Reliable focal and rotational activations in CARTOFINDER mapping using the OctaRay catheter.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the current study was to elucidated the reliable atrial fibrillation (AF) drivers identified by CARTOFINDER using OctaRay catheter. METHODS AND RESULTS: The reliability of focal and rotational activations identified by CARTOFINDER using OctaRay catheter was assessed by the sequential recordings in each site of both atrium before and after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in 10 persistent AF patients. The outcome measures were the reproducibility rate during the sequential recordings and the stability rate between pre- and post-PVI as reliable focal and rotational activations. The study results were compared with those under use of PentaRay catheter (N = 18). Total 68928 points of 360 sites in OctaRay group and 24 177 points of 311 sites in PentaRay were assessed. More focal activation sites were identified in OctaRay group than PentaRay group (7.9% vs. 5.7%, p < .001), although the reproducibility rate and the stability rate were significantly lower in OctaRay group (45.3% vs. 58.9%, p < .001; 11.2% vs. 28.4%, p < .001). Meanwhile, the prevalence of reproducible focal activation sites among overall points was comparable (3.6% vs. 3.3%, p = .08). Regarding rotational activation, more rotational activation sites were identified in OctaRay group (5.1% vs. 0.2%, p < .001), and the reproducibility rate and the stability rate were significantly higher in OctaRay group (45.2% and 12.5% vs. 0.0%, p < .001). Both reliable focal and rotational activation sites were characterized by significantly shorter AF-cycle length (CL) and higher repetition of focal and rotational activations during the recordings compared with the sites of non or unreliable focal and rotational activations. CONCLUSION: In CARTOFINDER, OctaRay catheter could identify reliable focal activation with high resolution and reliable rotational activation compared with PentaRay catheter. The repetitive focal and rotational activations with short AF-CL could be the potential target during ablation.

Prognostic Importance of B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Level in Patients Undergoing Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: This study assessed the prognostic importance of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentrations for clinical events after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF).Methods and Results: We enrolled 1,750 consecutive patients undergoing initial AF ablation whose baseline BNP data were available from a large-scale multicenter observational cohort (TRANQUILIZE-AF Registry). The prognostic impact of BNP concentration on clinical outcomes, including recurrent tachyarrhythmias and a composite of heart failure (HF) hospitalization or cardiac death, was evaluated. Median baseline BNP was 94.2 pg/mL. During a median follow-up of 2.4 years, low BNP (<38.3 pg/mL) was associated with lower rates of recurrent atrial tachyarrhythmias than BNP concentrations ≥38.3 pg/mL (19.9% vs. 30.6% at 3 years; P<0.001) and HF (0.8% vs. 5.3% at 3 years; P<0.001). Multivariable Cox regression analyses revealed that low BNP was independently associated with lower risks of arrhythmia recurrence (hazard ratio [HR] 0.63; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.47-0.82; P<0.001) and HF (HR 0.17; 95% CI 0.04-0.71; P=0.002). The favorable impact of low BNP on arrhythmia recurrence was prominent in patients with paroxysmal, but not non-paroxysmal, AF, particularly among those with long-standing AF. CONCLUSIONS: Low BNP concentrations had a favorable impact on clinical outcomes after AF ablation. The heterogeneous impact of baseline BNP concentrations on arrhythmia recurrence for the subgroups of patients divided by AF type warrants future larger studies with longer follow-up periods.

Polypharmacy and Bleeding Outcomes After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

BACKGROUND: Polypharmacy was reported to be associated with major bleeding in various populations. However, there are no data on polypharmacy and its association with bleeding in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Methods and Results: Among 12,291 patients in the CREDO-Kyoto PCI Registry Cohort-3, we evaluated the number of medications at discharge and compared major bleeding, defined as Bleeding Academic Research Consortium Type 3 or 5 bleeding, across tertiles (T1-3) of the number of medications. The median number of medications was 6, and 88.0% of patients were on ≥5 medications. The cumulative 5-year incidence of major bleeding increased incrementally with increasing number of medications (T1 [≤5 medications] 12.5%, T2 [6-7] 16.5%, and T3 [≥8] 20.4%; log-rank P<0.001). After adjusting for confounders, the risks for major bleeding of T2 (hazard ratio [HR] 1.21; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08-1.36; P=0.001) and T3 (HR 1.27; 95% CI 1.12-1.45; P<0.001) relative to T1 remained significant. The adjusted risks of T2 and T3 relative to T1 were not significant for a composite of myocardial infarction or ischemic stroke (HR 0.95 [95% CI 0.83-1.09; P=0.47] and HR 1.06 [95% CI 0.91-1.23; P=0.48], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In a real-world population of patients undergoing PCI, approximately 90% were on ≥5 medications. Increasing number of medications was associated with a higher adjusted risk for major bleeding, but not ischemic events.

Bleeding Outcomes After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in the Past Two Decades in Japan　- From the CREDO-Kyoto Registry Cohort-2 and Cohort-3.

BACKGROUND: Optimal intensity is unclear for P2Y12receptor blocker therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in real-world clinical practice.Methods and Results: From the CREDO-Kyoto Registry, the current study population consisted of 25,419 patients (Cohort-2: n=12,161 and Cohort-3: n=13,258) who underwent their first PCI. P2Y12receptor blocker therapies were reduced dose of ticlopidine (200 mg/day), and global dose of clopidogrel (75 mg/day) in 87.7% and 94.8% of patients in Cohort-2 and Cohort-3, respectively. Cumulative 3-year incidence of GUSTO moderate/severe bleeding was significantly higher in Cohort-3 than in Cohort-2 (12.1% and 9.0%, P<0.0001). After adjusting 17 demographic factors and 9 management factors potentially related to the bleeding events other than the type of P2Y12receptor blocker, the higher bleeding risk in Cohort-3 relative to Cohort-2 remained significant (hazard ratio (HR): 1.52 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.37-1.68, P<0.0001). Cohort-3 compared with Cohort-2 was not associated with lower adjusted risk for myocardial infarction/ischemic stroke (HR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.87-1.06, P=0.44). CONCLUSIONS: In this historical comparative study, Cohort-3 compared with Cohort-2 was associated with excess bleeding risk, which might be at least partly explained by the difference in P2Y12receptor blockers.

Concomitant Mitral Regurgitation in Severe Aortic Stenosis　- A Report From the CURRENT AS Registry.

BACKGROUND: The clinical significance of concomitant mitral regurgitation (MR) has not been well addressed in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS).Methods and Results:We analyzed 3,815 patients from a retrospective multicenter registry of severe AS in Japan (CURRENT AS registry). We compared the clinical outcomes between patients with moderate/severe MR and with none/mild MR according to the initial treatment strategy (initial aortic valve replacement [AVR] or conservative strategy). The primary outcome measure was a composite of aortic valve-related death or heart failure hospitalization. At baseline, moderate/severe MR was present in 227/1,197 (19%) patients with initial AVR strategy and in 536/2,618 (20%) patients with a conservative strategy. The crude cumulative 5-year incidence of the primary outcome measure was significantly higher in patients with moderate/severe MR than in those with none/mild MR, regardless of the initial treatment strategy (25.2% vs. 14.4%, P<0.001 in the initial AVR strategy, and 63.3% vs. 40.7%, P<0.001 in the conservative strategy). After adjusting confounders, moderate/severe MR was not independently associated with higher risk for the primary outcome measure in the initial AVR strategy (hazard ratio [HR] 1.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.67-1.83, P=0.69), and in the conservative strategy (HR 1.13, 95% CI 0.93-1.37, P=0.22). CONCLUSIONS: Concomitant moderate/severe MR was not independently associated with higher risk for the primary outcome measure regardless of the initial treatment strategy.

Instability of rotational activation as atrial fibrillation drivers: Assessment by ExTRa Mapping system.

BACKGROUND: ExTRa Mapping™ has developed to visualize rotational activation as atrial fibrillation (AF) drivers. The current study was sought to evaluate the instability of AF drivers by ExTRa Mapping™. METHODS: Variation of nonpassively activated ratio (%NP) among three-time repetitive recordings before and after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in left atrium was assessed in 26 persistent AF patients. The recoding time was set at 5 or 8 s for the respective patients. The outcome measures included %NP at each recording, mean value of the three-time recordings, and the instability index, which was defined as maximum difference per mean %NP × 100 (%). RESULTS: Total 683 sites 2049 recordings were assessed. Mean %NP was 33.3(23.3-42.7)%, and higher in sites with severe (≥50%) and patchy low voltage area than those without, but not in those with severe complex fractionated atrial electrogram area. There was significant correlation between actual and mean %NP (R = 0.86, P < .001), but maximum difference among the repetitive recordings was 16(10-24)%. The instability index of %NP was 55.9(30.9-83.6)%, and significantly lower at the recordings of 8 s compared with 5 s (50.6[28.6-78.4]% vs. 60.4[35.0-90.0]%, P = .004). Furthermore, it was higher at sites with lower reliability of the recordings. After PVI, mean %NP significantly decreased (28.7[18.3-36.7]% vs. 37.7[28.7-45.7]%, P < .001), but the instability index significantly increased compared with those before PVI (60.0[35.0-92.7]% vs. 48.9[29.1-75.0]%, P = .001). CONCLUSION: Rotational activation as AF drivers assessed by ExTRa Mapping™ is unstable, and repetitive and longer recording is required for the reliable assessment even after PVI.

Matched comparison of catheter ablation versus conservative management for atrial fibrillation.

It is still controversial whether catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) could improve clinical outcomes in general AF population. Among 4398 patients with diagnosis of AF in the outpatient department of Kyoto University Hospital between January 2005 and March 2015, we identified 537 pairs of patients who received first-time catheter ablation (ablation group) or conservative management (conservative group), matched for age, gender, AF duration, AF type, AF symptoms, and previous heart failure (HF). The primary outcome measure was a composite of cardiovascular death, HF hospitalization, ischemic stroke, or major bleeding. Most baseline characteristics were well balanced between the 2 groups, except for the higher prevalence of low body weight, history of malignancy, and severe chronic kidney disease in the conservative group. Median follow-up duration was 5.3 years. The cumulative 5-year incidence of the primary outcome measure was significantly lower in the ablation group than in the conservative group (5.2% versus 15.6%, log-rank P < 0.001). Even after adjusting for the imbalances in the baseline characteristics, the lower risk of the ablation group relative to the conservative group for the primary outcome measure remained highly significant (HR 0.32, 95% CI 0.21-0.47, P < 0.001). Ablation compared with conservative management was also associated with significantly lower risks for the individual components of the primary outcome. In this matched analysis in AF patients, ablation as compared with conservative management was associated with better long-term clinical outcomes, although we could not deny the possibility of selection bias and unmeasured confounding.

Limitations of lesion quality estimated by ablation index: An in vitro study.

LIMITATIONS OF THE ABLATION INDEX BACKGROUND: Ablation index (AI) is a novel marker of lesion quality from radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation. However, AI reliability has not been fully validated by experimental data. The aim of the present study is to validate AI reliability for estimating lesion size using different settings for RF parameters: contact angle, power delivery, and contact force (CF). METHODS AND RESULTS: We evaluated the lesion size in porcine hearts (N = 108) after RF application at three different contact angles to the myocardium: perpendicular (90°), oblique (45°), and parallel (0°). At each angle, RF power at 25, 30, and 35 W was applied at target CF values of 5, 15, and 30 g as measured by the CF sensor to reach target AIs of 300, 400, 500, and 600. AI value was significantly correlated with lesion depth, width, and volume (R = 0.84, 0.82, and 0.87, respectively, all P < 0.001). Lesion depth decreased with smaller contact angles (45° and 0°). Furthermore, high-power RF energy (35 W) resulted in a significantly smaller lesion volume compared with standard-power energy (30 W). There were no significant differences in lesion size among CF settings. CONCLUSIONS: AI was strongly correlated with lesion depth, width, and volume, but only within a small range of contact angles and RF power delivery settings.

Optimal cutoff value of bipolar low-voltage in electroanatomic voltage mapping during atrial fibrillation rhythm.

BACKGROUND: Electroanatomic voltage mapping (EAVM) of the left atrium (LA) with multielectrodes is usually acquired during sinus rhythm (SR), and the feasibility of EAVM during atrial fibrillation (AF) rhythm is unclear. METHODS: We performed EAVM of LA during both SR and AF rhythm in 44 patients undergoing catheter ablation for AF and validated the optimal cutoff value of low-voltage area (LVA) during AF rhythm for detecting LVA defined as bipolar voltages ≤0.5 mV during SR. RESULTS: In each session, mean 829 and 552 points were acquired by multielectrodes during SR and AF rhythm, respectively. Mean proportion of LVA was 4.9% among LA surface area of 276.2 cm2 . Differences of LVA proportions between SR and AF rhythm were 5.8% (P < 0.001), 4.2% (P < 0.001), 2.7% (P < 0.001), 1.2% (P = 0.01), and -0.5% (P = 0.17) at the cutoff value of 0.4, 0.35, 0.3, 0.25, and 0.2 mV during AF rhythm, respectively. There was a good correlation between LVA proportions during SR and AF rhythm with cutoff value of 0.2 mV (R = 0.88, P < 0.001) and 37 patients (84.1%) had the discrepancy of LVA proportions within 3%. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between LVA proportions at each segment of LA. The discrepancy was relatively large in patients with large LA dimension and LVA during SR. CONCLUSION: EAVM during AF rhythm was feasible and the optimal cutoff value of LVA was 0.2 mV for detecting LVA ≤ 0.5 mV during SR. However, the evidence is restricted to patients with relatively small LVA.

Real-time surveillance of left atrial appendage thrombus during contrast computed tomography imaging for catheter ablation: THe Reliability of cOMputed tomography Beyond UltraSound in THROMBUS detection (THROMBUS) study.

Left atrial contrast computed tomography (LA-CT) as well as transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) can exclude left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombus, but is sometimes unable to evaluate LAA due to incomplete LAA filling. The aim of the current study was to validate the utility of real-time approach of LA-CT with real-time surveillance of LAA-filling defect (FD). We enrolled consecutive 894 patients with LA-CT studies acquired for catheter ablation and compared the diagnostic accuracy in demonstrating LAA-FD between conventional protocol (N = 474) and novel protocol with real-time surveillance of LAA-FD immediately after the initial scanning and, when necessary, adding delayed scanning in the supine or prone position (N = 420). Primary endpoint was severity of LAA-FD classified into the 3 groups: "Grade-0" for complete filling of contrast, "Grade-1" for incomplete filling of contrast, and "Grade-2" for complete FD of contrast. The prevalence of Grade-1 and Grade-2 FD was 17.3% and 11.2% in conventional protocol, whereas there was no patient with Grade-2 FD, and only 1 patient with Grade-1 FD after the additional scanning in novel protocol. In 5 patients with suspected LAA thrombus both by TEE and Grade-2 FD in LA-CT by the conventional protocol, ablation procedure was canceled due to diagnosis of LAA thrombus. Conversely, 4 patients with suspected LAA thrombus by TEE in novel protocol group was proved to have intact LAA by LA-CT with and without additional scanning. This novel approach with real-time surveillance improved the diagnostic accuracy of LA-CT in detecting LAA-FD, suggesting potential superiority of LA-CT over TEE in excluding LAA thrombus.

Impact of Pre-Existing Bradycardia on Subsequent Need for Pacemaker Implantation After Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of subsequent need for permanent pacemaker implantation (PMI) after radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) for atrial fibrillation (AF) in real world patients with and without pre-existing bradycardia has not yet been fully evaluated. Methods and Results: A total of 1,131 consecutive patients undergoing first-time RFCA for AF who had no previous or planned device implantation, were enrolled in the present study. Of 799 paroxysmal AF (PAF) patients, 121 (15.1%) had sinus node dysfunction (SND). Of 332 non-PAF patients, 73 (22.0%) had slow ventricular response (VR), defined as heart rate <80 beats/min at rest without any rate-control drugs. The 5-year cumulative incidence of PMI after RFCA in PAF patients with and without SND was 14.8% and 1.7%, respectively (P<0.001). The 5-year cumulative incidence of PMI after RFCA in non-PAF patients with and without slow VR was 14.8% and 4.7%, respectively (P<0.001). SND and female gender in PAF patients, as well as slow VR and age ≥75 years in non-PAF patients, were independent and additive predictors of PMI. The 5-year cumulative incidence of PMI was 26.3% in female PAF patients with SND and 33.3% in elderly non-PAF patients with slow VR. CONCLUSIONS: PMI was avoided in >85% of patients undergoing RFCA for PAF with pre-existing SND, although care should be taken for female patients. Decision-making regarding RFCA for non-PAF patients with slow VR, especially in the elderly, should be cautious.

Prevalence and significance of clinically unsuspected pulmonary embolism: detection using coronary computed tomography angiography.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Clinically unsuspected pulmonary embolism can be detected using coronary computed tomography (CT), but the clinical significance of unsuspected pulmonary embolism remains unclear. METHODS: Pulmonary embolism was assessed using consecutive coronary CT from March 2003 to June 2007 to assess 1077 patients. Coronary CT was performed using a 16-row multidetector CT (MDCT) scanner with ECG-gating. A radiologist and a cardiologist retrospectively assessed the images of pulmonary arteries to arrive at a consensus diagnosis. RESULTS: Unsuspected pulmonary embolism was detected in 32/1,077 (3.0%) patients. No significant difference was observed with regard to death and acute pulmonary embolism between patients with and without unsuspected pulmonary embolism at five years (6.7% vs. 4.1%, p = 0.61). Prior cardiac surgery within three months of diagnosis of pulmonary embolism was an independent risk factor for unsuspected pulmonary embolism, which was detected in 10/89 (11%) of such patients. The absence of anticoagulant therapy was a risk factor (p = 0.015) for unsuspected pulmonary embolism post-cardiac surgery. Although only one out of 10 patients received anticoagulant therapy, none of the 10 experienced critical events. Five of the 10 patients underwent repeated coronary CT, and the embolus disappeared regardless of its size and location in four of the five patients who did not receive anticoagulant therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of unsuspected pulmonary embolism detected using coronary CT was 3.0%. Prior cardiac surgery within three months of diagnosing pulmonary embolism was an independent risk factor for unsuspected pulmonary embolism. The long-term clinical outcomes of patients with unsuspected pulmonary embolism were favorable.

Variation in the frozen lesion size according to the non-occluded application duration and technique for cryoballoon ablation.

OBJECTIVE: The frozen lesion formation created by cryoballoon ablation, especially with non-occluded applications, has not been fully evaluated. This study aimed to validate the lesion size under different cryoballoon ablation settings: application duration, push-up technique, and laminar flow. METHODS: The frozen lesion size was evaluated immediately after ending the freezing with three different application durations (120, 150, and 180 seconds) in porcine hearts (N = 24). During the application, the push-up technique was applied at 10, 20, and 30 seconds after starting the freezing with or without laminar flow. RESULTS: The lesion size was significantly correlated with the nadir balloon temperature (P<0.001). The lesion volume became significantly larger after 150 seconds than 120 seconds (1272mm3 versus 1709mm3, P = 0.004), but not after 150 seconds (versus 1876mm3 at 180 seconds, P = 0.29) with a comparable nadir balloon temperature. Furthermore, the lesion volume became significantly larger with the push-up technique with the largest lesion size with a 20-second push-up after the freezing (1193mm3 without the push-up technique versus 1585mm3 with a push-up at 10 seconds versus 1808mm3 with a push-up at 20 seconds versus 1714mm3 with a push-up at 30 seconds, P = 0.04). Further, the absence of laminar flow was not associated with larger lesion size despite a significantly lower nadir balloon temperature. CONCLUSION: The frozen lesion size created by cryoballoon ablation became larger with longer applications at least 150 seconds and with a push-up technique especially at 20 seconds after the freezing.

Clinical significance of ST-segment depression during atrial fibrillation rhythm for subsequent heart failure events.

Aims: The clinical significance of ST-segment depression during atrial fibrillation (AF) rhythm has not been fully evaluated. The aim of the present study was to explore the association of ST-segment depression during AF rhythm with subsequent heart failure (HF) events. Methods and results: The study enrolled 2718 AF patients whose baseline electrocardiography (ECG) was available from a Japanese community-based prospective survey. We assessed the association of ST-segment depression in baseline ECG during AF rhythm with clinical outcomes. The primary ednpoint was a composite HF endpoint: cardiac death or hospitalization due to HF. The prevalence of ST-segment depression was 25.4% (upsloping 6.6%, horizontal 18.8%, downsloping 10.1%). Patients with ST-segment depression were older and had more comorbidities than those without. During the median follow-up of 6.0 years, the incidence rate of the composite HF endpoint was significantly higher in patients with ST-segment depression than those without (5.3% vs. 3.6% per patient-year, log-rank P < 0.01). The higher risk was present in horizontal or downsloping ST-segment depression, but not in upsloping one. By multivariable analysis, ST-segment depression was an independent predictor for the composite HF endpoint (hazard ratio 1.23, 95% confidence interval 1.03-1.49, P = 0.03). In addition, ST-segment depression at anterior leads, unlike inferior or lateral leads, was not associated with higher risk for the composite HF endpoint. Conclusion: ST-segment depression during AF rhythm was associated with subsequent HF risk; however, the association was affected by type and distribution of ST-segment depression.

Intracardiac energy inefficiency during atrial fibrillation rhythm with heart failure: Assessment by echo-vector flow mapping.

AIMS: Intracardiac dynamics during atrial fibrillation(AF) complicated by heart failure(HF) are not fully understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of intracardiac dynamics assessed by echo-vector flow mapping on AF complicated by HF. METHODS AND RESULTS: We enrolled 76 AF patients receiving sinus restoration therapy and assessed energy loss(EL) by echo-vector flow mapping during both AF rhythm and sinus rhythm. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to serum NT-proBNP level: high NT-proBNP group(≥1800 pg/ml during AF rhythm: N = 19), and low NT-proBNP group(N = 57). Outcome measures were average ELs/stroke volume(SV) in left ventricle(LV) and left atrium(LA). Average EL/SVs during AF rhythm in the LV and LA were significantly larger in the high NT-proBNP group than the low NT-proBNP group(54.2 mE/m·L versus 41.2 mE/m·L, P = 0.02; 3.2 mE/m·L versus 1.9 mE/m·L, P = 0.01). The significantly larger EL/SV in the high NT-proBNP group was recorded for maximum EL/SVs. In patients with high NT-proBNP, large vortex formation with extreme EL was detected in the LV and LA during the diastolic phase. After sinus restoration, the average decrease of EL/SV in the LV and LA was larger in the high NT-proBNP group(-21.4 mE/m·L versus +2.6 mE/m·L, P = 0.04; -1.6 mE/m·L versus -0.3 mE/m·L, P = 0.02). Average EL/SV during sinus rhythm did not significantly differ between the high and low NT-proBNP groups in the LV and LA. CONCLUSIONS: High EL during AF rhythm as intracardiac energy inefficiency was associated with high serum NT-proBNP levels and improved after sinus restoration.

Fine Fibrillatory Wave as a Risk Factor for Heart Failure Events in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: The Fushimi Atrial Fibrillation (AF) Registry.

Background The clinical significance of fibrillatory wave on electrocardiography during atrial fibrillation (AF) is poorly understood. The aim of the current study was to explore the association of fine fibrillatory wave with heart failure (HF) in AF. Methods and Results The current study enrolled 2442 patients with AF whose baseline ECG during AF rhythm was available from a community-based prospective survey, the Fushimi AF Registry. The impact of fine fibrillatory wave, defined as the amplitude of fibrillatory waves <0.1 mV, on the primary composite HF end point (a composite of hospitalization attributable to HF or cardiac death) was examined. Fine fibrillatory wave was observed in 589 patients (24.1%). Patients with fine fibrillatory wave were older, and had a higher prevalence of sustained AF, preexisting HF, and larger left atrial diameter than those with coarse fibrillatory wave. During the median follow-up duration of 5.9 years, the cumulative incidence of the primary composite HF end point was significantly higher in patients with fine fibrillatory wave than in those with coarse fibrillatory wave (5.3% versus 3.6% per patient-year, log-rank P<0.001). The higher risk associated with fine fibrillatory wave was consistent even for individual components of the primary composite HF end point. On multivariable analysis, fine fibrillatory wave became an independent predictor for the primary composite HF end point (hazard ratio, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.07-1.61; P=0.01). Conclusions Compared with coarse fibrillatory wave, fine fibrillatory wave was more prevalent in patients with a larger left atrial diameter or those with sustained AF and was independently associated with a higher risk of HF events. Registration URL: https://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/; Unique identifier: UMIN000005834.

Association of inverted T wave during atrial fibrillation rhythm with subsequent cardiac events.

OBJECTIVE: The clinical significance of ECG abnormalities during atrial fibrillation (AF) rhythm is poorly understood. The aim of the current study was to explore the impact of inverted T wave on cardiac prognosis in patients with AF. METHODS: The current study enrolled 2709 patients with AF whose baseline ECG was available from a Japanese community-based prospective survey, the Fushimi AF Registry, and the impact of inverted T wave in baseline ECG at AF rhythm on the composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction and hospitalisation due to heart failure was examined. RESULTS: Intraventricular conduction delay, ST segment depression and inverted T wave were observed in 15.8%, 24.7% and 41.4% of baseline ECG with a mean heart rate of 94.7 beats per minute. The median follow-up duration was 5.0 years. The incidence rate of the composite cardiac endpoint was significantly higher in patients with inverted T wave than those without (5.8% vs 3.3% per patient-year, log-rank p<0.01). The higher risk associated with inverted T wave was consistent even for individual components of the composite cardiac endpoint. By multivariable analysis, inverted T wave was an independent predictor of the composite cardiac endpoint (HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.26 to 1.85, p<0.01). Inverted T wave was detected in 15.7% at anterior leads, 19.8% at inferior leads and 26.6% at lateral leads. The location of inverted T wave was not associated with risk of composite cardiac endpoint. CONCLUSIONS: Inverted T wave was commonly observed in patients with AF and its presence during AF rhythm was associated with subsequent cardiac events.

Reproducibility and stability of atrial fibrillation drivers identified by an automated algorithm: CARTOFINDER.

BACKGROUND: The characteristics of atrial fibrillation (AF) drivers identified by CARTOFINDER have not been thoroughly evaluated. Therefore, the current study was sought to validate the reliability of AF drivers. METHODS: The reliability of focal and rotational activation identified by CARTOFINDER during AF was assessed by the sequential recordings in each site before and after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in 27 persistent AF patients. The primary outcome measures were the reproducibility rate during the sequential recordings and the stability rate between pre- and post-PVI. RESULTS: Among 32,135 points in 509 sites, focal activation was identified in 1775 points (5.5%) with a repetition of 11 (6-26) times during the recording. Rotational activation was identified in 132 points (0.4%) with a repetition number of 21 (14-21) times. AF drivers had significantly higher voltage and shorter AF cycle length than non-AF driver sites. The reproducibility rate of focal activation during the sequential recordings was 57.8% and increased with the repetition number. The reproducibility rate of rotational activation was 37.4%. The prevalence and the reproducibility rate of focal activation in post-PVI were significantly lower than pre-PVI (5.3% versus 6.0%, P = 0.02; 53.4% versus 63.6%, P < 0.001). The stability rate of focal activation between pre- and post-PVI was only 28.3% but increased with the repetition number. There was no stable rotational activation between pre- and post-PVI. CONCLUSIONS: The reproducibility of AF drivers, especially focal activation, identified by CARTOFINDER is relatively favorable, but the stability between pre- and post-PVI was poor. These results depended on the repetition number during the recording.

Relation of a Filling Defect of Left Atrial Appendage by Contrast Computed Tomography Image With Subsequent Clinical Events in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Receiving Catheter Ablation Procedures.

Filling defect (FD) in left atrial appendage (LAA) is commonly observed in contrast computed tomography (CT) among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), although its prognostic impact has not been well explored. We enrolled 1,019 consecutive patients who underwent AF ablation with baseline contrast CT images. FD in LAA was graded into 3 groups: grade 0 for complete filling (79.7%), grade 1 for incomplete filling (12.6%), and grade 2 for complete FD (7.8%). We evaluated the impact of the FD grade on the long-term clinical outcomes during the mean follow-up of 4.4 ± 2.0 years. Patients with grade 2 FD had higher prevalence of nonparoxysmal AF, higher brain natriuretic peptide level, and larger left atrial volume than those with grade 0 or 1 FD. The 5-year cumulative incidence of recurrent atrial tachyarrhythmias was higher in patients with grade 2 FD than those with grade 0 or 1 FD (74.0% vs 38.8% and 62.1%, log-rank p <0.001). The 5-year cumulative incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), defined as a composite of all-cause death, heart failure hospitalization, and ischemic stroke, was also significantly higher in patients with grade 2 FD (19.4% vs 5.6% and 9.5%, log-rank p <0.001). Follow-up CT images acquired in 87.1% of patients at median interval of 98 days showed significantly decreased FD (grade 1 in 4.5% and grade 2 in 2.1%, p <0.001). The residual grade 2 FD at follow-up was associated with significantly higher risk for subsequent MACEs. In conclusion, among patients with AF receiving catheter ablation, severe FD in LAA in contrast CT was associated with higher incidence of arrhythmia recurrence and MACEs during follow-up.