Evaluation of the Switch From Amiodarone to Dronedarone in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: Results of the ARTEMIS AF Studies.

BACKGROUND: Switching between antiarrhythmic drugs is timed to minimize arrhythmia recurrence and adverse reactions. Dronedarone and amiodarone have similar electrophysiological profiles; however, little is known about the optimal timing of switching, given the long half-life of amiodarone. METHODS: The ARTEMIS atrial fibrillation (AF) Loading and Long-term studies evaluated switching patients with paroxysmal/persistent AF from amiodarone to dronedarone. Patients were randomized based on the timing of the switch: immediate, after a 2-week, or after a 4-week washout of amiodarone. Patients who did not convert to sinus rhythm after amiodarone loading underwent electrical cardioversion. The primary objectives were, for the Loading study, to evaluate recurrence of AF ≤60 days; and for the Long-term study, to profile the pharmacokinetics of dronedarone and its metabolite according to different timings of dronedarone initiation. RESULTS: In ARTEMIS AF Loading, 176 were randomized (planned 768) after a 28 ± 2 days load of oral amiodarone. Atrial fibrillation recurrence trended less in the immediate switch versus 4-week washout group (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.65 [97.5% CI: 0.34-1.23]; P = .14) and in the 2-week washout versus the 4-week washout group (HR = 0.75 [97.5% CI: 0.41-1.37]; P = .32). In ARTEMIS AF Long-term, 108 patients were randomized (planned 105). Pharmacokinetic analyses (n = 97) showed no significant differences for dronedarone/SR35021 exposures in the 3 groups. CONCLUSION: The trial was terminated early due to poor recruitment and so our findings are limited by low numbers. However, immediate switching from amiodarone to dronedarone appeared to be well tolerated and safe

The influence of progression of atrial fibrillation on quality of life: a report from the Euro Heart Survey.

Aims: Progression of atrial fibrillation (AF) from paroxysmal to persistent forms is an active field of research. The influence of AF progression on health related quality of life (HRQoL) is currently unknown. We aimed to assess the influence of AF progression on HRQoL, and whether this association is mediated through symptoms, treatment, and major adverse events. Methods and results: In the Euro Heart Survey, 967 patients were included with paroxysmal AF who filled out EuroQoL-5D at baseline and at 1 year follow-up. Those who progressed (n = 132, 13.6%) developed more problems during follow-up than those who did not, on all EuroQoL-5D domains (increase in problems on mobility 20.5% vs. 11.4%; self-care 12.9% vs. 6.2%; usual activities 23.5% vs. 14.0%; pain/discomfort 20.5% vs. 13.7%; and anxiety/depression 22.7% vs. 15.7%; all P < 0.05), leading to a decrease in utility [baseline 0.744 ± 0.26, follow-up 0.674 ± 0.36; difference -0.07 (95% CI [-0.126,-0.013], P = 0.02)]. Multivariate analysis showed that the effect of progression on utility is mediated by a large effect of adverse events [stroke (-0.27 (95% CI [-0.43,-0.11]); P = 0.001], heart failure [-0.12 (95% CI [-0.20,-0.05]); P = 0.001], malignancy (-0.31 (95% CI [-0.56,-0.05]); P = 0.02] or implantation of an implantable cardiac defibrillator [-0.12 (95% CI [-0.23,-0.02]); P = 0.03)], as well as symptomatic AF [-0.04 (95% CI [-0.08,-0.01]); P = 0.008]. Conclusion: AF progression is associated with a decrease in HRQoL. However, multivariate analysis revealed that AF progression itself does not have a negative effect on HRQoL, but that this effect can be attributed to a minor effect of the associated symptoms and a major effect of associated adverse events

The association between patterns of atrial fibrillation, anticoagulation, and cardiovascular events.

AIMS: Guidelines do not recommend to take pattern of atrial fibrillation (AF) into account for the indication of anticoagulation (AC). We assessed AF pattern and the risk of cardiovascular events during 2-years of follow-up. METHODS AND RESULTS: We categorized AF as paroxysmal, persistent, or permanent in 29 181 patients enrolled (2010-15) in the Global Anticoagulant Registry In the FIELD of AF (GARFIELD-AF). We used multivariable Cox regression to assess the risks of stroke/systemic embolism (SE) and death across patterns of AF, and whether this changed with AC on outcomes. Atrial fibrillation pattern was paroxysmal in 14 344 (49.2%), persistent in 8064 (27.6%), and permanent 6773 (23.2%) patients. Median CHA2DS2-VASc, GARFIELD-AF, and HAS-BLED scores assessing the risk of stroke/SE and/or bleeding were similar across AF patterns, but the risk of death, as assessed by the GARFIELD-AF risk calculator, was higher in non-paroxysmal than in paroxysmal AF patterns. During 2-year follow-up, after adjustment, non-paroxysmal AF patterns were associated with significantly higher rates of all-cause death, stroke/SE, and new/worsening congestive heart failure (CHF) than paroxysmal AF in non-anticoagulated patients only. In anticoagulated patients, a significantly higher risk of death but not of stroke/SE and new/worsening CHF persisted in non-paroxysmal compared with paroxysmal AF patterns. CONCLUSION: In non-anticoagulated patients, non-paroxysmal AF patterns were associated with higher risks of stroke/SE, new/worsening HF and death than paroxysmal AF. In anticoagulated patients, the risk of stroke/SE and new/worsening HF was similar across all AF patterns. Thus AF pattern is no longer prognostic for stroke/SE when patients are treated with anticoagulants. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362

Напряженное состояние призабойной части массива при проведении горных выработок с конической формой забоя

У рамках механіки пружно-деформованого тіла розроблена методика та розв’язана задача про напружений стан гірського масиву навколо горизонтальної циліндричної виробки. Чисельними дослідженнями виявлено значну концентрацію розтягуючих напружень у зоні ведення гірничих робіт.A method of stress state of a rock massif near the horizontal cylindrical working is developed, and a problem of mechanics of elastically deformed bodies is solved. A considerable concentration of tensile stresses in the mining working zone is revealed by numerical calculations

RHYTHM-AF: design of an international registry on cardioversion of atrial fibrillation and characteristics of participating centers

BACKGROUND Atrial fibrillation is a serious public health problem posing a considerable burden to not only patients, but the healthcare environment due to high rates of morbidity, mortality, and medical resource utilization. There are limited data on the variation in treatment practice patterns across different countries, healthcare settings and the associated health outcomes. METHODS/DESIGN RHYTHM-AF was a prospective observational multinational study of management of recent onset atrial fibrillation patients considered for cardioversion designed to collect data on international treatment patterns and short term outcomes related to cardioversion. We present data collected in 10 countries between May 2010 and June 2011. Enrollment was ongoing in Italy and Brazil at the time of data analysis. Data were collected at the time of atrial fibrillation episode in all countries (Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom), and cumulative follow-up data were collected at day 60 (±10) in all but Spain. Information on center characteristics, enrollment data, patient demographics, detail of atrial fibrillation episode, medical history, diagnostic procedures, acute treatment of atrial fibrillation, discharge information and the follow-up data on major events and rehospitalizations up to day 60 were collected. DISCUSSIN A total of 3940 patients were enrolled from 175 acute care centers. 70.5% of the centers were either academic (44%) or teaching (26%) hospitals with an overall median capacity of 510 beds. The sites were mostly specialized with anticoagulation clinics (65.9%), heart failure (75.1%) and hypertension clinics (60.1%) available. The RHYTHM-AF registry will provide insight into regional variability of antiarrhythmic and antithrombotic treatment of atrial fibrillation, the appropriateness of such treatments with respect to outcomes, and their cost-efficacy. Observations will help inform strategies to improve cardiovascular outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinical trials NCT01119716Harry JGM Crijns, Lori D Bash, François Chazelle, Jean-Yves Le Heuzey, Thorsten Lewalter, Gregory YH Lip, Aldo P Maggioni, Alfonso Martín, Piotr Ponikowski, Mårten Rosenqvist, Prashanthan Sanders, Mauricio Scanavacca, Alexandra A Bernhardt, Sreevalsa Unniachan, Hemant M Phatak and Anselm K Git

Impact of early statin therapy on development of atrial fibrillation at the acute stage of myocardial infarction: data from the FAST-MI register

Background Atrial fibrillation developing at the acute stage of myocardial infarction is associated with untoward clinical outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine correlations between early statin therapy and atrial fibrillation in acute myocardial infarction.Methods Patients (3396) with sinus rhythm developing acute myocardial infarction were enrolled in the French registry of Acute ST-elevation and non-ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction (FAST-MI). Results Atrial fibrillation developed in 7.0% of patients without and 3.9% of patients with early (≤48 h of admission) statin therapy (p&lt;0.001). Multivariable analysis, including the propensity score for early statin treatment, showed that statin therapy was associated with reduced risk of atrial fibrillation (OR 0.64; 95% CI 0.45 to 0.92, p=0.017). Compared to patients without early statin therapy, the OR for atrial fibrillation were 0.72 (0.49 to 1.04, p=0.080), 0.52 (0.28 to 0.95, p=0.034) and 0.40 (0.18 to 0.92, p=0.030) in patients on conventional, intermediate and high doses respectively. Conclusions This study is the first to document a correlation between early statin therapy and atrial fibrillation at the early stage of acute myocardial infarction

Antithrombotic management and outcomes of patients with atrial fibrillation treated with NOACs early at the time of market introduction:Main results from the PREFER in AF Prolongation Registry

International audienceAbstract The management of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) has rapidly changed with increasing use of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) and changes in the use of rhythm control therapy. The prevention of thromboembolic events European Registry in Atrial Fibrillation Prolongation Registry (PREFER Prolongation) enrolled consecutive patients with AF on NOACs between 2014 and 2016 in a multicentre, prospective, observational study with one-year follow-up, focusing on the time of introduction of NOACs. Overall, 3783 patients were enrolled, with follow-up information available in 3223 (85%). Mean age was 72.2 ± 9.4 years, 40% were women, mean CHA 2 DS 2 VASc score was 3.4 ± 1.6, and 2587 (88.6%) had a CHA 2 DS 2 VASc score ≥ 2. Rivaroxaban was used in half of patients, and dabigatran and apixaban were used in about a quarter of patients each; edoxaban was not available for use in Europe at the time. Major cardiovascular event rate was low: serious events occurred in 74 patients (84 events, 2%), including 24 strokes (1%), 62 major bleeds (2%), of which 30 were life-threatening (1%) and 3 intracranial (0.1%), and 28 acute coronary syndromes (1%). Mortality was 2%. Antiarrhythmic drugs were used in about 50% of patients, catheter ablation in 5%. Adverse events were low in this contemporary European cohort of unselected AF patients treated with NOACs already at the time of their first introduction, despite high thromboembolic risk

Cardioversion in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation: observational study using prospectively collected registry data.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical outcomes of patients who underwent cardioversion compared with those who did not have cardioverson in a large dataset of patients with recent onset non-valvular atrial fibrillation. DESIGN: Observational study using prospectively collected registry data (Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-AF-GARFIELD-AF). SETTING: 1317 participating sites in 35 countries. PARTICIPANTS: 52 057 patients aged 18 years and older with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation (up to six weeks' duration) and at least one investigator determined stroke risk factor. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Comparisons were made between patients who received cardioversion and those who had no cardioversion at baseline, and between patients who received direct current cardioversion and those who had pharmacological cardioversion. Overlap propensity weighting with Cox proportional hazards models was used to evaluate the effect of cardioversion on clinical endpoints (all cause mortality, non-haemorrhagic stroke or systemic embolism, and major bleeding), adjusting for baseline risk and patient selection. RESULTS: 44 201 patients were included in the analysis comparing cardioversion and no cardioversion, and of these, 6595 (14.9%) underwent cardioversion at baseline. The propensity score weighted hazard ratio for all cause mortality in the cardioversion group was 0.74 (95% confidence interval 0.63 to 0.86) from baseline to one year follow-up and 0.77 (0.64 to 0.93) from one year to two year follow-up. Of the 6595 patients who had cardioversion at baseline, 299 had a follow-up cardioversion more than 48 days after enrolment. 7175 patients were assessed in the analysis comparing type of cardioversion: 2427 (33.8%) received pharmacological cardioversion and 4748 (66.2%) had direct current cardioversion. During one year follow-up, event rates (per 100 patient years) for all cause mortality in patients who received direct current and pharmacological cardioversion were 1.36 (1.13 to 1.64) and 1.70 (1.35 to 2.14), respectively. CONCLUSION: In this large dataset of patients with recent onset non-valvular atrial fibrillation, a small proportion were treated with cardioversion. Direct current cardioversion was performed twice as often as pharmacological cardioversion, and there appeared to be no major difference in outcome events for these two cardioversion modalities. For the overall cardioversion group, after adjustments for confounders, a significantly lower risk of mortality was found in patients who received early cardioversion compared with those who did not receive early cardioversion. STUDY REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01090362

Contemporary real life cardioversion of atrial fibrillation: results from the multinational RHYTHM-AF study

Abstract not availableHarry J.G.M. Crijns, Bob Weijs, Anna-Meagan Fairley, Thorsten Lewalter, Aldo P.Maggioni, Alfonso Martín, Piotr Ponikowski, Mårten Rosenqvist, Prashanthan Sanders, Mauricio Scanavacca, Lori D. Bash, François Chazelle, Alexandra Bernhardt, Anselm K. Gitt, Gregory Y.H. Lip, Jean-Yves Le Heuze