Impaired left ventricular global longitudinal strain improves with radiofrequency catheter ablation in patients with PVC-induced cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: In our study, we aimed to evaluate left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS) value in patients with premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) and reduced LV ejection fraction (LVEF) and to determine the effect of radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA) procedure on LV-GLS. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 150 patients who underwent three-dimensional RFA with the diagnosis of PVCs were included. LV-GLS was measured with strain echocardiography in all patients before RFA and in the sixth-month control. Patients included in the study were grouped as LVEF <50% (Group I) and LVEF ≥50% (Group II) according to baseline LVEF, and patients within Group I were grouped as LVEF <50% (Group A) and LVEF ≥50% (Group B) according to the sixth-month LVEF. RESULTS: There were 39 patients (26%) with baseline LVEF <50%. In 14 (36%) of these patients, LVEF <50% was observed to continue during the sixth-month controls. Both the baseline and sixth-month LV-GLS values were significantly lower in Group I patients (<0.01). RFA treatment significantly increased both LVEF and LV-GLS (<0.01). It was found that age, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, LV diameters, and baseline LVEF were higher, and baseline LV-GLS level was lower in Group A patients (P < .01). Baseline LVEF and LV-GLS values were found to independently determine the patients in Group A (P < .01). In receiver operator characteristic analysis, when the limit value is accepted as 40% for baseline LVEF and 18% for baseline LV-GLS, it can determine Group A with acceptable sensitivity and specificity. CONCLUSIONS: LV-GLS decreases significantly in patients with reduced LVEF and PVCs. In these patients, RFA treatment significantly increases both LVEF and LV-GLS.

The value of PRECISE-DAPT score and lesion complexity for predicting all-cause mortality in patients with NSTEMI.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to evaluate the prognostic effects of stroke risk scores (SRS), SYNTAX score (SX score), and PRECISE-DAPT score on mortality in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Three hundred forty-three patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of NSTEMI and underwent coronary angiography (CAG) between January 1, 2022, and June 1, 2022, were included retrospectively in this single-center study. Patients' demographic, clinical and routine biochemical parameters were recorded. The scores (CHADS2, CHA2DS2-VASc, R2CHA2DS2-VASc, ATRIA, SX score, PRECISE-DAPT) of each patient were calculated. Participants were then divided into two groups by in-hospital status; all-cause mortality (+) and all-cause mortality (-). RESULTS: Overall, the mean age was 63.5 ± 11.8 years, of whom 63.3% (n = 217) were male. In-hospital mortality occurred in 31 (9.3%) patients. In the study population, those who died had significantly higher SX (p < 0.001), PRECISE-DAPT (p < 0.001), and ATRIA (p = 0.002) scores than those who survived. In logistic regression analysis, PRECISE-DAPT score [Odds ratio (OR) = 1.063, 95% CI 1.014-1.115; p = 0.012] and SX score [OR: 1.061, 95% CI 1.015-1.109, p = 0.009] were found to be independent predictors of in-hospital all-cause mortality among NSTEMI patients. In ROC analysis, the PRECISE-DAPT score performed better discriminative ability than the SX score in determining in-hospital mortality [Area under the curve = 0.706, 95% CI 0.597-0.814; p < 0.001]. CONCLUSIONS: During the hospital stay, both PRECISE-DAPT and SX scores showed better performance than SRS in predicting all-cause mortality among NSTEMI patients undergoing CAG. Aside from their primary purpose, both scores might be useful in determining risk stratification for such patient populations.

Impaired self-reported sleep quality improves with radiofrequency catheter ablation in patients with premature ventricular complexes.

BACKGROUND: The frequency of premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) increases in patients with poor sleep quality (PSQ). AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate PSQ in patients referred for radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA) due to PVCs and to determine the effect of RFA on PSQ. METHODS: A total of 207 patients who were diagnosed with the PVC burden greater than 10% and underwent 3-dimensional RFA in our center were included in this cross -sectional study. Self -reported sleep quality was assessed in all patients in addition to a 24-hour Holter electrocardiogram before ablation and at 3-month follow -up. The effect of RFA on self -reported sleep quality in patients with PVCs was evaluated. RESULTS: Before RFA, 87% of the study patients had PSQ. In those with PVCs, subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, daytime dysfunction, and the global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) improved after RFA (P <0.001). Positive correlations were found between the PSQI and the total number of PVCs, PVC burden, PVC burden in the morning, PVC burden at midday, PVC burden in the evening, and PVC burden at nighttime (P <0.01). In linear regression analysis, only the nighttime PVC burden was found to be related to the PSQI (P = 0.002, ß = 0.397). CONCLUSION: Poor sleep quality is common in patients with PVCs and it improves significantly after the RFA procedure. Poor sleep quality in patients with PVCs is closely related to the PVC burden at nighttime. Our study showed that, while evaluating PVCs, we also should suspect PSQ, especially due to PVCs.