Clinical impact of aging on outcomes of cardioneuroablation for reflex syncope or functional bradycardia. Results from the cardionEuroabLation: patiEnt selection, imaGe integrAtioN and outComEs. The ELEGANCE multicenter study

Background: Cardioneuroablation (CNA) is a novel treatment for reflex syncope. The effect of aging on CNA efficacy is not fully understood. Objective: We assessed the impact of aging on candidacy and efficacy of CNA for treating vasovagal syncope (VVS), carotid sinus syndrome (CSS) and functional bradyarrhythmia. Methods: The ELEGANCE multicenter study assessed CNA in patients with reflex syncope or severe functional bradyarrhythmia. Patients underwent pre-CNA Holter ECG, head-up tilt testing (HUT) and electrophysiologic study. CNA candidacy and efficacy was assessed in 14 young (18-40 years), 26 middle-aged (41-60 years) and 20 older (>60 years) patients. Results: Sixty patients (37 men; mean age: 51±16 years) underwent CNA. The majority (80%) had VVS, 8% CSS, and 12% functional bradycardia/AV block. Pre-CNA Holter ECG, HUT and EP findings did not differ across age groups. Acute CNA success was 93%, without differences between age groups (p=0.42). Post-CNA HUT response was negative in 53%, vasodepressor in 38%, cardioinhibitory in 7% and mixed in 2%, without differences across age groups (p=0.59). At follow-up (8 months, IQR:4-15), 53 (88%) patients were free of symptoms. Kaplan-Meier curves did not show differences in event-free survival between age groups (p=0.29). The negative predictive value of a negative HUT was 91.7%. Conclusions: CNA is a viable treatment for reflex syncope and functional bradyarrhythmia in all ages, and is highly effective in mixed VVS. HUT is a key-step of post-ablation clinical assessment

Incidence of sleep apnea and association with atrial fibrillation in an unselected pacemaker population: results of the observational RESPIRE study

Background: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) often have sleep apnea (SA), but diagnosis of SA with polysomnography is costly. SA monitoring is a pacemaker feature that measures respiratory disturbance index, the sum of abnormal respiratory events divided by sleep duration. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence and severity of SA and its association with AF in an unselected population fitted with pacemakers. Methods: RESPIRE (REgistry of Sleep APnea monItoring and Atrial Fibrillation in pacemakeR patients) was a multicenter, international, observational, open-label study following adult subjects for 18 months after implantation with an SA monitoring-enabled dual-chamber pacemaker. Severe SA was defined as average respiratory disturbance index ≥20 from implantation to follow-up visit. The first co-primary end point was the difference in significant AF (cumulative AF episodes lasting ≥24 hours over 2 consecutive days) between subjects with severe and those nonsevere SA at 12 months in the full analysis set (N = 553). The second co-primary end point was the rate of major serious adverse events at 18 months in the modified intention-to-treat set (N = 1024). Results: Severe SA was detected in 31.1% (172 of 553). A higher incidence of significant AF was reported in patients with severe SA than in patients with nonsevere SA (25.0% vs 13.9%; difference 11.1%; 95% confidence interval 3.7%-18.4%; P = .002). Significant AF increased with time in both groups, but at a faster rate in the severe SA group. No intergroup difference in the overall rate of major serious adverse events was observed (P = .065). Conclusion: SA screening over 12 months identified severe SA in almost one-third of unselected patients fitted with pacemakers. Severe SA was associated with a higher incidence of significant AF

Efficacy of a nurse-led lipid-lowering secondary prevention intervention in patients hospitalized for ischemic heart disease: A pilot randomized controlled trial

Background and aims: Lack of achievement of secondary prevention objectives in patients with ischaemic heart disease remains an unmet need in this patient population. We aimed at evaluating the six-month efficacy of an intensive lipid-lowering intervention, coordinated by nurses and implemented after hospital discharge, in patients hospitalized for an ischaemic heart disease event. Methods: Randomized controlled trial, in which a nurse-led intervention including periodic follow-up, serial lipid level controls, and subsequent optimization of lipid-lowering therapy, if appropriate, was compared with standard of care alone in terms of serum lipid-level control at six months after discharge. Results: The nurse-led intervention was associated with an improved management of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels compared with standard of care alone: LDL cholesterol levels ⩽100 mg/dL were achieved in 97% participants in the intervention arm as compared with 67% in the usual care arm ( p value <0.001), the LDL cholesterol ⩽70 mg/dL target recommended by the 2016 European Society of Cardiology guidelines was achieved in 62% vs. 37% participants ( p value 0.047) and the LDL cholesterol reduction of ⩾50% recommended by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association in 2013 was achieved in 25.6% of participants in the intervention arm as compared with 2.6% in the usual care arm ( p value 0.007). The intervention was also associated with improved blood pressure control among individuals with hypertension. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the opportunity that nurse-led, intensive, post-discharge follow-up plans may represent for achieving LDL cholesterol guideline-recommended management objectives in patients with ischaemic heart disease. These findings should be replicated in larger cohorts

An intensive, structured, mobile devices-based healthcare intervention to optimize the lipid-lowering therapy improves lipid control after an acute coronary syndrome

Aims: despite the evidence, lipid-lowering treatment (LLT) in secondary prevention remains insufficient, and a low percentage of patients achieve the recommended LDL cholesterol (LDLc) levels by the guidelines. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of an intensive, mobile devices-based healthcare lipid-lowering intervention after hospital discharge in patients hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods and results: ambiespective register in which a mobile devices-based healthcare intervention including periodic follow-up, serial lipid level controls, and optimization of lipid-lowering therapy, if appropriate, was assessed in terms of serum lipid-level control at 12 weeks after discharge. A total of 497 patients, of which 462 (93%) correctly adhered to the optimization protocol, were included in the analysis. At the end of the optimization period, 327 (70.7%) patients had LDLc levels ≤ 70 mg/dL. 40% of patients in the LDLc ≤ 70 mg/dL group were upgraded to very-high intensity lipid-lowering ability therapy vs. 60.7% in the LDLc > 70 mg/dL group, p < 0.001. Overall, 38.5% of patients had at least a change in their LLT. Side effects were relatively infrequent (10.7%). At 1-year follow-up, LDLc levels were measured by the primary care physician in 342 (68.8%) of the whole cohort of 497 patients. In this group, 71.1% of patients had LDLc levels ≤ 70 mg/dL. Conclusion: an intensive, structured, mobile devices-based healthcare intervention after an ACS is associated with more than 70% of patients reaching the LDLc levels recommended by the clinical guidelines. In patients with LDLc measured at 1-year follow-up, 71.1% had LDLc levels ≤ 70 mg/dL

Predictors of Short-Term Outcomes after Syncope: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify predictors of serious clinical outcomes after an acute-care evaluation for syncope. Methods: We identified studies that assessed for predictors of short-term (≤30 days) serious clinical events after an emergency department (ED) visit for syncope. We performed a MEDLINE search (January 1, 1990 – July 1, 2017) and reviewed reference lists of retrieved articles. The primary outcome was the occurrence of a serious clinical event (composite of mortality, arrhythmia, ischemic or structural heart disease, major bleed, or neurovascular event) within 30 days. We estimated the sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratio of findings for the primary outcome. We created summary estimates of association on a variable-by-variable basis using a Bayesian random-effects model. Results: We reviewed 2,773 unique articles; 17 met inclusion criteria. The clinical findings most predictive of a short-term, serious event were the following: 1) An elevated blood urea nitrogen level (positive likelihood ratio [LR+]: 2.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.15, 5.42]); 2); history of congestive heart failure (LR+: 2.65, 95%CI [1.69, 3.91]); 3) initial low blood pressure in the ED (LR+: 2.62, 95%CI [1.12, 4.9]); 4) history of arrhythmia (LR+: 2.32, 95%CI [1.31, 3.62]); and 5) an abnormal troponin value (LR+: 2.49, 95%CI [1.36, 4.1]). Younger age was associated with lower risk (LR−: 0.44, 95%CI [0.25, 0.68]). An abnormal electrocardiogram was mildly predictive of increased risk (LR+ 1.79, 95%CI [1.14, 2.63]). Conclusion: We identified specific risk factors that may aid clinical judgment and that should be considered in the development of future risk-prediction tools for serious clinical events after an ED visit for syncope