Risk of Venous Thromboembolic Complications in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Aim: The aim of this meta-analysis and systematic review was to evaluate the possible connection between AF and VTE.Material and methods. Atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter (AFL) contribute to intra-atrial blood stasis which leads to thrombus formation with its embolization. There is some evidence that AF can be a risk factor for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). The following databases were searched: PubMed (MEDLINE), EMBASE, Google Scholar, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. The time frame for conducting a systematic literature search ranged from January 1, 1990 to November 1, 2021. The diagnosis of atrial fibrillation had to be confirmed by using ECG. The diagnosis of VTE could be made with Doppler imaging, ventilation/perfusion scan, CT angiography, venography, angiography or autopsy. Only the three studies with 102192 patients meeting the requirement were included in the meta-analysis.Results. The prevalence of DVT and PE were assessed using incidence rate ratios (IRR) method of the inverse variance random effects model and its 95% confidence interval (CI). The significant association between atrial fibrillation and pulmonary embolism was found (IRR, 4.18 95% Cl 1.958.98). Also there is obvious association between DVT and AF (IRR, 2.97 95% Cl 2.18-4.03).Conclusion. It can be concluded that the increased risk of developing VTE is associatedwith concomitant AF

ЭЛЕКТРОЭНЦЕФАЛОГРАФИЧЕСКИЕ КОРРЕЛЯТЫ ОПТИМАЛЬНОГО ФУНКЦИОНАЛЬНОГО СОСТОЯНИЯ ГОЛОВНОГО МОЗГА СПОРТСМЕНА В СТРЕЛКОВОМ СПОРТЕ

The goal of the research was a detailed characterization of the pre-shot EEG alpha activity of marksmen. It was found out that the amplitude of the spectrum of alpha activity is dependent upon the level of the sportsmen. It is discussed that the pre-short alpha is not similar with alpha rhythm in its classical definition.Цель работы – детальный анализ альфа-диапазона электроэнцефалограммы стрелков различного уровня. Показана зависимость выраженности альфа-диапазона электроэнцефалограммы перед выстрелом от уровня мастерства спортсмена. Рассматривается сдвиг доминирующей частоты аль-фа-диапазона в период, предшествующий выстрелу, в более высокочастотную область относительно фонового альфа-ритма. Обсуждаются физиологические механизмы выявленных отличий между стрелками и испытуемыми контрольной группы при помощи тренингов на основе биоуправления

The Changing Landscape for Stroke\ua0Prevention in AF: Findings From the GLORIA-AF Registry Phase 2

Background GLORIA-AF (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation) is a prospective, global registry program describing antithrombotic treatment patterns in patients with newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation at risk of stroke. Phase 2 began when dabigatran, the first non\u2013vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC), became available. Objectives This study sought to describe phase 2 baseline data and compare these with the pre-NOAC era collected during phase 1. Methods During phase 2, 15,641 consenting patients were enrolled (November 2011 to December 2014); 15,092 were eligible. This pre-specified cross-sectional analysis describes eligible patients\u2019 baseline characteristics. Atrial fibrillation disease characteristics, medical outcomes, and concomitant diseases and medications were collected. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results Of the total patients, 45.5% were female; median age was 71 (interquartile range: 64, 78) years. Patients were from Europe (47.1%), North America (22.5%), Asia (20.3%), Latin America (6.0%), and the Middle East/Africa (4.0%). Most had high stroke risk (CHA2DS2-VASc [Congestive heart failure, Hypertension, Age  6575 years, Diabetes mellitus, previous Stroke, Vascular disease, Age 65 to 74 years, Sex category] score  652; 86.1%); 13.9% had moderate risk (CHA2DS2-VASc = 1). Overall, 79.9% received oral anticoagulants, of whom 47.6% received NOAC and 32.3% vitamin K antagonists (VKA); 12.1% received antiplatelet agents; 7.8% received no antithrombotic treatment. For comparison, the proportion of phase 1 patients (of N = 1,063 all eligible) prescribed VKA was 32.8%, acetylsalicylic acid 41.7%, and no therapy 20.2%. In Europe in phase 2, treatment with NOAC was more common than VKA (52.3% and 37.8%, respectively); 6.0% of patients received antiplatelet treatment; and 3.8% received no antithrombotic treatment. In North America, 52.1%, 26.2%, and 14.0% of patients received NOAC, VKA, and antiplatelet drugs, respectively; 7.5% received no antithrombotic treatment. NOAC use was less common in Asia (27.7%), where 27.5% of patients received VKA, 25.0% antiplatelet drugs, and 19.8% no antithrombotic treatment. Conclusions The baseline data from GLORIA-AF phase 2 demonstrate that in newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients, NOAC have been highly adopted into practice, becoming more frequently prescribed than VKA in Europe and North America. Worldwide, however, a large proportion of patients remain undertreated, particularly in Asia and North America. (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation [GLORIA-AF]; NCT01468701

ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC MARKERS OF OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE IN MARKSMEN

The goal of the research was a detailed characterization of the pre-shot EEG alpha activity of marksmen. It was found out that the amplitude of the spectrum of alpha activity is dependent upon the level of the sportsmen. It is discussed that the pre-short alpha is not similar with alpha rhythm in its classical definition

Clinical Case: Tuberculous Myopericarditis in the Cardiology Practice

Pericarditis is not enough researched and described in literature despite the emergence of a large quantity of up-to-date laboratory and instrumental methods of verification. The main problem is that  pericarditis might be a sign of many infectious and non-infectious diseases. It is quite difficult to define the etiopathogenetic reason of process. The article presents a clinical observation of a 53 years old mail patient with paroxysms of atrial flutter, non-symptomatic febrile fever, arthralgia and  signs of exudative pericarditis, which were  manifested after  the acute  viral infection. The symptoms have been lasting for 8 months before the patient’s hospitalization. In lab tests anemia, leucopenia, increase level of platelets and increase antinuclear antibody level were found. Several conceptions were considered: cancer with paraneoplastic syndrome, systemic disease, infectious process, myeloma, which were subsequently excluded. Due to the fact that pericardial effusion may often be associated with tuberculosis Diaskin test and T-SPOT were performed and they appeared to be positive. After several months of antituberculous treatment temperature normalized, atrial flutter episodes and arthralgia diminished. So empirically and  laboratory tuberculous pericarditis with atypical manifestation was  confirmed. The particularity of this observation is a nontypical clinical picture and the absence of a primary focus of infection. That is why the clinicians could not define the diagnosis rapidly