently, rotational mechanical dilator (RMD) sheaths were introduced to resolve this issue and facilitate TLE procedure. There are two types of commercially available RMD sheaths, Evolution® systems and TightRail™. Thorough knowledge of the proper use of the RMD devices is essential to increase success rate and to reduce complications of TLE. In the present review, mechanical features, various techniques, and clinical data of RMD sheaths will be described. Conclusion According to recent advancement of device technology, the clinical outcomes of TLE using the RMD sheaths are continuously improving. However, as the RMD sheath is a potentially aggressive tool, special care should be taken when used in patients with longer lead ages. Author names: Please confirm if the author names are presented accurately and in the correct sequence (given name, family name). Author 2 Given name: Ju Youn, Family name: Kim; Author 4 Given name: Young Keun, Family name: On; Author 5 Given name: June Soo, Family name: Kim. Also, kindly confirm the details in the metadata are correct.All of the author names are correct.

Abstract Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a well-known, long-term complication of atrial septal defect (ASD) in adults, even after device closure. Left atrial (LA) strain rate applied to the analysis of chamber function has been demonstrated to be an important predictor of LA reverse remodeling. This study aimed to determine the changes in chamber function after device closure of ASD. Methods This prospective study enrolled adults with secundum ASD undergoing transcatheter device closure from December 2016 to August 2017. We analyzed the clinical characteristics and LA strain rate before and six months after ASD closure. Results A total of 11 patients were enrolled. The mean age was 42.6 ± 9.9 years, and six (54.5%) were females. There was no significant change of conventional echocardiographic parameters after ASD closure. The mean global LA reservoir strain rate before ASD closure was 1.17 ± 0.34 and 0.85 ± 0.30 after ASD closure (p = 0.030). The median global LA conduit strain rate was 0.68 (0.42–1.16) and 0.41 (0.16–0.79) before and after ASD closure (p = 0.213), respectively. The mean global LA contractile strain rate at the six-month follow-up showed significant improvement compared with pre-procedural strain rate (0.33 ± 0.65 vs. − 0.43 ± 0.38, p = 0.006). Conclusions LA functional changes occurred during the six-month follow-up, while LA and right atrial (RA) geometric changes were not significant. LA reverse remodeling was proved by restoration of LA late diastolic contractile function.

Abstract Aims The aim of the Mid‐Q Response study is to test the hypothesis that adaptive preferential left ventricular‐only pacing with the AdaptivCRT algorithm has superior clinical outcomes compared to conventional cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in heart failure (HF) patients with moderately wide QRS duration (≥120 ms and

Abstract It is unclear which factors are associated with progressive sinus node dysfunction after cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI)-dependent atrial flutter (AFL) ablation. We sought to evaluate the incidence and predictors for permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation after CTI-dependent AFL ablation. Between January 2011 and June 2021, 353 patients underwent CTI-dependent AFL ablation were studied. During a median follow-up of 31.6 months, 30 patients (8.5%) received PPM implantation, 24 for sick sinus syndrome and 6 for atrioventricular block. In multivariable model, prior atrial fibrillation (AF) (HR 3.570; 95% CI 1.034–12.325; P = 0.044), lowest previous sinus heart rate (HR 0.942; 95% CI 0.898–0.988; P = 0.015), and left atrial volume index (LAVI) (HR 1.067; 95% CI 1.024–1.112; P = 0.002) were independently associated with PPM implantation after CTI-dependent AFL ablation. The best cut-off points for predicting PPM implantation were 60.1 ml/m2 for LAVI and 46 beats per minute for lowest previous sinus heart rate. Among the patients discharged without PPM implantation after ablation, sinus pause over three seconds at AFL termination during ablation was an independent predictor of PPM implantation (HR 17.841; 95% CI 4.626–68.807; P

Objectives: Heart rate turbulence (HRT) and T-wave alternans (TWA), non-invasive markers of cardiac autonomic dysfunction, and ventricular repolarization abnormality, reportedly, predict the risk of cardiovascular death after myocardial infarction. We investigated whether pre-operative assessment of HRT and/or TWA could predict long-term mortality following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Methods: From May 2010 to December 2017, patients undergoing elective CABG and receiving 24 h ambulatory electrocardiogram monitoring 1 to 5 days prior to CABG surgery were prospectively enrolled. Pre-operative HRT and TWA were measured using a 24 h ambulatory electrocardiogram. The relative risk of cardiac or overall death was assessed according to abnormalities of HRT, TWA, or left ventricular ejection fraction (LV EF). Results: During the mean follow-up period of 4.6 ± 3.9 years, 40 adjudicated overall (5.9%/yr) and 5 cardiac deaths (0.9%/yr) occurred in 146 enrolled patients (64.9 ± 9.3 years; 108 males). Patients with abnormal HRT exhibited significantly higher relative risks of cardiac death (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 24.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.46–427) and all-cause death (adjusted HR 5.77, 95% CI 2.34–14.2) compared to those with normal HRT. Moreover, abnormal HRT plus abnormal TWA and LV EF < 50% was associated with a greater elevation in cardiac and overall mortality risk. The predictive role of abnormal HRT with/without abnormal TWA for all-cause death was likely more prominent in patients with mildly reduced (35 to 50%) or preserved (≥50%) LV EF. Abnormal HRT plus abnormal TWA and LV EF < 50% showed high negative predictive value in cardiac and overall mortality risk. Conclusions: Assessment of pre-operative HRT and/or TWA predicted mortality risk in patients undergoing elective CABG. Combined analysis of HRT, TWA, and LVEF enhanced the prognostic power. In particular, the predictive value of HRT was enhanced in patients with preserved or mid-range LV EF.

Abstract The need for transvenous lead extraction (TLE) is increasing worldwide including in Asia–Pacific regions. However, supporting evidence for TightRail, a relatively new rotating mechanical dilator sheath, is still lacking in Asian patients. The efficacy and safety of TLE using TightRail performed between March 2018 and June 2021 were evaluated in 86 consecutive patients with 131 leads. The mean lead age was 11.7 ± 7.3 (range, 1.0–41.4) years. Clinical and complete procedural success using TightRail were achieved in 93.0% and 89.5% of 86 patients, respectively, with 6 min of median fluoroscopic time and 9.3% of major complication rate: death (1.2%), cardiac tamponade (3.5%), severe tricuspid regurgitation (3.5%), and stroke (1.2%). However, in 46 patients with longest lead age ≤ 10 years, clinical/complete success and major cardiac complication rates turned out better as 97.8%, 95.7%, and 2.2%, respectively. Additionally, when patients were divided into 3 groups: the first 28, second 29, and the last 29 patients, there was a clear trend toward better efficacy and safety outcomes with more experience with TightRail (Ptrend 10 years was closely associated with TLE-related major cardiac complication (P = 0.046) with 85.7% sensitivity, 57.0% specificity, 15.0% positive predictive value, and 97.8% negative predictive values. In conclusion, TLE using TightRail may be effectively and safely performed by experienced operators for Asian patients with the longest lead age ≤ 10 years. However, as TightRail is a potentially aggressive tool, special attention should be paid to patients with longer lead dwelling times (e.g., > 10 years).

BackgroundAtrial fibrillation (AF) is occasionally diagnosed in individuals with Graves’ disease. Definite treatments, including radioactive iodine therapy (RAIT) or surgery might lower the risk of AF in the literature. However, no studies have compared the effects of anti-thyroid drugs (ATDs), RAIT, and surgery on the risk of AF.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study included 94,060 newly diagnosed Graves’ disease patients and 470,300 controls from the Korean National Health Insurance database. The incidence of AF was evaluated in patients and controls. Patients were categorized based on treatment method into ATD (95.6%), RAIT (3.5%), and surgery (0.9%) groups. In the ATD group, the dose and duration of ATDs were calculated for each patient. In the RAIT and surgery groups, remission was defined as levothyroxine prescription.ResultsGraves’ disease patients had a 2.2-fold higher risk of developing AF than controls. Regardless of demographic factors, the patient group had a consistently higher risk of AF than controls, with the highest risk of AF (HR, 5.49) in the younger patient group. The surgery group had a similar risk of AF compared with controls, whereas the ATD (HR, 2.23) and RAIT (HR, 2.00) groups had increased risks of AF, even in patients reaching hypothyroid status after RAIT. Patients with higher dose or longer treatment duration of ATDs were at greater risk of AF.ConclusionWe observed differing risks of AF according to methods of treatment for Graves’ disease, and that definite treatment can be an option for subjects needing sustained medical treatment considering the risk of AF.

Background: Limited data are available on the long-term outcomes of drug-eluting stents (DES) vs bare-metal stents (BMS) in patients with left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease. Methods: In this observational cohort of the Revascularization for Unprotected Left Main Coronary Artery Stenosis: Comparison of Percutaneous Coronary Angioplasty vs Surgical Revascularization (MAIN-COMPARE) registry, we evaluated patients with unprotected LMCA stenosis who received DES or BMS between January 2000 and June 2006. The primary outcome was a composite of all-cause death or myocardial infarction (MI) at 10 years. Adjusted outcomes were compared using propensity scores and inverse probability of treatment weighting. Results: A total of 1102 patients underwent DES (n = 784) or BMS (n = 318) during the study period. At 10 years, the adjusted rate of the primary outcome was significantly lower in DES group than in the BMS group (27.9% vs 37.0%; hazard ratio [HR], 0.71; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.53-0.94; P = 0.02). The adjusted 10-year mortality rate was significantly lower in DES group than in the BMS group (20.6% vs 29.6%; HR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.46-0.91; P = 0.01), whereas the 10-year rate of MI was similar between the 2 groups (9.9% vs 11.0%; HR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.54-1.59; P = 0.78). DES use was associated with a significant reduction in the rate of target-lesion revascularization (10.2% vs 21.8%; HR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.27-0.61; P < 0.001). Conclusions: In this 10-year follow-up study in patients with LMCA disease, DES use was associated with a significant reduction in the rate of the composite of death or MI, mortality, and target-lesion revascularization, when compared with BMS. Résumé: Contexte: On dispose de peu de données sur les résultats à long terme de la mise en place d'endoprothèses médicamentées par rapport aux endoprothèses non médicamentées chez les patients atteints d'une maladie de l'artère coronaire principale gauche. Méthodologie: Dans cette cohorte d'observation du registre MAIN-COMPARE (Revascularization for Unprotected Left Main Coronary Artery Stenosis: Comparison of Percutaneous Coronary Angioplasty vs Surgical Revascularization), nous avons évalué les patients présentant une sténose de l'artère coronaire principale gauche non protégée et ayant reçu une endoprothèse médicamentée ou une endoprothèse non médicamentée entre janvier 2000 et juin 2006. Le paramètre d’évaluation principal était composé de la mortalité toutes causes confondues et de l'infarctus du myocarde (IM) à 10 ans. Les résultats ajustés ont été comparés en utilisant des scores de propension et la pondération inverse sur la probabilité d’être traité. Résultats: Au total, 1 102 patients ont reçu des endoprothèses médicamentées (n = 784) ou des endoprothèses non médicamentées (n = 318) pendant la période d’étude. À 10 ans, le taux ajusté de survenue du paramètre d’évaluation principal était nettement plus faible dans le groupe endoprothèses médicamentées que dans le groupe endoprothèses non médicamentées (27,9 % vs 37,0 %; rapport des risques instantanés [RRI] : 0,71; intervalle de confiance [IC] à 95 % : 0,53-0,94; p = 0,02). Le taux de mortalité ajusté à 10 ans était considérablement plus faible dans le groupe endoprothèses médicamentées que dans le groupe endoprothèses non médicamentées (20,6 % vs 29,6 %; RRI : 0,65; IC à 95 % : 0,46-0,91; p = 0,01), tandis que le taux d'IM à 10 ans était similaire dans les deux groupes (9,9 % vs 11,0 %; RRI : 0,93; IC à 95 % : 0,54-1,59; p = 0,78). L'utilisation d'endoprothèses médicamentées était associée à une diminution importante du taux de revascularisation de la lésion cible (10,2 % vs 21,8 %; RRI : 0,41; IC à 95 % : 0,27-0,61; p < 0,001). Conclusions: Dans cette étude de suivi de 10 ans menée auprès de patients atteints d'une maladie de l'artère coronaire principale gauche, l'utilisation d'endoprothèses médicamentées a été associée à une diminution importante du taux des décès ou des IM regroupés, de la mortalité et du taux de revascularisation de la lésion cible, par rapport à l'utilisation d'endoprothèses non médicamentées.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a well-known risk factor for adverse cardiovascular events in patients receiving percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Limited data are available on the relative performance of different types of contemporary drug-eluting stents (DES) for diabetic patients. Objectives: The authors investigated the effectiveness and safety profiles of several contemporary DES in patients with DM in a “real-world” clinical setting. Methods: Among 24,516 patients enrolled in a multicenter, prospective registry, 7,823 patients with DM were treated with 4 contemporary DES: 2,877 with a cobalt chromium everolimus-eluting stent (EES), 789 with a biodegradable polymer biolimus-eluting stent, 2,286 with a platinum chromium-EES, and 1,871 with a Resolute zotarolimus-eluting stent. The primary outcome was target vessel failure (TVF) (a composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization). Results: The median follow-up duration was 2.9 years. Observed 3-year rates of TVF were not significantly different according to different DES types. On multigroup propensity-score analysis, the adjusted HRs for TVF were similar in between-group comparisons: biodegradable polymer biolimus-eluting stent (HR: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.76-1.16; P = 0.57), platinum chromium-EES (HR: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.81-1.09; P = 0.41), and Resolute zotarolimus-eluting stent (HR: 1.01; 95% CI: 0.86-1.18; P = 0.93) compared with the cobalt chromium-EES (reference). This trend was maintained in patients with non–insulin- and insulin-treated DM. Conclusions: In this multicenter clinical-practice PCI registry, no significant between-group differences were found for a 3-year risk of TVF in patients with DM undergoing PCI with various types of contemporary DES. (Evaluation of the First, Second, and New Drug-Eluting Stents in Routine Clinical Practice [IRIS-DES]; NCT01186133)

Background and Objective The association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and atrial fibrillation (AF) has been closely studied. However, obesity is a powerful confounder in the causal relationship between OSA and cardiovascular disease. The contribution of obesity in the relationship between OSA and AF remains unclear. Methods We recruited 457 consecutive patients equally with and without AF who underwent clinically indicated diagnostic polysomnography at a single academic sleep center. Multivariable logistic regression adjusting for age, sex, hypertension, and heart failure was performed to study the independent association between OSA and AF stratified by obesity. Results A total of 457 patients (male: 56.2%, mean age 63.1 ± 13.3 years) was included. OSA prevalence was similar between those with and without AF (52.6% vs. 47.4%, respectively; p = 0.24). In multivariable analysis, no association was found between AF and OSA regardless of obesity status. When severe OSA (vs. non-severe OSA) was modeled as a dependent variable, AF was associated with a higher likelihood of severe OSA in non-obese patients [odds ratio (OR): 2.29, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.23–4.35, p = 0.01], but not in obese patients (OR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.48–1.90, p = 0.89). Conclusions The association of OSA with AF was present only in the non-obese and was limited to severe OSA patients. In contrast, no association was found in obese patients. The association between OSA and AF is partly dependent on the body habitus.

BackgroundSubclinical atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the pathogeneses of embolic stroke. Detection of occult AF and providing proper anticoagulant treatment is an important way to prevent stroke recurrence. The purpose of this study was to determine whether an artificial intelligence (AI) model can assess occult AF using 24-h Holter monitoring during normal sinus rhythm.MethodsThis study is a retrospective cohort study that included those who underwent Holter monitoring. The primary outcome was identifying patients with AF analyzed with an AI model using 24-h Holter monitoring without AF documentation. We trained the AI using a Holter monitor, including supraventricular ectopy (SVE) events (setting 1) and excluding SVE events (setting 2). Additionally, we performed comparisons using the SVE burden recorded in Holter annotation data.ResultsThe area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC) of setting 1 was 0.85 (0.83–0.87) and that of setting 2 was 0.84 (0.82–0.86). The AUROC of the SVE burden with Holter annotation data was 0.73. According to the diurnal period, the AUROCs for daytime were 0.83 (0.78–0.88) for setting 1 and 0.83 (0.78–0.88) for setting 2, respectively, while those for nighttime were 0.85 (0.82–0.88) for setting 1 and 0.85 (0.80–0.90) for setting 2.ConclusionWe have demonstrated that an AI can identify occult paroxysmal AF using 24-h continuous ambulatory Holter monitoring during sinus rhythm. The performance of our AI model outperformed the use of SVE burden in the Holter exam to identify paroxysmal AF. According to the diurnal period, nighttime recordings showed more favorable performance compared to daytime recordings.

BackgroundAlthough there is a growing interest in prediction models based on electronic medical records (EMRs) to identify patients at risk of adverse cardiac events following invasive coronary treatment, robust models fully utilizing EMR data are limited. ObjectiveWe aimed to develop and validate machine learning (ML) models by using diverse fields of EMR to predict the risk of 30-day adverse cardiac events after percutaneous intervention or bypass surgery. MethodsEMR data of 5,184,565 records of 16,793 patients at a quaternary hospital between 2006 and 2016 were categorized into static basic (eg, demographics), dynamic time-series (eg, laboratory values), and cardiac-specific data (eg, coronary angiography). The data were randomly split into training, tuning, and testing sets in a ratio of 3:1:1. Each model was evaluated with 5-fold cross-validation and with an external EMR-based cohort at a tertiary hospital. Logistic regression (LR), random forest (RF), gradient boosting machine (GBM), and feedforward neural network (FNN) algorithms were applied. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality following invasive treatment. ResultsGBM showed the best performance with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.99; RF had a similar AUROC of 0.98. AUROCs of FNN and LR were 0.96 and 0.93, respectively. GBM had the highest area under the precision-recall curve (AUPRC) of 0.80, and the AUPRCs of RF, LR, and FNN were 0.73, 0.68, and 0.63, respectively. All models showed low Brier scores of 0.95, contributing majorly to the excellent results. ConclusionsExploiting the diverse fields of the EMR data set, the ML-based 30-day adverse cardiac event prediction models demonstrated outstanding results, and the applied framework could be generalized for various health care prediction models.

Abstract Introduction Sleep apnea is highly prevalent in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common type, and best studied in the context of AF. However, recent investigations have indicated that central sleep apnea (CSA) may be a risk factor for incident AF. We evaluated the burden of CSA events in patients referred for diagnostic polysomnography (PSG) and whether AF is associated with CSA. Methods We identified patients with and without a history of AF who underwent clinically indicated PSG in a matched manner. OSA was defined as obstructive apnea‐hypopnea index (AHI) ≥15/h, and CSA was defined as central apnea index (CAI) ≥5/h. The association between AF and CSA was evaluated using multivariable logistic regression. Results Among 465 patients included, mean AHI was 25.5/h, and mean CAI was 1.7/h. OSA prevalence was 53.3%, while CSA prevalence was 8.4%. The prevalence of OSA in the AF and non‐AF groups (54.7% vs 52.0%, P = .56) was similar. CSA was more common in the AF group (12.3% vs 4.4%, P = .002). In multivariable analysis, AF (OR: 2.19 [1.02, 5.03], P = .05), male gender (OR: 2.5 [1.17, 5.84], P = .02), and older age (OR: 2.44, [1.16, 5.46], P = .02) were associated with CSA. Conclusion Though CSA is much less common than OSA in patients with AF, the presence of AF is independently associated with CSA.

Background There are still limited data about the differential effect of sex on long‐term outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for left main coronary artery disease. This extended follow‐up study of the MAIN‐COMPARE (Ten‐Year Outcomes of Stents Versus Coronary‐Artery Bypass Grafting for Left Main Coronary Artery Disease) registry evaluated clinical outcomes beyond 10 years. Methods and Results Of 2240 patients with unprotected left main coronary artery disease (PCI=1102 and CABG=1138), all‐cause mortality, the composite of death, Q‐wave myocardial infarction, or stroke, and target vessel revascularization were separately evaluated in both sexes. Of 2240 patients, 631 (28.2%) were women and 1609 (71.8%) were men. Women had lower 10‐year incidences of death and serious composite outcomes than men. The adjusted 10‐year risks of adverse outcomes were similar in men. However, the adjusted 10‐year risks were different according to a prespecified period in women. In the short‐term (0–1 year) period, PCI had a significantly lower risk for serious composite outcomes (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.41; 95% CI, 0.19–0.91; P=0.03) compared with CABG. The adjusted risks for death and serious composite outcomes were significantly higher after PCI than after CABG, during the midterm (1–5 years) period (death; adjusted HR, 3.99; 95% CI, 2.01–7.92; P

Background Controversy exists over whether sex has significant interaction with revascularization strategy for unprotected left main coronary artery disease. Higher mortality has been reported among women treated with percutaneous coronary intervention compared with coronary artery bypass grafting. Methods and Results The DELTA (Drug‐Eluting Stents for Left Main Coronary Artery Disease) and DELTA‐2 registries are international, multicentric registries evaluating the outcomes of subjects undergoing coronary revascularization for unprotected left main coronary artery disease. The primary outcome was a composite of death, myocardial infarction, or cerebrovascular accidents. The population consisted of 6253 patients, including 1689 (27%) women. Women were older and more likely to have diabetes and chronic kidney disease than men (P

ObjectivesAtrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with an increased ischemic stroke, and the left atrial appendage (LAA) represents the main source of thrombus formation. We evaluated the long-term efficacy of surgical thoracoscopic LAA occlusion during total thoracoscopic ablation of AF to prevent the stroke and anticoagulation strategy after surgery.MethodsPatients who underwent total thoracoscopic ablation for AF, from February 2012 to May 2020, were included; Patients who did not receive LAA occlusion were excluded. We evaluated the development of thromboembolism in these patients.ResultsThe total number of 460 patients [mean age, 57.1 ± 9.2 years; 400 (87.0%) males] were included in the study. The mean follow-up duration was 44.8 months. The mean CHA2DS2-VASc score was 1.9 ± 1.6. Median OAC duration was 109.5 days after the surgery, and the final number of patients who discontinued OAC were 411 (89.3%) in total. Anticoagulation discontinuation rate according to CHA2DS2-VASc score are as follows; (i) 0 = 99.0%; (ii) 1 = 98.2%; and (iii) ≥2 = 81.3%. The annualized incidence rate of ischemic stroke was 0.78%/year, showing a 73% risk reduction compared with the CHA2DS2-VASc predicted rate without anticoagulation. The hazard ratio for ischemic stroke according to previous stroke history was 1.5 [95% confidential interval (CI) 0.3–7.3, p = 0.62], and that of remnant LAA was 5.1 (1.2–20.9, p = 0.02).ConclusionsThoracoscopic LAA occlusion during total thoracoscopic ablation of AF was effective to prevent ischemic stroke. Most patients could discontinue OAC therapy after the procedure. Patients who had a residual trabeculated LAA, or peri-occluder pouch in follow-up CT need to maintain OAC therapy even after LAA occlusion.

Background Various ECG criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) have been proposed, but their association with clinical outcomes in patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement is unknown. We investigated the prevalence of ECG LVH according to different criteria and its prognostic impact on clinical outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Methods and Results In this prospective observational cohort, we evaluated 700 patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement between March 2010 and December 2019. Baseline preprocedural LVH was defined by 3 ECG criteria—Sokolow‐Lyon, Romhilt‐Estes, and Cornell voltage criteria. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular event (MACCE; composite of death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or rehospitalization from cardiovascular cause); the key secondary outcome was all‐cause and cardiovascular mortality. Among 596 eligible patients, the prevalence of LVH was determined as 56.3% by Sokolow‐Lyon, 31.1% by Romhilt‐Estes, and 48.1% by Cornell criteria. Regardless of the criteria, patients with ECG LVH had more severe aortic stenosis hemodynamics and higher left ventricular mass index. After multivariate adjustment, the presence of LVH by the Cornell criteria was significantly associated with lower risks of MACCE (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.68; 95% CI, 0.51–0.91; P=0.009), all‐cause mortality (adjusted HR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.34–0.90 [P=0.017]), and cardiovascular mortality (adjusted HR, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.20–0.79 [P=0.008]). However, this association was absent with the Sokolow‐Lyon and Romhilt‐Estes criteria. Conclusions ECG LVH by Cornell criteria only was significantly associated with lower risks of MACCE and all‐cause or cardiovascular mortality. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT03298178.

Abstract Aims We sought to evaluate the effectiveness of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in far‐advanced heart failure (FA‐HF) patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class‐IV status and dependency on intravenous drugs (IVDs) and/or invasive supportive treatments (ISTs). Methods and results Among 305 patients who underwent CRT implantation between October 2005 to December 2019, we identified 17 FA‐HF patients with NYHA class‐IV status and dependency on IVDs (inotropes, diuretics, vasopressors, or vasodilators) and/or ISTs (extracorporeal membranous oxygenator or continuous renal replacement therapy). All patients (median age = 68.7 years, non‐ischaemic cardiomyopathy = 15) remained dependent on several IVDs (2.2 ± 1.3 per patient) and/or ISTs for 11.3 ± 7.8 days due to multiple tapering failure (4.3 ± 3.2 per patient) before CRT implantation. However, 14 (82%) patients were successfully weaned from IVDs/ISTs within 5.2 ± 5.3 days following CRT, and 12 (71%) stayed alive for more than 1 year free of ventricular assist device or heart transplantation with symptom improvement (≥1 NYHA class) and a reduced annual HF hospitalization rate (P = 0.002). Considerable improvements in ventricular systolic function (P = 0.004) and volumetric reverse remodelling (P = 0.007) were noticed during the long‐term follow‐up period (35 ± 15 months post‐CRT). The ventricular assist device/heart transplantation/death‐free survival rate post‐CRT was 71% and 65% at 1 and 3 years, respectively. Conclusions Cardiac resynchronization therapy implantation may be a feasible treatment that can offer short‐term and long‐term clinical benefits for NYHA class‐IV FA‐HF patients who are dependent on IVDs/ISTs. When considering treatment options, CRT should not be prematurely excluded solely based on a patient's dependency on IVDs/ISTs without first attempting to identify favourable CRT response factors.

Abstract Background Frequent ventricular premature depolarizations (VPDs) can cause reversible cardiomyopathy (CMP). However, many patients maintain a normal left ventricular (LV) function with a high VPD burden. The electrocardiographic characteristics of VPD‐induced CMP have not been elucidated. Methods One hundred and eighty (91 men, age; 51 ± 15 years) patients with frequent idiopathic VPDs (>10% VPDs/day or >10 000 VPDs/day) were studied. All patients underwent successful ablation and were then divided into two groups according to the echocardiographic findings before and after the ablation procedure. Results Group A (n = 139) had a normal LV function with VPD frequencies, and Group B (n = 41) had reversible LV dysfunction after ablation. The VPD QRS duration (QRSd) was wider in patients with CMP (Group A vs Group B; 137.2 ± 12.0 milliseconds vs 159.7 ± 5.3 milliseconds, P

Background Cryoballoon ablation was established as an effective and safe modality to achieve pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF). However, its role in persistent atrial fibrillation (PersAF) remains unclear. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of cryoballoon PVI in PAF and PersAF comparing conventional radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA). Methods Two hundred patients undergoing cryoballoon ablation for symptomatic AF were consecutively enrolled in this retrospective study. For comparison, 210 patients undergoing RFCA in the same period were included. The primary outcome was a recurrence of any atrial tachyarrhythmias (ATas) after the index ablation. 12-lead ECG and 24-hour Holter monitoring were obtained at 1,3,6 and 9–12 months. Results PVI by cryoablation alone was achieved in 197 patients (98.5%). ATas-free survival at 12 months post-ablation was 72.7% in the cryoablation and 80.6% in the RFCA group (P = 0.123), respectively. The cryoablation showed comparable efficacy maintaining sinus rhythm compared with RFCA in PAF (P = 0.539), whereas in PersAF, ATas-free survival was significantly lower in cryoablation (P = 0.039). PV reconnection was observed in the majority of patients (14/16, 87.5%) who receive redo RFCA. Complications were encountered in 10 patients, including femoral arteriovenous fistula (n = 1), transient phrenic nerve palsy (n = 8), and minimal amount pericardial effusion (n = 1). Conclusion The efficacy of cryoballoon PVI is comparable with conventional RFCA in PAF, whereas PVI alone using cryoballoon may not be insufficient to maintaining sinus rhythm in PersAF. The safety of cryoballlon PVI is tolerable.

Abstract Background and objectives The association between thyroid dysfunction and supraventricular tachyarrhythmia (SVT) other than atrial fibrillation (AF) is not well elucidated. We hypothesized that patients with suspected or documented SVT have undetected thyroid dysfunction more frequently than general population. Subjects and methods Patients with symptoms suggestive of SVT other than AF who were planned to undergo an EP study at our center were eligible for this study. Patients with known thyroid disease, medications affecting thyroid function test (TFT) or atrial fibrillation were excluded. The primary outcome was prevalence of TFT abnormalities in the study population. The secondary outcome was prevalence of clinically significant arrhythmia during the EP study. Results A total of 533 patients were analyzed. Patients were divided into the two groups according to TFT results. Fifty-six (10.5%) patients had abnormal TFT results (thyroid dysfunction group), while 477 (89.5%) had normal thyroid function (euthyroidism group). The overall prevalence of thyroid dysfunction was 10.5%. The thyroid dysfunction group showed a tendency for higher induction of clinically significant SVT than the euthyroidism group. However, thyroid dysfunction was not an independent predictor of clinically significant SVT during EP study. Conclusion In this study, patients with suspected SVT who were planned for EP study had a relatively high incidence of thyroid dysfunction. Clinically significant arrhythmia tended to be induced more frequently in the thyroid dysfunction group than in the euthyroidism group. Further investigations are needed to verify the clinical implications of TFT in patients with SVT other than AF.

Abstract Background Electrical cardioversion (ECV) is an effective method for restoring sinus rhythm after atrial fibrillation (AF). However, early recurrence of AF occurs in a significant number of patients after ECV. This study aimed to identify electrocardiographic (ECG) predictors of early AF recurrence after ECV. Methods A total of 272 patients with persistent AF undergoing successful ECV were consecutively enrolled in this study. We investigated clinical, echocardiographic, and ECG data. The 12‐lead ECG parameters were measured during sinus rhythm right after ECV using a digital caliper. The early AF recurrence was defined as recurrence within 2 months. Results Of the 272 patients, 165 patients (60.7%) experienced an early AF recurrence. Maximum P‐wave duration (PWD) in limb leads (OR: 1.086; 95% CI: 1.019–1.157; p = .012) and P‐terminal force (PTF) in V1 (OR: 1.019; 95% CI: 1.004–1.033; p = .011) were independent predictors of early AF recurrence after ECV. The optimal cutoff value of the maximum PWD in limb leads for predicting early AF recurrence was 134 ms, characterized by 90.3% sensitivity and 72.0% specificity. Likewise, the optimal cutoff value of PTF in V1 was 50 ms × mm, characterized by 80.0% sensitivity and 64.5% specificity. Conclusion A longer PWD (>134 ms) and a larger PTF (>50 ms × mm) were useful predictors of early recurrence of AF after successful ECV in clinical practice. A more effective rhythm control therapy such as catheter ablation or rate control strategy rather than a repeat ECV should be considered.

Background: Totally thoracoscopic ablation (TTA) is a minimally invasive and safe alternative to radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). It has evolved over the last decades, but data are limited. The aim of this study was to report the long-term efficacy and safety of TTA through a single center experience. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed all consecutive patients who underwent TTA for AF from February 2012 to December 2018. All patients were followed every 3 months after operation with 12-lead ECG and 24-hour Holter ECG monitoring. The late recurrence of AF was defined as any atrial tachyarrhythmia (ATa) sustained more than 30 s from 3 months after surgery. Results: Of the total 408 patients undergoing TTA, 265 were analyzed in this study (17% paroxysmal, persistent or long standing persistent 83%, mean age 56 ± 9 years). During the mean follow-up duration 23 ± 18 months, ATa-free survival rate was 74%, 64%, 58%, 51% and 51% at 1,2,3,4 and 5 years, respectively. At the last follow-up, 75% of patients had sinus rhythm with or without additional intervention. The overall complication rate was 4.5% (12 events) and four patients (1.5%) had a stroke during follow-up. Conclusions: TTA could be effective treatment option for AF. It had a very low risk of complication and could reduce stroke incidence. Further studies are needed to improve treatment strategy.

Neurally mediated syncope (NMS) is a common clinical problem. The underlying genetic factors of NMS remain controversial. We hypothesized that cardiac syncope-related genes may contribute to NMS in patients with previous frequent syncopal episodes and/or a family history of syncope. A total of 54 consecutive patients diagnosed with NMS were prospectively enrolled between 2013 and 2016. Inclusion criteria were more than five syncopal episodes with a family history of syncope (n = 17) or more than five syncopal episodes with no family history of syncope (n = 37). Ninety-eight cardiac syncope-related genes (channelopathy: 43 genes, cardiomyopathy: 50 genes, primary pulmonary hypertension: 5 genes) were screened by exome sequencing. All identified variants were classified according to the standards and guidelines by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and the Association for Molecular Pathology. Of the 54 patients, 17 patients (31.5%) had a family history of syncope. Two patients (3.7%) had pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants (PV/LPV) in cardiac syncope-related genes TTN and MYH7. We investigated genetic variation in patients with frequent NMS with a positive family history of syncope in Korea. PV/LPVs in genes related to cardiomyopathy were associated with recurrent NMS in Korean patients. Closer follow-up of these patients might be needed.

(1) Background: Limited data exist on the safety and efficacy of epicardial left ventricular (LV) lead placement using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). (2) Methods: Acute and post-discharge outcomes of CRT were compared between patients with epicardial LV leads (Epicardial-LV group, n = 13) and those with endocardial LV leads (Endocardial-LV group, n = 243). (3) Results: Epicardial LV leads were implanted via VATS alone (n = 8) or along with mini-thoracotomy (n = 5), for failed endocardial implantation (n = 11) or recurrent lead dislodgement (n = 2). All epicardial procedures under general anesthesia with one-lung ventilation were successfully completed in 1.0 ± 0.4 h without phrenic nerve stimulation. LV pacing thresholds in the epicardial-LV (1.5 ± 1.0 V) and endocardial-LV (1.3 ± 0.8 V) were comparable (p = 0.651). All patients were discharged alive post-VATS 8.8 ± 3.9 days. During the follow-up (34.3 ± 28.6 months), all patients with epicardial LV leads stayed alive except for one cardiac death post-CRT 14 months and one heart transplantation post-CRT 30 months. All epicardial LV leads maintained stable performance without dislodgement/significant changes in pacing threshold/impedance. LV lead dislodgement occurred only in endocardial-LV (7/243, 2.9%). Efficacy in both groups was comparable in terms of QRS narrowing, increase in LV ejection fraction, and survival free of cardiac death, or heart-failure-related hospitalization. (4) Conclusions: Epicardial LV lead placement using VATS can be a safe and effective alternative to endocardial implantation, with comparable acute and post-discharge outcomes achieved by both approaches.

Introduction Optimal antithrombotic strategy following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is still unknown. We hypothesised that the direct factor Xa inhibitor edoxaban can potentially prevent subclinical leaflet thrombosis and cerebral embolisation compared with conventional dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in patients undergoing TAVR.Methods and analysis The ADAPT-TAVR trial is an international, multicentre, randomised, open-label, superiority trial comparing edoxaban-based strategy and DAPT strategy in patients without an indication for oral anticoagulation who underwent successful TAVR. A total of 220 patients are randomised (1:1 ratio), 1–7 days after successful TAVR, to receive either edoxaban (60 mg daily or 30 mg daily if patients had dose-reduction criteria) or DAPT using aspirin (100 mg daily) plus clopidogrel (75 mg daily) for 6 months. The primary endpoint was an incidence of leaflet thrombosis on four-dimensional, volume-rendered cardiac CT imaging at 6 months post-TAVR. The key secondary endpoints were the number of new lesions and new lesion volume on brain diffusion-weighted MRI and the changes in neurological and neurocognitive function assessment between immediate post-TAVR and 6 months of study drug administration. Detailed clinical information on thromboembolic and bleeding events were also assessed.Ethics and dissemination Ethic approval has been obtained from the Ethics Committee/Institutional Review Board of Asan Medical Center (approval number: 2017–1317) and this trial is also approved by National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation of Republic of Korea (approval number: 31511). Results of this study will be disseminated in scientific publication in reputed journals.Trial registration number NCT03284827.

Background and Objectives: The treadmill test (TMT) is a predictive tool for myocardial ischemia. Recently, exercise-provoked ventricular premature contracture (VPC) during TMT was shown to have a relation with coronary artery disease and cardiovascular mortality. Therefore, we evaluate clinical correlates of exercise-provoked VPC and compare the predictive power for myocardial ischemia and cardiovascular events. Method: Data of 408 patients (≥18 years of age) who underwent TMT for work up of angina, palpitation, dyspnea, syncope, or arrhythmia between February 2015, and January 2016, were collected with consent at Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Among total of 408 patients, 208 were excluded according to the previous history of PCI or CABG, previous MI, decreased left ventricular ejection fraction lower than 50%, arrhythmia that could affect ST-segment change on ECG. Results: Among 200 patients, 32 (16.0%) developed exercise-provoked VPC (21 patients in the exercise phase, 20 patients in the recovery phase). Of them, 20 patients (10.0%) showed positive TMT, and 4 patients (2.0%) underwent revascularization after TMT. Among 21 patients showing exercise phase VPC, 5 (23.8%) showed positive TMT results. In patients younger than 65 years, exercise phase VPC was associated with positive TMT (odds ratio 6.879, 1.458–32.453) considering demographics and previous medical history in multivariable analysis. Among the 20 patients showing recovery phase VPC, 2 (10.0%) underwent revascularization after TMT. In multivariable analysis, recovery phase VPC was associated with revascularization (odds ratio 9.381, 1.144–76.948) considering age, sex, BMI, and TMT result. Conclusion: VPC during the treadmill test was a useful predictor of myocardial ischemia in this study.

Background Although guidelines recommend the use of coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA) in patients with stable pain syndromes, the clinical benefits of the use of coronary CTA in a broad spectrum of patients is unknown. We evaluated the contemporary practice pattern and diagnostic yield of coronary CTA and their impact on the subsequent diagnostic‐therapeutic cascade and clinical outcomes. Methods and Results We identified 39 906 patients without known coronary artery disease (CAD) who underwent coronary CTA between January 2007 and December 2013. The patients' demographic characteristics, risk factors, symptoms, results of coronary CTA, the appropriateness of downstream diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, and long‐term outcomes (death or myocardial infarction) were evaluated. The number of coronary CTAs had increased over time, especially in asymptomatic patients. Coronary CTA revealed that 6108 patients (15.3%) had obstructive CAD (23.7% of symptomatic and 9.3% of asymptomatic patients). Subsequent cardiac catheterization was performed in 19.2% of symptomatic patients (appropriate, 80.6%) and in 3.9% of asymptomatic patients (appropriate, 7.9%). The 5‐year rate of death or myocardial infarction was significantly higher in patients with obstructive CAD on CTA than those without (7.2% versus 3.0%; P

Background Data are still limited regarding whether there are differential long‐term outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention versus coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for left main coronary artery disease with or without diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods and Results Using the 10‐year data from the MAIN‐COMPARE (Revascularization for Unprotected Left Main Coronary Artery Stenosis: Comparison of Percutaneous Coronary Angioplasty Versus Surgical Revascularization) registry, we sought to examine the effect of DM on comparative outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention or CABG in patients with unprotected left main coronary artery disease. The outcomes of interest were all‐cause mortality; a composite of death, Q‐wave myocardial infarction, or stroke; and target‐vessel revascularization. The primary adjusted analyses were performed with the use of propensity scores and inverse‐probability weighting. Of 2240 patients with left main coronary artery revascularization, 722 (32%) had DM. In the overall population, the adjusted 10‐year risks of death and composite outcome were similar between percutaneous coronary intervention and CABG, irrespective of DM status (Pinteraction: 0.41, mortality; 0.40, composite outcome). However, in the cohort of bare‐metal stents and concurrent CABG, we observed differential outcomes after stenting and CABG by DM status (Pinteraction: 0.09, mortality; 0.04, composite outcome), favoring CABG in patients with DM. In the cohort of drug‐eluting stents and concurrent CABG, the better effect of CABG over stenting was narrowed in patients with DM without a significant interaction (Pinteraction: 0.63, mortality; 0.47, composite outcome). Conclusions In this cohort of patients with longest follow‐up who underwent left main coronary artery revascularization, the clinical impact of DM favoring CABG over percutaneous coronary intervention has diminished over time from the bare‐metal stent to the drug‐eluting stent era. Registration URL: http://www.clini​caltr​ials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02791412.

Temporary pacemakers (TPMs) are usually inserted in an emergency situation. However, there are few reports available regarding which route of access is best or what the most preferred approach is currently in tertiary hospitals. This study aimed to compare procedure times, complication rates, and indications for temporary pacing between the transjugular and transfemoral approaches to TPM placement. We analyzed consecutive patients who underwent TPM placement. Indications; procedure times; and rates of complications including localized infection, any bleeding, and pacing wire repositioning rates were analyzed. A total of 732 patients (361 treated via the transjugular approach and 371 treated via the transfemoral approach) were included. Complete atrioventricular block was the most common cause of TPM placement in both groups, but sick sinus syndrome was especially common in the transjugular approach group. Separately, procedure time was significantly shorter in the transjugular approach group (9.0 ± 8.0 minutes vs. 11.9 ± 9.7 minutes; P < 0.001). Overall complication rates were not significantly different between the two groups, and longer duration of temporary pacing was a risk factor for repositioning. The risk of reposition was significantly increased when the temporary pacing was continued more than 5 days and 3 days in the transjugular approach group and the transfemoral approach group, respectively. The transjugular approach should be considered if the TPM is required for more than 3 days.

Background and Objectives: Cryoballoon ablation (CBA) and totally thoracoscopic surgical ablation (TTA) have emerged as alternatives to radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) for atrial fibrillation. In this study, we describe our experience comparing patient characteristics and outcomes of RFCA, CBA, and TTA. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from patients who underwent RFCA, CBA, or TTA. Both atrial fibrillation (AF)- and atrial tachyarrhythmia (ATa)-free survival rates were compared using time to recurrence after a 3-month blanking period (defined by a duration of more than 30 s). All patients were regularly followed using 12-lead ECGs or Holter ECG monitoring. Results: Of 354 patients in this study, 125 underwent RFCA, 97 underwent CBA and 131 underwent TTA. The TTA group had more patients with persistent AF, a larger LA diameter, and a history of stroke. The CBA group showed the shortest procedure time (p < 0.001). The CBA group showed significantly lower AF-free survival at 12 months than the RFCA and TTA groups (RFCA 84%, CBA 74% and TTA 85%, p = 0.071; p = 0.859 for TTA vs. RFCA, p = 0.038 for RFCA vs. CBA and p = 0.046 for TTA vs. CBA). There were no significant differences in ATa-free survival among the three groups (p = 0.270). There were no procedure-related adverse events in the RFCA group, but some complications occurred in the CBA group and the TTA group (6% and 5%, respectively). Conclusions: RFCA and CBA are effective and safe as first-line treatments for paroxysmal and persistent AF. In some high-risk stroke patients, TTA may be a viable option. It is important to consider patient characteristics when selecting an ablation method for AF.

Background: The absence of atrial contraction (AC) after the maze procedure has been reported to cause subsequent annular dilatation and to increase the risk of embolic stroke. We hypothesized that the lack of AC could increase the risk of permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation in patients undergoing the maze procedure. Methods: In 376 consecutive patients who had undergone a cryo-maze procedure and combined valve operation, recovery of AC was assessed at baseline and at immediate (≤2 weeks), early (≤1 year, 4.6±3.8 months), and late (＞1 year, 3.5±1.1 years) postoperative stages. Results: With a median follow-up of 53 months, 10 patients underwent PPM implantation. Seven PPM implants were for sinus node dysfunction (pauses of 9.6±2.4 seconds), one was for marked sinus bradycardia, and two were for advanced/complete atrioventricular block. The median (interquartile range) time to PPM implantation was 13.8 (0.5–68.2) months. Our time-varying covariate Cox models showed that the absence of AC was a risk factor for PPM implantation (hazard ratio, 11.92; 95% confidence interval, 2.52 to 56.45; p=0.002). Conclusion: The absence of AC may be associated with a subsequent risk of PPM implantation.

Background An angiography‐based supervised machine learning (ML) algorithm was developed to classify lesions as having fractional flow reserve ≤0.80 versus >0.80. Methods and Results With a 4:1 ratio, 1501 patients with 1501 intermediate lesions were randomized into training versus test sets. Between the ostium and 10 mm distal to the target lesion, a series of angiographic lumen diameter measurements along the centerline was plotted. The 24 computed angiographic features based on the diameter plot and 4 clinical features (age, sex, body surface area, and involve segment) were used for ML by XGBoost. The model was independently trained and tested by 2000 bootstrap iterations. External validation with 79 patients was conducted. Including all 28 features, the ML model with 5‐fold cross‐validation in the 1204 training samples predicted fractional flow reserve ≤0.80 with overall diagnostic accuracy of 78±4% (averaged area under the curve: 0.84±0.03). The 12 high‐ranking features selected by scatter search were involved segment; body surface area; distal lumen diameter; minimal lumen diameter; length of a lumen diameter 70%. Using those 12 features, the ML predicted fractional flow reserve ≤0.80 in the test set with sensitivity of 84%, specificity of 80%, and overall accuracy of 82% (area under the curve: 0.87). The averaged diagnostic accuracy in bootstrap replicates was 81±1% (averaged area under the curve: 0.87±0.01). External validation showed accuracy of 85% (area under the curve: 0.87). Conclusions Angiography‐based ML showed good diagnostic performance in identifying ischemia‐producing lesions and reduced the need for pressure wires.

It remains unclear as to whether cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) would be as effective in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) accompanied by slow ventricular response (AF-SVR, < 60 beats/min) as in those with sinus rhythm (SR). Echocardiographic reverse remodeling was compared between AF-SVR patients (n = 17) and those with SR (n = 88) at six months and 12 months after CRT treatment. We also evaluated the changes in QRS duration; New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class; and long-term composite clinical outcomes including cardiac death, heart transplantation, and heart failure (HF)-related hospitalization. Left ventricular pacing sites and biventricular pacing percentages were not significantly different between the AF-SVR and SR groups. However, heart rate increase after CRT was significantly greater in the AF-SVR group than in the SR group (P < 0.001). At six and 12 months postoperation, both groups showed a comparable improvement in NYHA class; QRS narrowing; and echocardiographic variables including left ventricular end-systolic volume, left ventricular ejection fraction, and left atrial volume index. Over the median follow-up duration of 1.6 (interquartile range: 0.8-2.2) years, no significant between-group differences were observed regarding the rates of long-term composite clinical events (35% versus 24%; hazard ratio: 1.71; 95% confidence interval: 0.23-12.48; P = 0.60). CRT implantation provided comparable beneficial effects for patients with AF-SVR as compared with those with SR, by correcting electrical dyssynchrony and increasing biventricular pacing rate, in terms of QRS narrowing, symptom improvement, ventricular reverse remodeling, and long-term clinical outcomes.

BACKGROUND:Invasive fractional flow reserve (FFR) is a standard tool for identifying ischemia-producing coronary stenosis. However, in clinical practice, over 70% of treatment decisions still rely on visual estimation of angiographic stenosis, which has limited accuracy (about 60%-65%) for the prediction of FFR < 0.80. One of the reasons for the visual-functional mismatch is that myocardial ischemia can be affected by the supplied myocardial size, which is not always evident by coronary angiography. The aims of this study were to develop an angiography-based machine learning (ML) algorithm for predicting the supplied myocardial volume for a stenosis, as measured using coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA), and then to build an angiography-based classifier for the lesions with an FFR < 0.80 versus ≥ 0.80. METHODS AND FINDINGS:A retrospective study was conducted using data from 1,132 stable and unstable angina patients with 1,132 intermediate lesions who underwent invasive coronary angiography, FFR, and CCTA at the Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea, between 1 May 2012 and 30 November 2015. The mean age was 63 ± 10 years, 76% were men, and 72% of the patients presented with stable angina. Of these, 932 patients (assessed before 31 January 2015) constituted the training set for the algorithm, and 200 patients (assessed after 1 February 2015) served as a test cohort to validate its diagnostic performance. Additionally, external validation with 79 patients from two centers (CHA University, Seongnam, Korea, and Ajou University, Suwon, Korea) was conducted. After automatic contour calibration using the caliber of guiding catheter, quantitative coronary angiography was performed using the edge-detection algorithms (CAAS-5, Pie-Medical). Clinical information was provided by the Asan BiomedicaL Research Environment (ABLE) system. The CCTA-based myocardial segmentation (CAMS)-derived myocardial volume supplied by each vessel (right coronary artery [RCA], left anterior descending [LAD], left circumflex [LCX]) and the myocardial volume subtended to a stenotic segment (CAMS-%Vsub) were measured for labeling. The ML for (1) predicting vessel territories (CAMS-%LAD, CAMS-%LCX, and CAMS-%RCA) and CAMS-%Vsub and (2) identifying the lesions with an FFR < 0.80 was constructed. Angiography-based ML, employing a light gradient boosting machine (GBM), showed mean absolute errors (MAEs) of 5.42%, 8.57%, and 4.54% for predicting CAMS-%LAD, CAMS-%LCX, and CAMS-%RCA, respectively. The percent myocardial volumes predicted by ML were used to predict the CAMS-%Vsub. With 5-fold cross validation, the MAEs between ML-predicted percent myocardial volume subtended to a stenotic segment (ML-%Vsub) and CAMS-%Vsub were minimized by the elastic net (6.26% ± 0.55% for LAD, 5.79% ± 0.68% for LCX, and 2.95% ± 0.14% for RCA lesions). Using all attributes (age, sex, involved vessel segment, and angiographic features affecting the myocardial territory and stenosis degree), the ML classifiers (L2 penalized logistic regression, support vector machine, and random forest) predicted an FFR < 0.80 with an accuracy of approximately 80% (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.84-0.87, 95% confidence intervals 0.71-0.94) in the test set, which was greater than that of diameter stenosis (DS) > 53% (66%, AUC = 0.71, 95% confidence intervals 0.65-0.78). The external validation showed 84% accuracy (AUC = 0.89, 95% confidence intervals 0.83-0.95). The retrospective design, single ethnicity, and the lack of clinical outcomes may limit this prediction model's generalized application. CONCLUSION:We found that angiography-based ML is useful to predict subtended myocardial territories and ischemia-producing lesions by mitigating the visual-functional mismatch between angiographic and FFR. Assessment of clinical utility requires further validation in a large, prospective cohort study.

The treatment effect of the hybrid procedure, consisting of a thoracoscopic ablation followed by an endocardial radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA), is unclear. A total of 117 ablation-naïve patients who underwent either the staged hybrid procedure (n = 72) or RFCA alone (n = 105) for drug-refractory, non-valvular persistent or long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) were enrolled. The primary outcome is occurrence of total atrial arrhythmia, defined as a composite of AF, sustained atrial tachycardia (AT), and atypical atrial flutter (AFL) after index procedure. The mean age was 52.7 years. Eighty-four percentage of the patients were male. Patients with prior history of stroke and long-standing persistent AF were more prevalent in the hybrid group than RFCA group. The left atrial volume index was larger in the hybrid group (P

The relative efficacy of antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) after electrical cardioversion are not well established. This study aimed to investigate the efficacies of different AADs for maintaining sinus rhythm (SR) after electrical cardioversion for atrial fibrillation (AF). We selected patients from a retrospective registry including patients admitted for cardioversion between January 2012 and June 2016. The primary outcome was time to AF recurrence during the first year after cardioversion. The secondary outcomes included AF recurrence within 1 month, and first readmission due to heart failure, stroke, or additional non-pharmacological rhythm control. A total of 265 patients were divided into the 4 groups according to AAD type: flecainide (n = 33), propafenone (n = 64), amiodarone (n = 128), and dronedarone (n = 40). During the first year after cardioversion, the AF recurrence-free survival was similar between all AAD groups (69.7% vs. 67.2% vs. 71.9% vs. 80.0%, p = 0.439). About half of all recurrences occurred during the first month. There was no difference in any of the secondary outcomes, although the amiodarone group showed a trend toward more non-pharmacological rhythm control. AAD type was not associated with recurrence in multivariate analysis. In this study, half of all patients received amiodarone after electrical cardioversion. Flecainide, propafenone, amiodarone, and dronedarone showed similar efficacies for maintaining SR after electrical cardioversion. Thus, it might be reasonable to reconsider amiodarone use after cardioversion, since it did not show superior efficacy to the other drugs considered and is associated with potential side effects.

BackgroundThe pathophysiology underlying very late drug‐eluting stent (DES) thrombosis is not sufficiently understood. Using optical coherence tomography, we investigated characteristics of very late stent thrombosis (VLST) according to different onset times. Methods and ResultsA total of 98 patients from 10 South Korean hospitals who underwent optical coherence tomography for evaluation of very late DES thrombosis were retrospectively included in analyses. VLST occurred at a median of 55.1 months after DES implantation. All patients were divided into 2 equal groups of earlier versus delayed presentation of VLST, according to median onset time. In total, 27 patients were treated with next‐generation DES and 71 with first‐generation DES. Based on optical coherence tomography findings at thrombotic sites, main VLST mechanisms were as follows, in descending order: neoatherosclerosis (34.7%), stent malapposition (33.7%), and uncovered struts without stent malapposition or evagination (24.5%). Compared with patients with earlier VLST, patients with delayed VLST had lower frequency of uncovered struts without stent malapposition or evagination (34.7% versus 14.3%, respectively; P=0.019). Conversely, the frequency of neoatherosclerosis was higher in patients with delayed versus earlier VLST (44.9% versus 24.5%, respectively; P=0.034). The frequency of stent malapposition was not different between patients with earlier and delayed VLST (34.7% versus 32.7%, respectively; P=0.831). The frequency of stent malapposition, evagination, and uncovered struts was still half of delayed VLST. ConclusionsThe pathological mechanisms of very late DES thrombosis changed over time. Delayed neointimal healing remained a substantial substrate for VLST, even long after DES implantation.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a cardiac disease associated with a high incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF). Recent studies have suggested that interventricular septum thickness may influence the risk stratification of patients with AF. We evaluated the effects of septal hypertrophy on morbidity and mortality in patients with HCM. Patients were followed for a median of 6.1 years and were divided into two groups according to the extent of septal hypertrophy. A total of 1,360 HCM patients were enrolled: 482 (33%) apical or apicoseptal, 415 (28%) asymmetric septal, 388 (27%) basal septal, 38 (2.6%) concentric, and 37 (2.5%) diffuse and mixed type. Ninety-two all-cause deaths and 21 cardiac deaths occurred. The total event rates were significantly higher for patients with HCM with more extensive septal hypertrophy (group A) compared to those with HCM ± focal septal hypertrophy (group B), regardless of type (p

BACKGROUND: The optimal functional evaluation of coronary artery stenosis in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) has not been established. The objective of the study was to evaluate the instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) and fractional flow reserve (FFR) in patients with and without severe AS. METHODS: We retrospectively investigated 395 lesions in 293 patients with severe AS and 2257 lesions in 1882 patients without severe AS between 2010 and 2022 from a subgroup of the Interventional Cardiology Research In-Cooperation Society FFR Registry. All patients had FFR values, and iFR was analyzed post hoc using dedicated software only in lesions with adequate resting pressure curves (311 lesions in patients with severe AS and 2257 lesions in patients with nonsevere AS). RESULTS: The incidence of iFR ≤0.89 was 66.6% and 31.8% (P<0.001), while the incidence of FFR ≤0.80 was 45.3% and 43.9% (P=0.60) in the severe AS group and the nonsevere AS group, respectively. In the severe AS group, most lesions (95.2%) with iFR >0.89 had FFR >0.80, while 36.2% of lesions with iFR ≤0.89 had FFR >0.80. During a median follow-up of 2 years, FFR ≤0.80 was significantly associated with deferred lesion failure (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.71 [95% CI, 1.08-6.80]; P=0.034), while iFR ≤0.89 showed no prognostic value (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.31 [95% CI, 0.47-3.60]; P=0.60) in the severe AS group. Lesions with iFR ≤0.89 and FFR >0.80, in particular, were not associated with a higher rate of deferred lesion failure at 3 years compared with lesions with iFR >0.89 (15.4% versus 17.0%; P=0.58). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggested that FFR appears to be less affected by the presence of severe AS and is more associated with prognosis. iFR may overestimate the functional severity of coronary artery disease without prognostic significance, yet it can be useful for excluding significant stenosis in patients with severe AS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]