Long-term effectiveness of right septal pacing vs. right apical pacing in patients with atrioventricular block

AbstractBackgroundLong-term right ventricular apical (RVA) pacing increases the risk of heart failure (HF) by inducing ventricular dyssynchronization. Although recent studies suggest that right ventricular septal (RVS) pacing results in improved short-term outcomes, its long-term effectiveness remains unclear.Methods and resultsThis study investigated 149 consecutive patients who underwent implantation of a dual chamber pacemaker for atrioventricular block with either RVS-pacing between July 2007 and June 2010 or RVA-pacing between January 2003 and June 2007. The endpoint was defined as death and hospitalization due to heart failure (HF). The rates of mortality and hospitalization due to HF were significantly lower in the RVS-pacing group than that in the RVA-pacing group (event free RVS: 1 year, 98% and 2 years, 98%; RVA: 1 year, 85% and 2 years, 81%; p<0.05). None of the patients died from HF in the RVS-pacing group, while 4 patients died from HF in the RVA-pacing group within 2 years after pacemaker implantation. The paced QRS interval was significantly shorter with RVS pacing than with RVA pacing at different times after pacemaker implantation (RVS: immediately 157.8±24.0ms, after 3 months 157.3±17.5ms, after 6 months 153.6±21.7ms, after 12 months 153.6±19.4ms, after 24 months 149.3±24.0ms vs. RVA: immediately 168.3±23.7ms, after 3 months 168.7±26.0ms, after 6 months 168.0±22.8ms, after 12 months 171.2±22.3ms, after 24 months 176.1±25.5ms; p<0.05).ConclusionsRVS pacing is feasible and safe with more favorable clinical benefits than RVA pacing

Recurrence of Atrial Fibrillation within Three Months after Pulmonary Vein Isolation in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation : Analysis Using an External Loop Recorder with Auto-trigger Function

Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) via catheter ablation has been shown to be a highly effective option for patients with symptomatic paroxysmal atrial brillation (AF). The recurrence of AF within 3 months after PVI is not considered a failure of the ablation procedure because early recurrence of AF is not always associated with late recurrence. We examined the usefulness of an external loop recorder with auto-trigger function (ELR-AUTO) to detect AF following PVI to characterize early recurrence and determine the implication of AF within 3 months after PVI. The study included 53 consecutive patients with symptomatic paroxysmal AF (age, 61.6 ± 12.6 years ; 77％ male) who underwent PVI, and were fitted with an ELR-AUTO for 7 ± 2 days within 3 months after PVI. Of the 33 patients(62.2％) who did not have AF within the 3-month period, only 1 patient had AF recurrence at 12 months. Seven of 20 patients (35％) who experienced AF within 3 months had symptomatic AF recurrence at 12 months. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of early AF recurrence for late recurrence was 87.5％, 71.1％, 35.0％, and 96.9％, respectively. Thus, AF recurrence detected by ELR-AUTO within 3 months after PVI can predict late AF recurrence. Freedom from AF in the firrst 3 months following ablation significantly predicts long-term freedom from AF. An ELR-AUTO is useful for detecting symptomatic and asymptomatic AF

Usefulness of Intracardiac Local Ventricular Electrogram to Predict Responders in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is a well-established, efficient strategy for medically-refractory congestive heart failure (HF) with ventricular conduction disturbances. However, about 30% of patients who undergo CRT do not receive any benefit. Therefore, we investigated the usefulness of the QRS-left ventricle (LV) interval for predicting responders during CRT implantation. This study included 66 patients who underwent CRT implantation. The definition of responder was a ≥15% reduction in LV end-systolic volume or ≥20% increase in LV ejection fraction. The QRS-LV interval was measured from the beginning of the body surface electrocardiogram QRS complex to the LV potential recorded by LV leads. We analyzed the correlations between the QRS-LV intervals and CRT responders, admission for HF and mortality. The patients were 67±12 years old, and their mean LV ejection fraction was 26.3%±8.3%. During follow-up (27.2±19.9 months), 27 patients were admitted for HF (40.1%), and 17 died (25.7%); the median QRS-LV interval was 103±33 msec. Patients were divided into 2 groups: wide QRS-LV (>103 msec), and narrow QRS-LV (<103 msec). The wide QRS-LV group had a lower mortality rate than the narrow QRS-LV group (77% vs. 53%, P<0.05). In patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, the QRS-LV interval was significantly wider in responders, compared to non-responders (112±9.2 vs. 80.0±10 msec, P<0.05). The QRS-LV interval did not correlate with CRT responders or admission for HF. The mortality rate was lower in patients with wide QRS-LV intervals, compared to narrow QRS-LV intervals. Furthermore, a wide QRS-LV interval might be a predictor for CRT responders in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy

Recurrence of atrial fibrillation within three months after pulmonary vein isolation for patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: Analysis using external loop recorder with auto-trigger function

Background: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) via catheter ablation has been shown to be a highly effective treatment option for patients with symptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). The recurrence of AF within 3 months after PVI is not considered to be the result of ablation procedure failure, because early recurrence of AF is not always associated with late recurrence. We examined the usefulness of an external loop recorder with an auto-trigger function (ELR-AUTO) for the detection of atrial fibrillation following PVI to characterize early recurrence and to determine the implications of AF occurrence within 3 months after PVI. Methods: Fifty-three consecutive symptomatic patients with paroxysmal AF (age 61.6±12.6 years, 77% male) who underwent PVI and were fitted with ELR-AUTO for 7±2.0 days within 3 months after PVI were enrolled in this study. Results: Of the 33 (62.2%) patients who did not have AF recurrence within 3 months after PVI, only 1 patient experienced AF recurrence at 12 months. Seven (35%) of the 20 patients who experienced AF within 3 months of PVI experienced symptomatic AF recurrence at 12 months. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of early AF recurrence for late recurrence were 87.5%, 71.1%, 35.0%, and 96.9%, respectively. Conclusions: AF recurrence measured by ELR-AUTO within 3 months after PVI can predict the late recurrence of AF. Freedom from AF in the first 3 months following ablation significantly predicts long-term AF freedom. ELR-AUTO is useful for the detection of symptomatic and asymptomatic AF

Ordinary Autonomic Unbalance Can Reflect Diagnosis of Neurally Mediated Reflex Syncope

Background: In the present study we investigated autonomic dysfunction using hemodynamics and analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) following ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (APBM) in patients with neurally mediated reflex syncope (NMRS). In addition, we evaluated the usefulness of ABPM for diagnosing NMRS. Methods: In all, 88 consecutive patients with syncope and 12 controls (Group C) were subjected to a head-up tilt (HUT) test (80°, 30 min). If no syncope or presyncope occurred, the HUT test was repeated in the patient group following drug loading (ATP, isoproterenol, and/or isosorbide dinitrate). Results: Forty patients had a positive HUT test, with or without drug loading (Group P) ; the HUT test was negative in 48 patients, even after drug loading. Average daytime systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP, respectively) was significantly lower in Group P than in Group C (P = 0.042 and P = 0.047, respectively). The average standard deviation of SBP at night (SD-SBPNight) was significantly higher in Group P than in Group C (P = 0.004). HRV analysis revealed a significantly higher daytime high-frequency component in Group P than in Group C (P = 0.041). Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest that lower daytime blood pressure and a larger SD-SBPNight, as determined by ABPM, are associated with vagal nerve hyperactivity and sympathetic hypoactivity in patients with NMRS. Thus, an inadequate circadian rhythm in blood pressure variation, as identified by ABPM, may be useful for the diagnosis of NMRS

Gender Is a Significant Factor Affecting Blood Coagulation Systems

The risk of cardiogenic cerebral infarction is quantified by the CHA2DS2-VASc score in patients with atrial fibrillation, with female gender shown to be one of the risk factors. However, the relationships between gender and blood coagulation markers have not been investigated. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate relationships between gender and the coagulation and fibrinolysis systems. In the present study, 1025 patients(517 females[F group], 508 males[M group])who visited the outpatient clinic and had markers of the fibrinolytic and coagulation systems measured at the Division of Cardiology of Showa University Hospital from June 2011 to June 2014 were evaluated retrospectively. Thrombomodulin(TM), prothrombin fragment 1+2(PTF 1+2), thrombin-antithrombin complex(TAT), plasmin-α2-plasmin inhibitor complex(PIC), and D-dimer levels were analyzed. Furthermore, patients without diabetes mellitus and vascular disease were divided into two groups according to age: a younger(Y)group(<75 years)and an elderly(E)group(≥75 years). In the Y group, TM levels were significantly lower in the F than M group(P<0.0001), but in the E group there was no significant difference in TM levels between these two groups. PTF 1+2 levels were significantly higher in the F group for each age group(Y group, P=0.0426; E group, P=0.0214). In the Y group, PIC levels were significantly higher in the F than M group(P=0.0015), but there was no difference in PIC levels between the F and M groups in the E group. Thus, in the F group, vascular endothelial dysfunction progressed in the E group. These observations suggest that the coagulation system is relatively accelerated, without any acceleration in the fibrinolytic system, in the F group with aging. The present study has shown that, in outpatients of a cardiovascular department, gender is a significant factor affecting blood coagulation systems

Characteristics of head-up tilt testing with additional adenosine compared with head-up tilt testing with isoproterenol and isosorbide dinitrate

Background: Head-up tilt (HUT) testing is used to establish the diagnosis of neurally mediated syncope (NMS). Adenosine administration during HUT testing is useful for inducing NMS. However, no comparison between adenosine HUT testing and HUT testing using other drugs has been reported. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical usefulness of adenosine compared with isoproterenol (ISP) and isosorbide (ISDN) during HUT testing. Methods: The subjects comprised 103 consecutive patients with unexplained syncope who underwent adenosine and isoproterenol (ISP) HUT tests following a negative response in a drug-free HUT test. Subjects were first tilted upright at an 80° angle for 30 min and shown to have a negative response in drug-free HUT test. Subsequently, a continuous bolus of 0.1- or 0.2-mg/kg adenosine was administered while the subjects remained upright and were observed for 5 min (adenosine HUT test). Next, they were tilted upright for 15 min during a continuous infusion of 0.01–0.02 mg/kg min ISP (ISP HUT test). Lastly, they were tilted upright for 15 min after 1.25-mg ISDN infusion (ISDN HUT test). Results: The diagnostic yield of the adenosine HUT test was 18.1% (18/99) and that of the ISP HUT test was 6.0% (6/99; p=N.S.). Sixty-one of 99 patients underwent ISDN HUT testing, and 17 patients had a positive response. The diagnostic yield of the adenosine HUT test was 14.7% (9/61) and that of ISDN HUT test was 27.8% (p<0.05). Five patients had positive responses in both adenosine and ISDN HUT tests. Conversely, 4 patients had a positive response in the adenosine HUT test and a negative response in the ISDN HUT test. Conclusion: The adenosine HUT test was effective in the diagnosis of NMS and is useful as the ISP HUT test for inducing NMS. The diagnostic yield of the adenosine HUT test was not higher than that of the ISDN HUT test. However, the adenosine HUT test took only a few minutes and induced NMS in some of the patients in whom NMS was not induced by the ISDN HUT test. Therefore, performing adenosine HUT testing is worthwhile