Supermarket/hypermarket opportunistic screening for atrial fibrillation (SHOPS-AF) using sensors embedded in the handles of supermarket trolleys: A feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) increases the risk of death, stroke, heart failure, cognitive decline, and healthcare costs but is often asymptomatic and undiagnosed. There is currently no national screening program for AF. The advent of validated hand-held devices allows AF to be detected in non-healthcare settings, enabling screening to be undertaken within the community. METHOD AND RESULTS: In this novel observational study, we embedded a MyDiagnostick single lead ECG sensor into the handles of shopping trolleys in four supermarkets in the Northwest of England: 2155 participants were recruited. Of these, 231 participants either activated the sensor or had an irregular pulse, suggesting AF. Some participants agreed to use the sensor but refused to provide their contact details, or consent to pulse assessment. In addition, some data were missing, resulting in 203 participants being included in the final analyses. Fifty-nine participants (mean age 73.6 years, 43% female) were confirmed or suspected of having AF; 20 were known to have AF and 39 were previously undiagnosed. There was no evidence of AF in 115 participants and the remaining 46 recordings were non-diagnostic, mainly due to artefact. Men and older participants were significantly more likely to have newly diagnosed AF. Due to the number of non-diagnostic ECGs (n = 46), we completed three levels of analyses, excluding all non-diagnostic ECGs, assuming all non-diagnostic ECGs were masking AF, and assuming all non-diagnostic ECGs were not AF. Based on the results of the three analyses, the sensor's sensitivity (95% CI) ranged from 0.70 to 0.93; specificity from 0.15 to 0.97; positive predictive values (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV) ranged from 0.24 to 0.56 and 0.55 to 1.00, respectively. These values should be interpreted with caution, as the ideal reference standard on 1934 participants was imperfect. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates that the public will engage with AF screening undertaken as part of their daily routines using hand-held devices. Sensors can play a key role in identifying asymptomatic patients in this way, but the technology must be further developed to reduce the quantity of non-diagnostic ECGs.

Impact of bridging thrombolysis versus endovascular thrombectomy alone on outcomes in anticoagulated patients with atrial fibrillation and acute ischaemic stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The impact of bridging thrombolysis prior to endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) compared to EVT alone on intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH), subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH), and death in anticoagulated atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) is not well defined. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted using data from a federated research network (TriNetX) including 114 health care organisations in the United States. Anticoagulated AF patients with AIS who received either bridging thrombolysis (BT) or EVT alone from September 2018 to November 2023 were included. Following propensity score matching, Cox regression analyses examined the risk of ICH, SAH, and death within 30 and 90 days, comparing anticoagulated AF patients receiving BT versus EVT only. RESULTS: A total of 3156 patients with AIS were treated with BT or EVT alone. Following 1:1 propensity score matching, the cohort included 766 patients in each group. ICH occurred within 30 and 90 days in 6.9% and 8.0% in the BT group compared with 7.4% and 7.7% in the EVT-only group (hazard ratios [HR] = 0.92, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.63-1.33 and HR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.71-1.45, respectively). SAH occurred within 30 and 90 days in 4.2% and 4.4% of patients in the BT compared to 3.0% and 3.4% in the EVT-only group (HR = 1.38, 95% CI = 0.81-2.38 and HR = 1.29, 95% CI = 0.77-2.14, respectively). Death occurred within 30 and 90 days in 17.8% and 19.8% of patients in the BT compared to 22.2% and 27.3% in the EVT-only group (HR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.62-0.97 and HR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.56-0.86, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In anticoagulated AF patients with AIS, BT was associated with a significantly lower risk of death, with no difference in ICH or SAH risk within 30 and 90 days compared to EVT only.

Adherence to the Atrial fibrillation Better Care pathway and the risk of adverse health outcomes in older care home residents with atrial fibrillation: a retrospective data linkage study 2003-18.

BACKGROUND: The Atrial fibrillation Better Care (ABC) pathway is the gold-standard approach to atrial fibrillation (AF) management, but the effect of implementation on health outcomes in care home residents is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To examine associations between ABC pathway adherence and stroke, transient ischaemic attack, cardiovascular hospitalisation, major bleeding, mortality and a composite of all these outcomes in care home residents. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of older care home residents (≥65 years) in Wales with AF was conducted between 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2018 using the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage Databank. Adherence to the ABC pathway was assessed at care home entry using pre-specified definitions. Cox proportional hazard and competing risk models were used to estimate the risk of health outcomes according to ABC adherence. RESULTS: From 14,493 residents (median [interquartile range] age 87.0 [82.6-91.2] years, 35.2% male) with AF, 5,531 (38.2%) were ABC pathway adherent. Pathway adherence was not significantly associated with risk of the composite outcome (adjusted hazard ratio, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01 [0.97-1.05]). There was a significant independent association observed between ABC pathway adherence and a reduced risk of myocardial infarction (0.70 [0.50-0.98]), but a higher risk of haemorrhagic stroke (1.59 [1.06-2.39]). ABC pathway adherence was not significantly associated with any other individual health outcomes examined. CONCLUSION: An ABC adherent approach in care home residents was not consistently associated with improved health outcomes. Findings should be interpreted with caution owing to difficulties in defining pathway adherence using routinely collected data and an individualised approach is recommended.

Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation for adults with atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most prevalent cardiac arrhythmia, disrupts the heart's rhythm through numerous small re-entry circuits in the atrial tissue, leading to irregular atrial contractions. The condition poses significant health risks, including increased stroke risk, heart failure, and reduced quality of life. Given the complexity of AF and its growing incidence globally, exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (ExCR) may provide additional benefits for people with AF or those undergoing routine treatment for the condition. OBJECTIVES: To assess the benefits and harms of ExCR compared with non-exercise controls for people who currently have AF or who have been treated for AF. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the following electronic databases: CENTRAL in the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE Ovid, Embase Ovid, PsycINFO Ovid, Web of Science Core Collection Thomson Reuters, CINAHL EBSCO, LILACS BIREME, and two clinical trial registers on 24 March 2024. We imposed no language restrictions. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomised clinical trials (RCTs) that investigated ExCR interventions compared with any type of non-exercise control. We included adults 18 years of age or older with any subtype of AF or those who had received treatment for AF. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Five review authors independently screened and extracted data in duplicate. We assessed risk of bias using Cochrane's RoB 1 tool as outlined in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. We assessed clinical and statistical heterogeneity by visual inspection of the forest plots and by using standard Chi² and I² statistics. We performed meta-analyses using random-effects models for continuous and dichotomised outcomes. We calculated standardised mean differences where different scales were used for the same outcome. We used the GRADE approach to assess the certainty of the evidence. MAIN RESULTS: We included 20 RCTs involving a total of 2039 participants with AF. All trials were conducted between 2006 and 2024, with a follow-up period ranging from eight weeks to five years. We assessed the certainty of evidence as moderate to very low. Five trials assessed comprehensive ExCR programmes, which included educational or psychological interventions, or both; the remaining 15 trials compared exercise-only cardiac rehabilitation with controls. The overall risk of bias in the included studies was mixed. Details on random sequence generation, allocation concealment, and use of intention-to-treat analysis were typically poorly reported. Evidence from nine trials (n = 1173) suggested little to no difference in mortality between ExCR and non-exercise controls (risk ratio (RR) 1.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.76 to 1.49; I² = 0%; 101 deaths; low-certainty evidence). Based on evidence from 10 trials (n = 825), ExCR may have little to no effect on SAEs (RR 1.30, 95% CI 0.63 to 2.67; I² = 0%; 28 events; low-certainty evidence). Evidence from four trials (n = 378) showed that ExCR likely reduced AF recurrence (measured via Holter monitoring) compared to controls (RR 0.70, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.88; I² = 2%; moderate-certainty evidence). ExCR may reduce AF symptom severity (mean difference (MD) -1.59, 95% CI -2.98 to -0.20; I² = 61%; n = 600; low-certainty evidence); likely reduces AF symptom burden (MD -1.61, 95% CI -2.76 to -0.45; I² = 0%; n = 317; moderate-certainty evidence); may reduce AF episode frequency (MD -1.29, 95% CI -2.50 to -0.07; I² = 75%; n = 368; low-certainty evidence); and likely reduces AF episode duration (MD -0.58, 95% CI -1.14 to -0.03; I² = 0%; n = 317; moderate-certainty evidence), measured via the AF Severity Scale (AFSS) questionnaire. Moderate-certainty evidence from six trials (n = 504) showed that ExCR likely improved the mental component summary measure in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) (MD 2.66, 95% CI 1.22 to 4.11; I² = 2%), but the effect of ExCR on the physical component summary measure was very uncertain (MD 1.75, 95% CI -0.31 to 3.81; I² = 52%; very low-certainty evidence). ExCR also may improve individual components of HRQoL (general health, vitality, emotional role functioning, and mental health) and exercise capacity (peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) and 6-minute walk test) following ExCR. The effects of ExCR on serious adverse events and exercise capacity were consistent across different models of ExCR delivery: centre compared to home-based, exercise dose, exercise only compared to comprehensive programmes, and aerobic training alone compared to aerobic plus resistance programmes. Using univariate meta-regression, there was evidence of significant association between location of trial and length of longest follow-up on exercise capacity. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Due to few randomised participants and typically short-term follow-up, the impact of ExCR on all-cause mortality or serious adverse events for people with AF is uncertain. ExCR likely improves AF-specific measures including reduced AF recurrence, symptom burden, and episode duration, as well as the mental components of HRQoL. ExCR may improve AF symptom severity, episode frequency, and VO2peak. Future high-quality RCTs are needed to assess the benefits of ExCR for people with AF on patient-relevant outcomes including AF symptom severity and burden, AF recurrence, AF-specific quality of life, and clinical events such as mortality, readmissions, and serious adverse events. High-quality trials are needed to investigate how AF subtype and clinical setting (i.e. primary and secondary care) may influence ExCR effectiveness.

Pharmacist-led intervention for older people with atrial fibrillation in long-term care (PIVOTALL study): a randomised pilot and feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: Older care home residents are a vulnerable group of people with atrial fibrillation (AF) at high risk of adverse health events. The Atrial Fibrillation Better Care (ABC: Avoid stroke; Better symptom management; Cardiovascular and other comorbidity management) pathway is the gold-standard approach toward integrated AF care, and pharmacists are a potential resource with regards to its' implementation. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of pharmacist-led medicines optimisation in care home residents, based on the ABC pathway compared to usual care. METHODS: Individually randomised, prospective pilot and feasibility study of older (aged ≥ 65 years) care home residents with AF (ISRCTN14747952); residents randomised to ABC pathway optimised care versus usual care. The primary outcome was a description of study feasibility (resident and care home recruitment and retention). Secondary outcomes included the number and type of pharmacist medication recommendations and general practitioner (GP) implementation. RESULTS: Twenty-one residents were recruited and 11 (mean age [standard deviation] 85.0 [6.5] years, 63.6% female) were randomised to receive pharmacist-led medicines optimisation. Only 3/11 residents were adherent to all three components of the ABC pathway. Adherence was higher to 'A' (9/11 residents) and 'B' (9/11 residents) components compared to 'C' (3/11 residents). Four ABC-specific medicines recommendations were made for three residents, and two were implemented by residents' GPs. Overall ABC adherence rates did not change after pharmacist medication review, but adherence to 'A' increased (from 9/11 to 10/11 residents). Other ABC recommendations were inappropriate given residents' co-morbidities and risk of medication-related adverse effects. CONCLUSIONS: The ABC pathway as a framework was feasible to implement for pharmacist medication review, but most residents' medications were already optimised. Low rates of adherence to guideline-recommended therapy were a result of active decisions not to treat after assessment of the net risk-benefit.

Evaluation of Huawei smart wearables for detection of atrial fibrillation in patients following ischemic stroke: The Liverpool-Huawei stroke study.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) often remains undetected following stroke. Documenting AF is critical to initiate oral anticoagulation, which has proven benefit in reducing recurrent stroke and mortality in patients with AF. The accuracy and acceptability of using smart wearables to detect AF in patients following stroke is unknown. METHODS: The aims of the Liverpool-Huawei Stroke Study are to determine the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and patient and staff acceptability of using Huawei smart wearables to detect AF following ischemic stroke. The study plans to recruit 1,000 adults aged ≥18 years following ischemic stroke from participating hospitals over 12 months. All participants will be asked to wear a Huawei smart band for 4 weeks postdischarge. If participants do not have access to a compatible smartphone required for the study, they will be provided with a smartphone for the 4-week AF monitoring period. RESULTS: Participants with suspected AF detected by the smart wearables, without previous known AF, will be referred for further evaluation. To determine the effectiveness of the Huawei smart wearables to detect AF, the positive predictive value will be determined. Patient acceptability of using this technology will also be examined. Additional follow-up assessments will be conducted at 6 and 12 months, and clinical outcomes recorded in relation to prevalent and incident AF post-stroke. The study opened for recruitment on May 30, 2022, and is currently open at 4 participating hospitals; the first 106 participants have been recruited. One further hospital is preparing to open for recruitment. CONCLUSIONS: This prospective study will examine the effectiveness and acceptability of the use of smart wearables in patients following ischemic stroke. This could have important implications for detection of AF and therefore, earlier prophylaxis for recurrent stroke. The study is registered on https://www.isrctn.com/ (Identifier ISRCTN30693819).

Contemporary management of atrial fibrillation in primary and secondary care in the UK: the prospective long-term AF-GEN-UK Registry.

AIMS: This study established a prospective registry of contemporary management of UK patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) by cardiologists, general practitioners, and stroke, acute, and emergency medicine physicians at baseline and 1-year follow-up. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data on patients with recently diagnosed AF (≤12 months) were collected from medical records from 101 UK sites to permit comparison of patient characteristics and treatments between specialities. The impact of guideline-adherent oral anticoagulation (OAC) use on outcomes was assessed using Cox regression analysis. One thousand five hundred and ninety-five AF patients [mean (standard deviation) age 70.5 (11.2) years; 60.1% male; 97.4% white] were recruited in June 2017-June 2018 and followed up for 1 year. Overall OAC prescription rates were 84.2% at baseline and 87.1% at 1 year, with non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) predominating (74.9 and 79.2% at baseline and 1 year, respectively). Vitamin K antagonist prescription was significantly higher in primary care, with NOAC prescription higher among stroke physicians. Guideline-adherent OAC (CHA2DS2-VASc ≥2) at baseline significantly reduced risk of death and stroke at 1 year [adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval): 0.48 (0.27-0.84) and 0.11 (0.02-0.48), respectively]. Rhythm control is evident in ∼25%; only 1.6% received catheter ablation. CONCLUSION: High OAC use (>80%, mainly NOACs) rates varied by speciality, with VKA prescription higher in primary care. Guideline-adherent OAC therapy at baseline was associated with significant reduction in death and stroke at 1 year, regardless of speciality. Rhythm-control management is evident in only one-quarter despite AF symptoms reported in 56.6%. This registry extends the knowledge of contemporary AF management outside cardiology and demonstrates good implementation of clinical guidelines for the management of AF, particularly for stroke prevention.

EHRA expert consensus document on the management of arrhythmias in frailty syndrome, endorsed by the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society (APHRS), Latin America Heart Rhythm Society (LAHRS), and Cardiac Arrhythmia Society of Southern Africa (CASSA).

There is an increasing proportion of the general population surviving to old age with significant chronic disease, multi-morbidity, and disability. The prevalence of pre-frail state and frailty syndrome increases exponentially with advancing age and is associated with greater morbidity, disability, hospitalization, institutionalization, mortality, and health care resource use. Frailty represents a global problem, making early identification, evaluation, and treatment to prevent the cascade of events leading from functional decline to disability and death, one of the challenges of geriatric and general medicine. Cardiac arrhythmias are common in advancing age, chronic illness, and frailty and include a broad spectrum of rhythm and conduction abnormalities. However, no systematic studies or recommendations on the management of arrhythmias are available specifically for the elderly and frail population, and the uptake of many effective antiarrhythmic therapies in these patients remains the slowest. This European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) consensus document focuses on the biology of frailty, common comorbidities, and methods of assessing frailty, in respect to a specific issue of arrhythmias and conduction disease, provide evidence base advice on the management of arrhythmias in patients with frailty syndrome, and identifies knowledge gaps and directions for future research.

Antiplatelet Agents and Oral Anticoagulant Use in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation and Carotid Artery Disease After First-Time Ischaemic Stroke.

INTRODUCTION: People with atrial fibrillation (AF) frequently have competing mechanisms for ischaemic stroke, including extracranial carotid atherosclerosis. The objective of this study was to determine associations between use of oral anticoagulants (OACs) plus antiplatelet agents (APA) after ischaemic stroke and outcomes for patients with AF and carotid artery disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Participants receiving OACs with or without APA were propensity score-matched for age, sex, ethnicity, co-morbidities and presence of cardiac and vascular implants and grafts. Outcomes were 1-year mortality, recurrent stroke and major bleeding. RESULTS: Of 5708 patients, 24.1% (n=1628) received non-vitamin K antagonist OACs (NOACs) with no APA, 26.0% (n=1401) received NOACs plus APA, 20.7% (n=1243) received warfarin without APA and 29.2% (n=1436) received warfarin plus APA. There was no significant difference in risk of recurrent stroke between the groups. Compared to receiving NOACs without APA, receiving warfarin plus APA was associated with a higher risk of mortality (hazard ratio (HR) 1.51 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20, 1.89)) and major bleeding (HR 1.66 (95% CI 1.40, 1.96)). Receiving NOACs plus APA was also associated with a higher risk of major bleeding compared to NOACs without APA (HR 1.27 (95% CI 1.07, 1.51), respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest for patients with AF and carotid artery disease after ischaemic stroke, receiving NOACs without APA is associated with a lower risk of major bleeding with no negative impact on recurrent stroke or mortality. Evidence from randomised trials is needed to confirm this finding.

Use of telemonitoring in patient self-management of chronic disease: a qualitative meta-synthesis.

BACKGROUND: Telemonitoring for the remote patient self-management of chronic conditions can be a cost-effective method for delivering care in chronic disease; nonetheless, its implementation in clinical practice remains low. The aim of this meta-synthesis is to explore barriers and facilitators associated with the use of remote patient monitoring of chronic disease, drawing on qualitative research, and assessing participant interactions with this technology. METHOD: A meta-synthesis of qualitative studies was performed. MEDLINE, SCOPUS and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) were searched from database date of inception to 5 February 2021. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) was used to critically appraise each study. Thematic synthesis was performed to identify user (patients, carers and healthcare professionals) perspectives and experiences of patient remote monitoring of chronic disease (Type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cardiovascular disease). RESULTS: Searches returned 10,401 studies and following independent screening by two reviewers, nine studies were included in this meta-synthesis. Data were synthesised and categorised into four key themes: (1) Improved care; (2) Communication; (3) Technology feasibility & acceptability; and (4) Intervention concerns. Most patients using patient remote devices felt motivated in managing their own lifestyles and felt reassured by the close monitoring and increased communication. Barriers identified involved generational differences and difficulties with the technology used. CONCLUSION: Most studies showed a positive attitude to telemonitoring, with patients preferring the convenience of telemonitoring in comparison to attending regular clinics. Further research is required to assess the most effective technology for chronic disease management, how to maintain long-term patient adherence, and identify effective approaches to address generational variation in telemonitoring up-take.

Psychological interventions for depression in adolescent and adult congenital heart disease.

BACKGROUND: Despite improvements in medical care, the quality of life of adults and adolescents with congenital heart disease remains strongly affected by their condition, often leading to depression. Psychotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, and other talking therapies may be effective in treating depression in both adults and young adults with congenital heart disease. The aim of this review was to assess the effects of treatments, such as psychotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapies, and talking therapies for treating depression in this population. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects (both harms and benefits) of psychological interventions for reducing symptoms of depression in adolescents (aged 10 to 17 years) and adults with congenital heart disease. Psychological interventions include cognitive behavioural therapy, psychotherapy, or 'talking/counselling' therapy for depression. SEARCH METHODS: We updated searches from the 2013 Cochrane Review by searching CENTRAL, four other databases, and Conference Proceedings Citation Index to 7 March 2023, and two clinical trial registers to February 2021. We applied no language restrictions. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing psychological interventions to no intervention in the congenital heart disease population, aged 10 years and older, with depression. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently screened titles and abstracts, and independently assessed full-text reports for inclusion. Further information was sought from the authors if needed. Data were extracted in duplicate. We used standard Cochrane methods. Our primary outcome was a change in depression. Our secondary outcomes were: acceptability of treatment, quality of life, hospital re-admission, non-fatal cardiovascular events, cardiovascular behavioural risk factor, health economics, cardiovascular mortality, all-cause mortality. We used GRADE to assess the certainty of evidence for our primary outcome only. MAIN RESULTS: We identified three new RCTs (480 participants). Participants were adults with congenital heart disease. Included studies varied in intervention length (90 minutes to 3 months) and follow-up (3 to 12 months), with depression assessed post-intervention and at follow-up. Risk of bias assessment identified an overall low risk of bias for the main outcome of depression. Psychological interventions (talking/counselling therapy) may reduce depression more than usual care at both three-month (mean difference (MD) -1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) -1.84 to -0.30; P = 0.006; I2 = 0%; 2 RCTs, 156 participants; low-certainty evidence), and 12-month follow-up (MD -1.02, 95% CI -1.92 to -0.13; P = 0.02; I2 = 0%; 2 RCTs, 287 participants; low-certainty evidence). There was insufficient evidence to draw conclusions about the impact of psychological interventions on quality of life. None of the included studies reported on our other outcomes of interest. Due to the low number of studies included, we did not undertake any subgroup analyses. One study awaits classification. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Psychological interventions may reduce depression in adults with congenital heart disease compared to usual care. However, the certainty of the evidence is low. Further research is needed to establish the role of psychological interventions in this population, defining the optimal duration, method of administration, and number of sessions required to obtain the greatest benefit.

Integrated care for optimizing the management of stroke and associated heart disease: a position paper of the European Society of Cardiology Council on Stroke.

The management of patients with stroke is often multidisciplinary, involving various specialties and healthcare professionals. Given the common shared risk factors for stroke and cardiovascular disease, input may also be required from the cardiovascular teams, as well as patient caregivers and next-of-kin. Ultimately, the patient is central to all this, requiring a coordinated and uniform approach to the priorities of post-stroke management, which can be consistently implemented by different multidisciplinary healthcare professionals, as part of the patient 'journey' or 'patient pathway,' supported by appropriate education and tele-medicine approaches. All these aspects would ultimately aid delivery of care and improve patient (and caregiver) engagement and empowerment. Given the need to address the multidisciplinary approach to holistic or integrated care of patients with heart disease and stroke, the European Society of Cardiology Council on Stroke convened a Task Force, with the remit to propose a consensus on Integrated care management for optimizing the management of stroke and associated heart disease. The present position paper summarizes the available evidence and proposes consensus statements that may help to define evidence gaps and simple practical approaches to assist in everyday clinical practice. A post-stroke ABC pathway is proposed, as a more holistic approach to integrated stroke care, would include three pillars of management: A: Appropriate Antithrombotic therapy.B: Better functional and psychological status.C: Cardiovascular risk factors and Comorbidity optimization (including lifestyle changes).

Facilitators and barriers of physical activity participation in children with a single ventricle physiology: a mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: The present study focuses on assessing the physical activity level of children with Fontan circulation for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and identifying potential barriers and facilitators toward their participation in physical activity. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seven children aged 5-16 years (mean (SD) 8.8 (3.7) years) with a Fontan procedure for hypoplastic left heart syndrome, their parents (n = 7), and siblings (n = 1) were recruited. Data were collected using a mixed-methods approach: (i) children wore an activity monitor for 7 days to record physical activity, with sedentary time and level of activity calculated from accelerometer data; (ii) children completed a bespoke questionnaire recording limitations in physical activity; (iii) parents completed a semi-structured interview discussing perceptions about their child's physical activity participation. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Activity monitors data recorded highly active children with a mean (SD) of 153(36) minutes/day spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Time spent in sedentary behaviour was also high (57.5% of total accelerometer wearing-time). Four key themes relating to parental perceptions of physical activity were identified: (i) A new lease of life -post-Fontan; (ii) Setting limits - managing limitations; (iii) The wider world - how others set limits; and (iv) "I fear the future" - parental concerns. CONCLUSION: Following completion of the Fontan circulation, children engaged in higher levels of physical activity in comparison to the national average. However, more than half their time was spent in sedentary behaviour. Fears and anxiety from parents and teachers may act as a barrier toward physical activity participation.

Outcomes in patients with ischaemic stroke undergoing endovascular thrombectomy: Impact of atrial fibrillation.

OBJECTIVES: Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is associated with good clinical outcomes in ischaemic stroke, but the risk of intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) and mortality remains common following ischaemic stroke. The effect of concomitant atrial fibrillation (AF) on clinical outcomes following acute ischaemic stroke in patients receiving EVT remains unclear. The aim is to investigate associations between AF and intracerebral haemorrhage and all-cause mortality at 90 days in patients with ischaemic stroke undergoing EVT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort was conducted using TriNetX, a global health research network. The network was searched for people aged ≥18 years with ischaemic stroke, EVT and AF recorded in electronic medical records between 01/09/2018 and 01/09/2021. These patients were compared to controls with ischaemic stroke, EVT and no AF. Propensity score matching for age, sex, race, comorbidities, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores, and prior use of anticoagulation was used to balance the cohorts with and without AF. RESULTS: In total 3,106 patients were identified with history of ischaemic stroke treated by EVT. After propensity-score matching, 832 patients (mean age 68 ± 13; 47% female) with ischaemic stroke, EVT and AF, were compared to 832 patients (mean age 67 ± 12; 47% female) with ischaemic stroke, EVT and no history of AF. In the cohort with AF, 11.5% (n = 96) experienced ICH within 90 days following EVT, compared with 12.3% (n = 103) in patients without AF (Odds Ratio (OR) 0.92, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.68-1.24; p = 0.59). In the patients with AF, mortality within 90 days following EVT was 18.7% (n = 156), compared with 22.5% in patients without AF (n = 187) (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.63-1.01; p = 0.06). CONCLUSION: In patients with ischaemic stroke undergoing EVT, AF was not significantly associated with intracerebral haemorrhage or all-cause mortality at 90-day follow-up.

Incidence of Cardiometabolic Diseases in People With and Without Human Immunodeficiency Virus in the United Kingdom: A Population-Based Matched Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Evidence on the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CVD risk factors in people with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH) is limited. We aimed to identify the risk of composite CVD, individual CVD events, and common risk factors. METHODS: This was a nationwide, population-based, cohort study comparing adult (≥18 years old) PWH with people without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) matched on age, sex, ethnicity, and location. The primary outcome was composite CVD comprising stroke, myocardial infarction, peripheral vascular disease, ischemic heart disease, and heart failure. The secondary outcomes were individual CVD events, hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and all-cause mortality. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to examine the risk of each outcome. RESULTS: We identified 9233 PWH and matched them with 35 721 HIV-negative individuals. An increased risk was found for composite CVD (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28-1.77), stroke (aHR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.08-1.86), ischemic heart disease (aHR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.24-1.94), hypertension (aHR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.23-1.53), type 2 diabetes (aHR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.09-1.50), CKD (aHR, 2.42; 95% CI, 1.98-2.94), and all-cause mortality (aHR, 2.84; 95% CI, 2.48-3.25). CONCLUSIONS: PWH have a heightened risk for CVD and common CVD risk factors, reinforcing the importance for regular screening for such conditions.

Effectiveness and Safety of Antithrombotic Medication in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Intracranial Hemorrhage: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: For patients with atrial fibrillation who survive an intracranial hemorrhage (ICrH), the decision to offer oral anticoagulation (OAC) is challenging and necessitates balancing risk of thromboembolic events with risk of recurrent ICrH. METHODS: This systematic review assesses the effectiveness and safety of OAC and/or antiplatelets in patients with atrial fibrillation with nontraumatic ICrH. Bibliographic databases CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL were searched. Articles on adults with atrial fibrillation with spontaneous ICrH (intracerebral, subdural, and subarachnoid), receiving antithrombotic therapy for stroke prevention were eligible for inclusion. RESULTS: Twenty articles (50 470 participants) included 2 randomized controlled trials (n=304)' 8 observational studies, 8 cohort studies, and 2 studies that meta-analyzed individual-level data from observational studies. OAC therapy was associated with a significant reduction in thromboembolic events (summary relative risk [sRR], 0.51 [95% CI, 0.30-0.86], heterogeneity I2=2%; P=0.39, n=5 studies) and all-cause mortality (sRR, 0.52 [95% CI, 0.38-0.71], heterogeneity I2=0; P=0.44, n=3 studies). OAC therapy was not associated with an increased risk of recurrent ICrH (sRR, 1.44 [95% CI, 0.38-5.46], heterogeneity I2=70%, P=0.02, n=5 studies). Nonvitamin K antagonist OACs were more effective at reducing the risk of thromboembolic events (sRR, 0.65 [95% CI, 0.44-0.97], heterogeneity I2=72%, P=0.03, n=3 studies) and were associated with a lower risk of recurrent ICrH (sRR, 0.52 [95% CI, 0.40-0.67], heterogeneity I2=0%, P=0.43, n=3 studies) than warfarin. CONCLUSIONS: In nontraumatic ICrH survivors with atrial fibrillation, OAC therapy is associated with a reduced risk of thromboembolic events and all-cause mortality without significantly increasing risk of recurrent ICrH. This finding is primarily based on observational data, and further larger randomized controlled trials are needed to corroborate or refute these findings.

Stroke-Heart Syndrome: Incidence and Clinical Outcomes of Cardiac Complications Following Stroke.

BACKGROUND: The risk of major adverse cardiovascular events is substantially increased following a stroke. Although exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation has been shown to improve prognosis following cardiac events, it is not part of routine care for people following a stroke. We, therefore, investigated the association between cardiac rehabilitation and major adverse cardiovascular events for people following a stroke. Following a stroke, individuals have an increased risk of new-onset cardiovascular complications. However, the incidence and long-term clinical consequence of newly diagnosed cardiovascular complications following a stroke is unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the incidence and long-term clinical outcomes of newly diagnosed cardiovascular complications following incident ischemic stroke. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using anonymized electronic medical records from 53 participating health care organizations. Patients with incident ischemic stroke aged ≥18 years with 5 years of follow-up were included. Patients who were diagnosed with new-onset cardiovascular complications (heart failure, severe ventricular arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, ischemic heart disease, Takotsubo syndrome) within 4-weeks (exposure) of incident ischemic stroke were 1:1 propensity score-matched (age, sex, ethnicity, comorbidities, cardiovascular care) with ischemic stroke patients who were not diagnosed with a new-onset cardiovascular complication (control). Logistic regression models produced odds ratios (OR) with 95% CIs for 5-year incidence of all-cause mortality, recurrent stroke, hospitalization, and acute myocardial infarction. RESULTS: Of 365 383 patients with stroke with 5-year follow-up: 11.1% developed acute coronary syndrome; 8.8% atrial fibrillation/flutter; 6.4% heart failure; 1.2% severe ventricular arrythmias; and 0.1% Takotsubo syndrome within 4 weeks of incident ischemic stroke. Following propensity score matching, odds of 5-year all-cause mortality were significantly higher in stroke patients with acute coronary syndrome (odds ratio, 1.49 [95% CI, 1.44-1.54]), atrial fibrillation/flutter (1.45 [1.40-1.50]), heart failure (1.83 [1.76-1.91]), and severe ventricular arrhythmias (2.08 [1.90-2.29]), compared with matched controls. Odds of 5-year rehospitalization and acute myocardial infarction were also significantly higher for patients with stroke diagnosed with new-onset cardiovascular complications. Takotsubo syndrome was associated with significantly higher odds of 5-year composite major adverse cardiovascular events (1.89 [1.29-2.77]). Atrial fibrillation/flutter was the only new-onset cardiac complication associated with significantly higher odds of recurrent ischemic stroke at 5 years (1.10 [1.07-1.14]). CONCLUSIONS: New-onset cardiovascular complications diagnosed following an ischemic stroke are very common and associate with significantly worse 5-year prognosis in terms of major adverse cardiovascular events. People with stroke and newly diagnosed cardiovascular complications had >50% prevalence of recurrent stroke at 5 years.

Impact of malignancy on outcomes in European patients with atrial fibrillation: A report from the ESC-EHRA EURObservational research programme in atrial fibrillation general long-term registry.

BACKGROUND: The management of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and malignancy is challenging given the paucity of evidence supporting their appropriate clinical management. PURPOSE: To evaluate the outcomes of patients with active or prior malignancy in a contemporary cohort of European AF patients. METHODS: Patients enrolled in the EURObservational Research Programme in AF General Long-Term Registry were categorized into 3 categories: No Malignancy (NoMal), Prior Malignancy (PriorMal) and Active Malignancy (ActiveMal). The primary outcomes were all-cause death and the composite outcome MACE. RESULTS: A total of 10 383 patients were analysed. Of these, 9597 (92.4%) were NoMal patients, 577 (5.6%) PriorMal and 209 (2%) ActiveMal. Lack of any antithrombotic treatment was more prevalent in ActiveMal patients (12.4%) as compared to other groups (5.0% vs 6.3% for PriorMal and NoMal, p < .001). After a median follow-up of 730 days, there were 982 (9.5%) deaths and 950 (9.7%) MACE events. ActiveMal was independently associated with a higher risk for all-cause death (HR 2.90, 95% CI 2.23-3.76) and MACE (HR 1.54, 95% CI 1.03-2.31), as well as any haemorrhagic events and major bleeding (OR 2.42, 95% CI 1.49-3.91 and OR 4.18, 95% CI 2.49-7.01, respectively). Use of oral anticoagulants was not significantly associated with a higher risk for all-cause death or bleeding in ActiveMal patients. CONCLUSIONS: In a large contemporary cohort of AF patients, active malignancy was independently associated with all-cause death, MACE and haemorrhagic events. Use of anticoagulants was not associated with a higher risk of all-cause death in patients with active malignancies.

Exercise-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation Associates with Lower Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events in People with Stroke.

BACKGROUND: The risk of major adverse cardiovascular events is substantially increased following a stroke. Although exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation has been shown to improve prognosis following cardiac events, it is not part of routine care for people following a stroke. We therefore investigated the association between cardiac rehabilitation and major adverse cardiovascular events for people with stroke. METHODS: This retrospective analysis was conducted on June 20, 2021, using anonymized data within TriNetX, a global federated health research network with access to electronic medical records from participating healthcare organizations, predominantly in the USA. All participants were aged ≥18 years with cerebrovascular disease and at least 2 years of follow-up. People with stroke and an electronic medical record of exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation were 1:1 propensity score matched to people with stroke but without cardiac rehabilitation using participant characteristics, comorbidities, cardiovascular procedures, and cardiovascular medications. RESULTS: Of 836,923 people with stroke and 2-year follow-up, 2,909 met the inclusion for the exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation cohort. Following propensity score matching (n = 5,818), exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation associated with 53% lower odds of all-cause mortality (odds ratio 0.47, 95% confidence interval: 0.40-0.56), 12% lower odds of recurrent stroke (0.88, 0.79-0.98), and 36% lower odds of rehospitalization (0.64, 0.58-0.71), compared to controls. No significant association between cardiac rehabilitation and incident atrial fibrillation was observed. CONCLUSION: Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation prescribed for people following a stroke associated with significantly lower odds of major adverse cardiovascular events at 2 years, compared to usual care.

Effectiveness and safety of a single freeze strategy of cryoballoon ablation of atrial fibrillation: an EHRA systematic review and meta-analysis.

To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the effectiveness and safety of cryoballoon ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) performed using a single freeze strategy in comparison to an empiric double ('bonus') freeze strategy. We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL databases from inception to 12 July 2020, for prospective and retrospective studies of patients undergoing cryoballoon for paroxysmal or persistent AF comparing a single vs. bonus freeze strategy. The main outcome was atrial arrhythmia-free survival and eligible studies required at least 12 months of follow-up; the primary safety outcome was a composite of all complications. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Thirteen studies (3 randomized controlled trials and 10 observational studies) comprising 3163 patients were eligible for inclusion (64% males, 71.5% paroxysmal AF, mean CHA2DS2-VASc score 1.3 ± 0.9). There was no significant difference in pooled effectiveness between single freeze strategy compared to double freeze strategy [relative risk (RR) 1.03; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.98-1.07; I2 = 0%]. Single freeze procedures were associated with a significantly lower adverse event rate (RR 0.72; 95% CI: 0.53-0.98; I2 = 0%) and shorter average procedure time (90 ± 27 min vs. 121 ± 36 min, P < 0.001). A trend for lower risk of persistent phrenic nerve palsy was observed (RR 0.61; 95% CI: 0.37-1.01; I2 = 0%). The quality of included studies was moderate/good, with no evidence of significant publication bias. Single freeze strategy for cryoballoon of AF is as effective as an empiric double ('bonus') freeze strategy while appearing safer and probably quicker (PROSPERO registration number CRD42020158696).