JAHA: June 19, 2013 A New Risk Scheme to Predict Ischemic Stroke and Other Thromboembolism in Atrial Fibrillation: The ATRIA Study Stroke Risk Score Background More accurate and reliable stroke risk prediction tools are needed to optimize anticoagulation decision making in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We developed a new AF stroke prediction model using the […]
JACC: June 1, 2013 Objective The aim of the present study is to evaluate the association of air pollution with the onset of atrial fibrillation (AF). Background Air pollution in general and more specifically particulate matter has been associated with cardiovascular events. Although ventricular arrhythmias are traditionally thought to convey the increased cardiovascular risk, AF may also […]
Circulation: May 17, 2013 Background—For ablation of atrial fibrillation, it is unclear how baseline international normalized ratio (INR) affects the dosing of unfractionated heparin (UFH). Methods and Results—A retrospective review of 170 consecutive patients undergoing atrial fibrillation ablation with baseline activated clotting time (ACT) and INR values was performed. Patients were grouped according to INR <2.0 […]
Circulation: April 29, 2013 Background—Atrial tachycardias (AT) during or after ablation of atrial fibrillation frequently pose a diagnostic challenge. We hypothesized that both the patterns and the timing of coronary sinus (CS) activation could facilitate AT mapping. Methods and Results—A total of 140 consecutive postpersistent atrial fibrillation ablation patients with sustained AT were investigated by conventional […]
Circulation: April 11, 2013 Background—Left atrial (LA) ganglionated plexi (GP) are part of the intrinsic cardiac autonomic nervous system and implicated in the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation. High frequency stimulation is used to identify GP sites in humans. The effect of ablation on neural pathways connecting GPs in humans is unknown. Methods and Results—Thirty patients undergoing […]
Circulation: April 3, 2013, Background—Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for atrial fibrillation is associated with a transient increased risk of thromboembolic and hemorrhagic events. We hypothesized that dabigatran can be safely used as an alternative to continuous warfarin for the periprocedural anticoagulation in PVI. Methods and Results—A total of 999 consecutive patients undergoing PVI were included; 376 […]
JACC: June 1, 2013 Objective The primary objective was to compare the net clinical benefit of dabigatran 110mg bid and 150mg bid with that of warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Background In patients with AF, dabigatran 110mg bid and 150mg bid are associated with similar rates of death. However, the higher dose reduces ischemic stroke […]
Heart BMJ: June 13, 2013 Abstract Objective To assess alcohol intake as a risk factor for adverse events among patients with incident atrial fibrillation (AF). Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Population based cohort study and nationwide Danish registries. Patients The Danish Diet, Cancer and Health study included 57 053 participants (27 178 men and 29 875 women) aged between 50 and 64 years. […]
CIRCOUTCOMES: June 11, 2013 Background—Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) at the highest stroke risk derive the largest benefit from oral anticoagulation (OAC). Those with the highest stroke risk have been paradoxically less likely to receive OAC. This study assessed the association between stroke and bleeding risk on rates of OAC. Methods and Results—We analyzed OAC use […]
PLOS One: June 7, 2013 Purpose Walking is purported to reduce the risk of atrial fibrillation by 48%, whereas jogging is purported to increase its risk by 53%, suggesting a strong anti-arrhythmic benefit of walking over running. The purpose of these analyses is to compare incident self-reported physician-diagnosed cardiac arrhythmia to baseline energy expenditure (metabolic […]
