Association between left atrial low-voltage area and induction and recurrence of macroreentrant atrial tachycardia in pulmonary vein isolation for atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between induction and recurrence due to atrial tachycardia (AT) and left atrial (LA) matrix progression after atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation remains unclear. METHODS: One hundred fifty-two consecutive patients with paroxysmal and persistent AF who underwent pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) and cavo-tricuspid isthmus (CTI) ablation and achieved sinus rhythm before the procedure were classified into three groups according to the AT pattern induced after the procedure: group N (non-induced), F (focal pattern), and M (macroreentrant pattern) in 3D mapping. RESULTS: The total rate of AT induction was 19.7% (30/152) in groups F (n = 13) and M (n = 17). Patients in group M were older than those in groups N and F, with higher CHADS2/CHA2DS2-VASc values, left atrial enlargement, and low-voltage area (LVA) size of LA. The receiver operating characteristic curve determined that the cut-off LVA for macroreentrant AT induction was 8.8 cm2 (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.86, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.75-0.97). The recurrence of AT at 36 months in group N was 4.1% (5/122), and at the second ablation, all patients had macroreentrant AT. Patients with AT recurrence in group N had a wide LVA at the first ablation, and the cut-off LVA for AT recurrence was 6.5 cm2 (AUC 0.94, 95%CI 0.88-0.99). Adjusted multivariate analysis showed that only LVA size was associated with the recurrence of macroreentrant AT (odds ratio 1.21, 95%CI 1.04-1.51). CONCLUSIONS: It is important to develop a therapeutic strategy based on the LVA size to suppress the recurrence of AT in these patients.

A case of BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine-associated fulminant myocarditis in a very elderly woman.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination is reportedly safe and effective. The histologic features of post-COVID-19 vaccination myocarditis are unknown. We present a case of a 77-year-old Japanese woman diagnosed with eosinophilic myocarditis using endomyocardial biopsy, 7 days after the second dose of BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine. Steroid pulse therapy was effective.

Beyond Lipid-Lowering: Effects of Statins on Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases and Cancer.

The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors, also known as statins, are administered as first-line therapy for hypercholesterolemia, both as primary and secondary prevention. Besides the lipid-lowering effect, statins have been suggested to inhibit the development of cardiovascular disease through anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, vascular endothelial function-improving, plaque-stabilizing, and platelet aggregation-inhibiting effects. The preventive effect of statins on atherothrombotic stroke has been well established, but statins can influence other cerebrovascular diseases. This suggests that statins have many neuroprotective effects in addition to lowering cholesterol. Furthermore, research suggests that statins cause pro-apoptotic, growth-inhibitory, and pro-differentiation effects in various malignancies. Preclinical and clinical evidence suggests that statins inhibit tumor growth and induce apoptosis in specific cancer cell types. The pleiotropic effects of statins on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases have been well established; however, the effects of statins on cancer patients have not been fully elucidated and are still controversial. This review discusses the recent evidence on the effects of statins on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and cancer. Additionally, this study describes the pharmacological action of statins, focusing on the aspect of 'beyond lipid-lowering'.

Successful management of heart failure 45 years after surgical correction of tetralogy of Fallot.

A 59-year-old Japanese woman was admitted with heart failure due to severe pulmonary regurgitation and tricuspid regurgitation, in addition to atrial fibrillation 45 years after surgical correction of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). She had been under treatment with medication and catheter ablation for arrhythmia including ventricular tachycardia for the past 28 years. She underwent pulmonary valve replacement as well as tricuspid and mitral valvuloplasty, which obviously improved her status even though her right ventricular end-diastolic volume index exceeded the recommended threshold. Patients who have undergone surgical correction of TOF need to be managed over the long term. .

Relationship between resting full-cycle ratio and fractional flow reserve in assessments of coronary stenosis severity.

AIM: Comparisons between the resting full-cycle ratio (RFR), a new physiological resting index, and fractional flow reserve (FFR) in terms of prognostic value are limited. We aimed to identify the prognostic value of concordance between RFR and FFR and to determine the stability of measured RFR. METHODS AND RESULTS: We measured FFR and RFR in 161 coronary arteries of 119 patients and classified the data using known cutoffs for FFR (≤0.80) and RFR (≤0.89) into groups; high FFR and high RFR (high FFR/low RFR) group, high FFR and low RFR (high FFR/low RFR) group, low FFR and high RFR (low FFR/high RFR) group, and low FFR and low RFR (low FFR/low RFR) group. The concordance rates in these groups were 42.2% (68/161), 4.4% (7/161), 14.3% (23/161), and 39.1% (63/161), respectively. The concordance between FFR and RFR was 81.4%. The prevalence of females was significantly higher, values for hemoglobin values were significantly lower, and average E/E' (an index of left ventricular (LV) diastolic function by echocardiography) was significantly higher in high FFR/low RFR group than in low FFR/high RFR group (p = .008, .050, and .028, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The RFR and FFR values consistently agreed. Female, anemia, and LV diastolic dysfunction may be related to the difference of discordance between high FFR/low RFR and low FFR/high RFR.