Recurrences of Atrial Fibrillation Despite Durable Pulmonary Vein Isolation: The PARTY-PVI Study.

BACKGROUND: Recurrences of atrial fibrillation (AF) after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) are mainly due to pulmonary vein reconnection. However, a growing number of patients have AF recurrences despite durable PVI. The optimal ablative strategy for these patients is unknown. We analyzed the impact of current ablation strategies in a large multicenter study. METHODS: Patients undergoing a redo ablation for AF and presenting durable PVI were included. The freedom from atrial arrhythmia after pulmonary vein-based, linear-based, electrogram-based, and trigger-based ablation strategies were compared. RESULTS: Between 2010 and 2020, 367 patients (67% men, 63±10 years, 44% paroxysmal) underwent a redo ablation for AF recurrences despite durable PVI at 39 centers. After durable PVI was confirmed, linear-based ablation was performed in 219 (60%) patients, electrogram-based ablation in 168 (45%) patients, trigger-based ablation in 101 (27%) patients, and pulmonary vein-based ablation in 56 (15%) patients. Seven patients (2%) did not undergo any additional ablation during the redo procedure. After 22±19 months of follow-up, 122 (33%) and 159 (43%) patients had a recurrence of atrial arrhythmia at 12 and 24 months, respectively. No significant difference in arrhythmia-free survival was observed between the different ablation strategies. Left atrial dilatation was the only independent factor associated with arrhythmia-free survival (HR, 1.59 [95% CI, 1.13-2.23]; P=0.006). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with recurrent AF despite durable PVI, no ablation strategy used alone or in combination during the redo procedure appears to be superior in improving arrhythmia-free survival. Left atrial size is a significant predictor of ablation outcome in this population.

Ischemic Stroke in Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy According to Presence or Absence of Atrial Fibrillation.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) have high risk of ischemic stroke (IS), especially if atrial fibrillation (AF) is present. Improvements in risk stratification are needed to help identify those patients with HCM at higher risk of stroke, whether AF is present or not. METHODS: This French longitudinal cohort study from the database covering hospital care from 2010 to 2019 analyzed adults hospitalized with isolated HCM. A logistic regression model was used to construct a French HCM score, which was compared with the HCM Risk-CVA and CHA2DS2-VASc scores using c-indexes and calibration analysis. RESULTS: In 32 206 patients with isolated HCM, 12 498 (38.8%) had AF, and 2489 (7.7%) sustained an IS during follow-up. AF in patients with HCM was independently associated with a higher risk for death (hazard ratio, 1.129 [95% CI, 1.088-1.172]), cardiovascular death (hazard ratio, 1.254 [95% CI, 1.177-1.337]), IS (hazard ratio, 1.210 [95% CI, 1.111-1.317]), and other major cardiovascular events. Independent predictors of IS in HCM were older age, heart failure, AF, prior IS, smoking and poor nutrition (all P<0.05). For the HCM Risk-CVA score, CHA2DS2-VASc score and a French HCM score, all c-indexes were 0.65 to 0.70, with good calibration. Among patients with AF, the CHA2DS2-VASc score had marginal improvement over the HCM Risk-CVA score but was less predictive compared with the French HCM score (P=0.001). In patients without AF, both HCM Risk-CVA score and the French HCM score had significantly better prediction compared with CHA2DS2-VASc (both P<0.0001). Decision curve analysis demonstrated that the French HCM score had the best clinical usefulness of the 3 tested risk scores. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with HCM have a high prevalence of AF and a significant risk of IS, and the presence of AF in patients with HCM was independently associated with worse outcomes. A simple French HCM score shows good prediction of IS in patients with HCM and clinical usefulness, with good calibration.

Cardiovascular outcomes after cardiac resynchronization therapy in cardiac amyloidosis.

AIMS: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is highly effective in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients with impaired left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left bundle block branch. In cardiac amyloidosis (CA) patients, left ventricular dysfunction and conduction defects are common, but the potential of CRT to improve cardiac remodelling and survival in this particular setting remains undefined. We investigated cardiovascular outcomes in CA patients after CRT implantation in terms of CRT echocardiographic response and major cardiovascular events (MACEs). METHODS AND RESULTS: Our retrospective study included 47 CA patients implanted with CRT devices from January 2012 to February 2020, in nine French university hospitals (77 ± 6 years old, baseline LVEF 30 ± 8%) compared with propensity-matched (1:1 for age, LVEF at implantation, and CRT indication) DCM patients with a CRT device. CA patients had lower rates of CRT response (absolute delta LVEF ≥ 10%) compared with DCM patients (36% vs. 70%, P = 0.002). After multivariate Cox analysis, CA was independently associated with MACE (hospitalization for heart failure/cardiovascular death) [hazard ratio (HR) 3.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.85-7.54, P < 0.001], along with the absence of CRT response (HR 3.01, 95% CI 1.56-5.79, P = 0.001). The presence of echocardiographic CRT response (absolute delta LVEF ≥ 10%) was the only predictive factor of MACE-free survival in CA patients (HR 0.36, 95% CI 0.15-0.86, P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Compared with a matched cohort of DCM patients, CA patients had a lower rate of CRT response and consequently a worse cardiovascular prognosis after CRT implantation. However, CRT could be beneficial even in CA patients given that CRT response was associated with better cardiac outcomes in this population.

Outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction and history of illicit drug use: a French nationwide analysis.

AIMS: Several reports suggest that illicit drug use may be a major cause of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) independently of smoking habits and associated with a poorer prognosis. The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of illicit drug use on (i) the risk of AMI and (ii) its prognosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: This French longitudinal cohort study was based on the administrative hospital-discharge database from the entire population. First, we collected data for all patients admitted in hospital in 2013 with at least 5 years of follow-up to identify potential predictors of AMI. In a second phase, we collected data for all patients admitted with AMI from January 2010 to December 2018. We identified patients with a history of illicit drug use (cannabis, cocaine, or opioid). These patients were matched with patients without illicit drug use to assess their prognosis. In 2013, 3 381 472 patients were hospitalized with a mean follow-up of 4.7 ± 1.8 years. In multivariable analysis, among all drugs under evaluation, only cannabis use was significantly associated with a higher risk of AMI [HR 1.32 (95% CI 1.09-1.59), P = 0.004]. Between January 2010 and December 2018, we then identified 738 899 AMI patients. Among these patients, 3827 (0.5%) had a known history of illicit drug use. These patients were younger, most often male and had less comorbidities. After 1:1 propensity score matching, during a mean follow-up of 1.9 ± 2.3 years, there was no significant difference between patients without illicit drug use and patients with illicit drug use regarding all-cause death, cardiovascular death, stroke, or heart failure. CONCLUSION: In a large and systematic nationwide analysis, cannabis use was an independent risk factor for the incidence of AMI. However, the prognosis of illicit drug users presenting with AMI was similar to patients without illicit drug use.

Comparison of Outcome of Possible Versus Definite Infective Endocarditis Involving Native Heart Valves.

There are very few data on the prognosis of possible versus definite infective endocarditis (IE). We studied data from 365 consecutive patients with IE involving native heart valve seen in an academic institution from 1990 to 2012. Patients were classified according to the modified Duke criteria for IE: patients with possible IE (n = 101, 28%) and those with definite IE (n = 264, 72%). Patients with possible IE were older than those with definite IE (66 ± 15 vs 62 ± 16, p = 0.05). A causative microorganism was identified in 66% of patients with possible IE versus all patients with definite IE (p <0.0001) and only 41% had major echocardiographic criteria (vs 100%; p <0.0001). Overall, 139 patients died over a mean ± SD follow-up of 3.9 ± 4.5 years (median 2.2, interquartile range 5.9 years). Patients with possible and definite IE had a similar risk of death. Independent predictors of long-term mortality were increasing age (hazard ratio [HR] 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01 to 1.04; p = 0.0009), vegetation length >15 mm (HR 1.87, 95% CI 1.14 to 3.06; p = 0.01), and stroke (HR 4.10, 95% CI 1.84 to 9.17; p = 0.0006), whereas infection of mitral valve (HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.94; p = 0.03) and surgery (HR 0.43, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.99; p = 0.05) were associated with a better prognosis. Patients with definite IE and those with possible IE who did not undergo surgery had a worse prognosis than their counterparts with surgery. In conclusion, unselected patients with possible IE (Duke criteria) had a similar prognosis than those with definite IE.

Causes of Death and Influencing Factors in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation is associated with a higher mortality, but causes of death of atrial fibrillation patients and their specific predictors have been less well defined. We aimed to identify the causes of death among atrial fibrillation patients and secondly, clinical predictors for the different modes of deaths. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation in a four-hospital institution between 2000 and 2010 were identified. During a follow-up of 929 ± 1082 days (median 456, interquartile 10-1584), 1253 deaths were recorded (yearly rate 5.5%). RESULTS: Cardiovascular deaths accounted for 54% and noncardiovascular for 43%. The three main causes of death were heart failure (29%), infection (18%), and cancer (12%). Fatal stroke or fatal bleeding each accounted for 7% of all deaths. On multivariate analysis, the strongest predictors of death were permanent atrial fibrillation, heart failure (whether with decreased or with preserved ejection fraction), previous bleeding, and renal failure, which were independently associated with an increase in the risk of all-cause mortality (35%, 78%, 42%, and 79%, respectively), cardiovascular mortality (43%, 129%, 46%, and 93%, respectively), and noncardiovascular mortality (21%, 45%, 40%, and 50%, respectively). Oral anticoagulant use was independently associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 0.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.54-0.71; P <.0001), cardiovascular mortality (HR 0.60; 95% CI, 0.49-0.72; P <.0001), and noncardiovascular mortality (HR 0.60; 95% CI, 0.49-0.74; P <.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of deaths were related to a cardiovascular origin, and heart failure was the most common cause of death in atrial fibrillation patients. Despite the high risk of stroke associated with atrial fibrillation, only 7% died from stroke. Optimization of management of any underlying heart disease and associated comorbidities should be a relevant therapeutic target to reduce total mortality in atrial fibrillation patients.

Should Atrial Fibrillation Patients With Only 1 Nongender-Related CHA2DS2-VASc Risk Factor Be Anticoagulated?

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There is some uncertainty about treating patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) with 1 nongender-related (NGR) stroke risk factor (CHA2DS2-VASc [ie, congestive heart failure, hypertension, age (≥75 years; 2 points), diabetes, stroke/transient ischemic attack (2 points), vascular disease, age (65-74 years), sex (female)] score of 1 in males and 2 in females) with oral anticoagulation (OAC). METHODS: We investigated adverse outcomes and calculated the net clinical benefit of OAC use in a community-based cohort of unselected AF patients with 0 compared with 1 NGR stroke risk factor (CHA2DS2-VASc 0 versus 1 in males; and 1 versus 2 in females). Among 8962 patients with AF, 2208 (25%) had 0 or 1 NGR stroke risk factors, of which 45% were not prescribed OAC. RESULTS: During a follow-up of 1028±1189 days (median, 495; interquartile range, 5-1882 days), the yearly rate of the combined end point of stroke/systemic embolism in nonanticoagulated AF patients with 1 NGR stroke risk factor was 2.09% (95% confidence interval, 1.37-3.18). This corresponded to an adjusted hazard ratio of 2.82 (95% confidence interval, 1.32-6.04) relative to the group with 0 NGR stroke risk factor. When the benefit of ischemic stroke reduction was balanced against the increased risk of intracranial hemorrhage among patients with 1 NGR stroke risk factor, the net clinical benefit was positive in favor of OAC use versus no antithrombotic therapy or antiplatelet therapy use. The net clinical benefit was negative for antiplatelet therapy use versus no antithrombotic therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Among AF patients with 1 NGR stroke risk factor (ie, CHA2DS2-VASc 1 in males or 2 in females), OAC use as indicated according to the guidelines was associated with a positive net clinical benefit for the prevention of stroke and thromboembolic events.

Left retropectoral axillary implantation of defibrillators in young women.

We propose a complete surgical approach by left retropectoral transaxillary implantation with no vein puncture to improve the aesthetic and psychological tolerance of the implantable cardioverter defibrillator and avoid the pneumothorax and the subclavian crush syndrome.

Ventricular pacing through coronary sinus in patients with tricuspid prosthesis.

We report four cases of ventricular pacing through the coronary sinus in patients with tricuspid biological valves for whom recordings of atrioventricular block indicated required pacemaker implantation. To avoid risk of tricuspid damage, endocardial pacemaker implantation is not recommended for patients with prior tricuspid valve replacement. These patients historically undergo epicardial lead implantation on the diaphragmatic surface of the ventricle, requiring a lateral thoracotomy, which remains a challenging technique. For our cases, satisfactory pacing data was collected for a 6-year follow-up. This technique enables a minimally invasive approach and effective stimulation for patients with a prosthetic tricuspid valve.