Use of Diltiazem in Chronic Rate Control for Atrial Fibrillation: A Prospective Case-Control Study

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a multifaceted disease requiring personalised treatment. The aim of our study was to explore the prognostic impact of a patient-specific therapy (PT) for rate control, including the use of non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (NDDC) in patients with heart failure (HF) or in combination with beta-blockers (BB), compared to standard rate control therapy (ST), as defined by previous ESC guidelines. This is a single-centre prospective observational registry on AF patients who were followed by our University Hospital. We included 1112 patients on an exclusive rate control treatment. The PT group consisted of 125 (11.2%) patients, 93/125 (74.4%) of whom were prescribed BB + NDCC (±digoxin), while 85/125 (68.0%) were HF patients who were prescribed NDCC, which was diltiazem in all cases. The patients treated with a PT showed no difference in one-year overall survival compared to those with an ST. Notably, the patients with HF in ST had a worse prognosis (p < 0.001). To better define this finding, we performed three sensitivity analyses by matching each patient in the PT subgroups with three subjects from the ST cohort, showing an improved one-year survival of the HF patients treated with PT (p = 0.039). Our results suggest a potential outcome benefit of NDCC for rate control in AF patients, either alone or in combination with BB and in selected patients with HF

Cardiolaminopathies from bench to bedside: challenges in clinical decision-making with focus on arrhythmia-related outcomes

Lamin A/C gene mutations can be associated with cardiac diseases, usually referred to as 'cardiolaminopathies' characterized by arrhythmic disorders and/or left ventricular or biventricular dysfunction up to an overt picture of heart failure. The phenotypic cardiac manifestations of laminopathies are frequently mixed in complex clinical patterns and specifically may include bradyarrhythmias (sinus node disease or atrioventricular blocks), atrial arrhythmias (atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, atrial standstill), ventricular tachyarrhythmias and heart failure of variable degrees of severity. Family history, physical examination, laboratory findings (specifically serum creatine phosphokinase values) and ECG findings are often important 'red flags' in diagnosing a 'cardiolaminopathy'. Sudden arrhythmic death, thromboembolic events or stroke and severe heart failure requiring heart transplantation are the most dramatic complications of the evolution of cardiolaminopathies and appropriate risk stratification is clinically needed combined with clinical follow-up. Treatment with cardiac electrical implantable devices is indicated in case of bradyarrhythmias (implant of a device with pacemaker functions), risk of life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias (implant of an ICD) or in case of heart failure with wide QRS interval (implant of a device for cardiac resynchronization). New technologies introduced in the last 5 years can help physicians to reduce device-related complications, thanks to the extension of device longevity and availability of leadless pacemakers or defibrillators, to be implanted in appropriately selected patients. An improved knowledge of the complex pathophysiological pathways involved in cardiolaminopathies and in the determinants of their progression to more severe forms will help to improve clinical management and to better target pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments

Cardiac resynchronization therapy: a comparison among left ventricular bipolar, quadripolar and active fixation leads

We evaluated the performance of 3 different left ventricular leads (LV) for resynchronization therapy: bipolar (BL), quadripolar (QL) and active fixation leads (AFL). We enrolled 290 consecutive CRTD candidates implanted with BL (n = 136) or QL (n = 97) or AFL (n = 57). Over a minimum 10 months follow-up, we assessed: (a) composite technical endpoint (TE) (phrenic nerve stimulation at 8 [email protected] ms, safety margin between myocardial and phrenic threshold <2V, LV dislodgement and failure to achieve the target pacing site), (b) composite clinical endpoint (CE) (death, hospitalization for heart failure, heart transplantation, lead extraction for infection), (c) reverse remodeling (RR) (reduction of end systolic volume >15%). Baseline characteristics of the 3 groups were similar. At follow-up the incidence of TE was 36.3%, 14.3% and 19.9% in BL, AFL and QL, respectively (p < 0.01). Moreover, the incidence of RR was 56%, 64% and 68% in BL, AFL and QL respectively (p = 0.02). There were no significant differences in CE (p = 0.380). On a multivariable analysis, \u201cnon-BL leads\u201d was the single predictor of an improved clinical outcome. QL and AFL are superior to conventional BL by enhancing pacing of the target site: AFL through prevention of lead dislodgement while QL through improved management of phrenic nerve stimulation

The Challenges of Diagnosis and Treatment of Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy: Are We there yet?

Background: we sought to review the evolution in the diagnosis and treatment of Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy (ACM), a clinically multifaceted entity beyond the observation of ventricular arrhythmias, and the outcome of therapies aiming at sudden death prevention in a single center experience. Methods: retrospective analysis of the data of consecutive patients with an implanted cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) and a confirmed diagnosis of ACM according to the proposed Padua Criteria, who were referred to our center from January 1992 to October 2021. Results: we enrolled 72 patients (66% males, mean age at implant 46 ± 16 years), 63.9% implanted for primary prevention. At the time of ICD implant, 29 (40.3%) patients had a right ventricular involvement, 24 (33.3%) had a dominant LV involvement and 19 (26.4%) had a biventricular involvement. After a median follow-up of 6,1 years [IQR: 2.5–9.9], 34 patients (47.2%) had 919 sustained episodes of ventricular arrhythmias (VA). 27 patients (37.5%) had 314 episodes of life-threatening arrhythmias (LT-VA), defined as sustained ventricular tachycardia ≥200 beats/min. Considering only the patients with an ICD capable of delivering ATP, 80.4% of VA and 65% of LT-VA were successfully terminated with ATP. 16 (22.2%) patients had an inappropriate ICD activation, mostly caused by atrial fibrillation, while in 9 patients (12.5%) there was a complication needing reintervention (in 3 cases there was a loss of ventricular sensing dictating lead revision). During the follow-up 11 (15.3%) patients died, most of them due to heart failure, and 8 (11.1%) underwent heart transplantation. Conclusions: ACM is increasingly diagnosed owing to heightened suspicion at ECG examination and to improved imaging technology and availability, though the diagnostic workflow is particularly challenging in the earliest disease stages. ICD therapy is the cornerstone of sudden death prevention, albeit its efficacy is not based on controlled studies, and VT ablation/medical therapy are complementary to this strategy. The high burden of ATP-terminated VA makes shock-only devices debatable. The progressive nature of ACM leads to severe biventricular enlargement and refractory heart failure, which pose significant treatment issues when a predominant RV dysfunction occurs owing to the reduced possibility for mechanical circulatory assistance

Is Less Always More? A Prospective Two-Centre Study Addressing Clinical Outcomes in Leadless versus Transvenous Single-Chamber Pacemaker Recipients

(1) Background: Leadless (LL) stimulation is perceived to lower surgical, vascular, and lead-related complications compared to transvenous (TV) pacemakers, yet controlled studies are lacking and real-life experience is non-conclusive. (2) Aim: To prospectively analyse survival and complication rates in leadless versus transvenous VVIR pacemakers. (3) Methods: Prospective analysis of mortality and complications in 344 consecutive VVIR TV and LL pacemaker recipients between June 2015 and May 2021. Indications for VVIR pacing were “slow” AF, atrio-ventricular block in AF or in sinus rhythm in bedridden cognitively impaired patients. LL indication was based on individualised clinical judgement. (4) Results: 72 patients received LL and 272 TV VVIR pacemakers. LL pacemaker indications included ongoing/expected chronic haemodialysis, superior venous access issues, active lifestyle with low pacing percentage expected, frailty causing high bleeding/infectious risk, previous valvular endocarditis, or device infection requiring extraction. No significant difference in the overall acute and long-term complication rate was observed between LL and TV cohorts, with greater mortality occurring in TV due to selection of older patients. (5) Conclusions: Given the low complication rate and life expectancy in this contemporary VVIR cohort, extending LL indications to all VVIR candidates is unlikely to provide clear-cut benefits. Considering the higher costs of LL technology, careful patient selection is mandatory for LL PMs to become advantageous, i.e., in the presence of vascular access issues, high bleeding/infectious risk, and long life expectancy, rendering lead-related issues and repeated surgery relevant in the long-term perspective

Usefulness of the maggic score in predicting the competing risk of non-sudden death in heart failure patients receiving an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator: A sub-analysis of the observo-icd registry

The role of prognostic risk scores in predicting the competing risk of non-sudden death in heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) receiving an implantable cardioverterdefibrillator (ICD) is unclear. To this goal, we evaluated the accuracy and usefulness of the MetaAnalysis Global Group in Chronic Heart Failure (MAGGIC) score. The present analysis included 1089 HFrEF ICD recipients enrolled in the OBSERVO-ICD registry (NCT02735811). During a median follow-up of 36 months (1st\u20133rd IQR 25\u201348 months), 193 patients (17.7%) experienced at least one appropriate ICD therapy, and 133 patients died (12.2%) without experiencing any ICD therapy. The frequency of patients receiving ICD therapies was stable around 17\u201319% across increasing tertiles of 3-year MAGGIC probability of death, whereas non-sudden mortality increased (6.4% to 9.8% to 20.8%, p < 0.0001). Accuracy of MAGGIC score was 0.60 (95% CI, 0.56\u20130.64) for the overall outcome, 0.53 (95% CI, 0.49\u20130.57) for ICD therapies and 0.65 (95% CI, 0.60\u20130.70) for non-sudden death. In patients with higher 3-year MAGGIC probability of death, the increase in the competing risk of non-sudden death during follow-up was greater than that of receiving an appropriate ICD therapy. Results were unaffected when analysis was limited to ICD shocks only. The MAGGIC risk score proved accurate and useful in predicting the competing risk of non-sudden death in HFrEF ICD recipients. Estimation of mortality risk should be taken into greater consideration at the time of ICD implantation

Bridging the future of cardiac stimulation: physiologic or leadless pacing?

Cardiac simulation has moved from early life-saving pacemakers meant only to prevent asystole to current devices capable of physiologic stimulation for the treatment of heart rhythm and heart failure, that are also intended for remote patient and disease-progression monitoring. The actual vision of contemporary pacing aims to correct the electrophysiologic roots of mechanical inefficiency regardless of underlying structural heart diseases. The awareness of the residual cardiac dyssynchrony related to customary cardiac pacing has changed the concept of what truly represents “physiologic pacing”. On a different perspective, leadless stimulation to abolish CIED surgery and prevent lead-related complications is becoming a priority both for young device recipients and for frail, elderly patients. Careful clinical evaluation attempts to bridge decision-making to patient-tailored therapy

Integration of a Smartphone HF-Dedicated App in the Remote Monitoring of Heart Failure Patients with Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices: Patient Access, Acceptance, and Adherence to Use

(200 w) Introduction. Remote monitoring (RM) of cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) diagnostics helps to identify patients potentially at risk of worsening heart failure (HF). Additionally, knowledge of patient HF-related symptoms is crucial for decision making. Patient smartphone applications may represent an ideal option to remotely collect this information. Purpose. To assess real-world HF patient access, acceptance, and adherence to use of an HF-dedicated smartphone application (HF app). Methods. In this study, 10 Italian hospitals administered a survey on smartphone/app use to HF patients with CIED. The subgroup who accepted it downloaded the HF app. Mean 1-year adherence of the HF app use was evaluated. Results. A total of 495 patients (67 ± 13 years, 79% males, 26% NYHA III–IV) completed the survey, of which 84% had access to smartphones and 85% were willing to use the HF app. In total, 311/495 (63%) downloaded the HF app. Patients who downloaded the HF app were younger and had higher school qualification. Patients who were ≥60 years old had higher mean 1-year adherence (54.1%) than their younger counterparts (42.7%; p < 0.001). Hospitals with RM-dedicated staff had higher mean 1-year patient adherence (64.0% vs. 33.5%; p < 0.001). Adherence to HF app decreased from 63.3% (weeks_1–13) to 42.2% (weeks_40–52, p < 0.001). Conclusions. High access and acceptance of smartphones/apps by HF patients with CIED allow HF app use for RM of patient signs/symptoms. Younger patients with higher school qualifications are more likely to accept HF app; however, older patients have higher long-term adherence

Differences in cardiac phenotype and natural history of laminopathies with and without neuromuscular onset

Objective: To investigate differences in cardiac manifestations of patients affected by laminopathy, according to the presence or absence of neuromuscular involvement at presentation. Methods: We prospectively analyzed 40 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of laminopathy followed at a single centre between 1998 and 2017. Additionally, reports of clinical evaluations and tests prior to referral at our centre were retrospectively evaluated. Results: Clinical onset was cardiac in 26 cases and neuromuscular in 14. Patients with neuromuscular presentation experienced first symptoms earlier in life (11 vs 39 years; p < 0.0001) and developed atrial fibrillation/flutter (AF) and required pacemaker implantation at a younger age (28 vs 41 years [p = 0.013] and 30 vs 44 years [p = 0.086] respectively), despite a similar overall prevalence of AF (57% vs 65%; p = 0.735) and atrio-ventricular (A-V) block (50% vs 65%; p = 0.500). Those with a neuromuscular presentation developed a cardiomyopathy less frequently (43% vs 73%; p = 0.089) and had a lower rate of sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias (7% vs 23%; p = 0.387). In patients with neuromuscular onset rhythm disturbances occurred usually before evidence of cardiomyopathy. Despite these differences, the need for heart transplantation and median age at intervention were similar in the two groups (29% vs 23% [p = 0.717] and 43 vs 46 years [p = 0.593] respectively). Conclusions: In patients with laminopathy, the type of disease onset was a marker for a different natural history. Specifically, patients with neuromuscular presentation had an earlier cardiac involvement, characterized by a linear and progressive evolution from rhythm disorders (AF and/or A-V block) to cardiomyopathy

The practice of deep sedation in electrophysiology and cardiac pacing laboratories: Results of an italian survey promoted by the aiac (italian association of arrhythmology and cardiac pacing)

The aim of this survey, which was open to all Italian cardiologists involved in arrhythmia, was to assess common practice regarding sedation and analgesia in interventional electrophysiology procedures in Italy. The survey consisted of 28 questions regarding the approach to sedation used for elective direct-current cardioversion (DCC), subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD) implantation, atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation, ventricular tachycardia (VT) ablation, and transvenous lead extraction procedures. A total of 105 cardiologists from 92 Italian centres took part in the survey. The rate of centres where DCC, S-ICD implantation, AF ablation, VT ablation and lead extraction procedures were performed without anaesthesiologic assistance was 60.9%, 23.6%, 51.2%, 37.3%, and 66.7%, respectively. When these procedures were performed without anaesthesiologic assistance, the drugs (in addition to local anaesthetics) commonly administered were benzodiazepines (from 64.3% to 79.6%), opioids (from 74.4% to 88.1%), and general anaesthetics (from 7.1% to 30.4%). Twenty-three (21.9%) of the 105 cardiologists declared that they routinely administered propofol, without the supervision of an anaesthesiologist, in at least one of the above-mentioned procedures. In current Italian clinical practice, there is a lack of uniformity in the sedation/analgesia approach used in interventional electrophysiology procedures