Anticoagulation with edoxaban in patients with long atrial high-rate episodes ≥24†h.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Patients with long atrial high-rate episodes (AHREs) ≥24 h and stroke risk factors are often treated with anticoagulation for stroke prevention. Anticoagulation has never been compared with no anticoagulation in these patients. METHODS: This secondary pre-specified analysis of the Non-vitamin K antagonist Oral anticoagulants in patients with Atrial High-rate episodes (NOAH-AFNET 6) trial examined interactions between AHRE duration at baseline and anticoagulation with edoxaban compared with placebo in patients with AHRE and stroke risk factors. The primary efficacy outcome was a composite of stroke, systemic embolism, or cardiovascular death. The safety outcome was a composite of major bleeding and death. Key secondary outcomes were components of these outcomes and electrocardiogram (ECG)-diagnosed atrial fibrillation. RESULTS: Median follow-up of 2389 patients with core lab-verified AHRE was 1.8 years. AHRE ≥24 h were present at baseline in 259/2389 patients (11%, 78 ± 7 years old, 28% women, CHA2DS2-VASc 4). Clinical characteristics were not different from patients with shorter AHRE. The primary outcome occurred in 9/132 patients with AHRE ≥24 h (4.3%/patient-year, 2 strokes) treated with anticoagulation and in 14/127 patients treated with placebo (6.9%/patient-year, 2 strokes). Atrial high-rate episode duration did not interact with the efficacy (P-interaction = .65) or safety (P-interaction = .98) of anticoagulation. Analyses including AHRE as a continuous parameter confirmed this. Patients with AHRE ≥24 h developed more ECG-diagnosed atrial fibrillation (17.0%/patient-year) than patients with shorter AHRE (8.2%/patient-year; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: This hypothesis-generating analysis does not find an interaction between AHRE duration and anticoagulation therapy in patients with device-detected AHRE and stroke risk factors. Further research is needed to identify patients with long AHRE at high stroke risk.

Smartphone app-based approximation of time spent with atrial fibrillation and symptoms in patients after catheter ablation: data from the TeleCheck-AF project.

AIMS: Reduction of atrial fibrillation (AF) burden is the preferred outcome measure over categorical AF rhythm recurrence after AF ablation. In this sub-analysis of the TeleCheck-AF project, we tested the feasibility of smartphone app-based approximation of time spent with AF and/or symptoms. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients scheduled for at least one teleconsultation during the 12-month follow-up after AF ablation were instructed to use a smartphone photoplethysmography-based application for simultaneous symptom and rhythm monitoring three times daily for 1 week. Proxies of time spent with AF and/or symptoms (% recordings, load, and % days), temporal aggregation of AF and/or symptoms (density), and symptom-rhythm correlation (SRC) were assessed. In total, 484 patients (60% male, 62 ± 9.9 years) were included. Adherence, motivation, and patient satisfaction were high. %AF recordings, AF load, and %AF days (rs = 0.88-0.95) and %symptom recordings, symptom load, and %symptom days (rs = 0.95-0.98) showed positive correlations. The SRC correlated negatively with time spent with symptoms (rs = -0.65-0.90) and with time spent with AF (rs = -0.31-0.34). In patients with paroxysmal AF before ablation and AF during the monitoring period, 87% (n = 39/44) had a low-density score <50% ('paroxysmal AF pattern') while 5% (n = 2/44) had a high-density score >90% ('persistent AF pattern'). Corresponding numbers for patients with persistent AF before ablation were 48% (n = 11/23) and 43% (n = 10/23), respectively. CONCLUSION: On-demand, app-based simultaneous rhythm and symptom assessment provides objective proxies of time spent with AF and/or symptoms and SRC, which may assist in assessing AF and symptom outcomes after AF ablation.

Changes in healthcare utilisation during implementation of remote atrial fibrillation management: TeleCheck-AF project.

AIM: To evaluate changes in healthcare utilisation and comprehensive packages of care activities and procedures (referred in the Netherlands to as 'diagnose-behandelcombinatie (DBC) care products) during the implementation of the TeleCheck-AF approach (teleconsultation supported by app-based heart rate/rhythm monitoring) in a Dutch atrial fibrillation (AF) clinic. METHODS AND RESULTS: In the Maastricht University Medical Centre+ AF Clinic, data on healthcare utilisation and DBC care products for patients consulted by both a conventional approach in 2019 and the TeleCheck-AF approach in 2020 were analysed. A patient experience survey was performed. Thirty-seven patients (median age 68 years; 40% women) were analysed. With the conventional approach, 35 face-to-face consultations and 0 teleconsultations were conducted. After the implementation of TeleCheck-AF, the number of face-to-face consultations dropped by 80% (p < 0.001) and teleconsultations increased to 45 (p < 0.001). While 42 electrocardiograms (ECGs) and 25 Holter ECGs or echocardiograms were recorded when using the conventional approach, the number of ECGs decreased by 71% (p < 0.001) and Holter ECGs or echocardiograms by 72% (p < 0.001) with the TeleCheck-AF approach. The emergency department patient presentations showed no statistically significant change (p = 0.33). Overall, 57% of medium-weight DBC care products were changed to light-weight ones during implementation of the TeleCheck-AF approach. Patient satisfaction with the TeleCheck-AF approach was high. CONCLUSION: The implementation of TeleCheck-AF led to a change in healthcare utilisation, a change from medium-weight to light-weight DBC care products and a reduction in patient burden. These results created the basis for a new reimbursement code for the TeleCheck-AF approach in the Netherlands.

360° Virtual reality to improve patient education and reduce anxiety towards atrial fibrillation ablation.

AIMS: Evaluation of (i) the effects of a virtual reality (VR) preprocedural patient education video on information provision, procedure-related knowledge, satisfaction, and the level of worries in patients planned for atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation and (ii) the feasibility of a disposable cardboard VR viewer for home use in this setting. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this prospective observational cohort study, patients were alternatively assigned in a 1:1 ratio to the control or VR group. Controls received standard preprocedural information. VR group received standard information and a VR video (via in-hospital VR headset and disposable cardboard). The Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS) together with additional questions concerning procedural experience and satisfaction was completed pre- and post-ablation. Of 134 patients [38.1% female, aged 66 (58-72) years] included, 49.2% were assigned to the control and 50.7% to the VR group. The number of patients that worried about the ablation procedure was lower in VR than in control patients (19.1% vs. 40.9%, P = 0.006). More VR females than males had worries about the procedure (34.8% vs. 11.1%, P = 0.026). The number of VR patients that were satisfied with the preprocedural information provision was higher post-ablation than pre-ablation (83.3% vs. 60.4%, P = 0.007). In total, 59.4% reported that the disposable cardboard was easy to use and led to a discussion with relatives in 68.8%. CONCLUSION: In patients scheduled for AF ablation, a VR preprocedural educational video led to better information provision and procedure-related knowledge, higher satisfaction, and less worries regarding the procedure. The disposable cardboard was feasible for home use.

Accuracy of continuous photoplethysmography-based 1 min mean heart rate assessment during atrial fibrillation.

AIMS: Although mobile health tools using photoplethysmography (PPG) technology have been validated for the detection of atrial fibrillation (AF), their utility for heart rate assessment during AF remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the accuracy of continuous PPG-based 1 min mean heart rate assessment during AF. METHODS AND RESULTS: Persistent AF patients were provided with Holter electrocardiography (ECG) (for ≥24 h) simultaneously with a PPG-equipped smartwatch. Both the PPG-based smartwatch and Holter ECG automatically and continuously monitored patients' heart rate/rhythm. ECG and PPG recordings were synchronized and divided into 1 min segments, from which a PPG-based and an ECG-based average heart rate estimation were extracted. In total, 47 661 simultaneous ECG and PPG 1 min heart rate segments were analysed in 50 patients (34% women, age 73 ± 8 years). The agreement between ECG-determined and PPG-determined 1 min mean heart rate was high [root mean squared error (RMSE): 4.7 bpm]. The 1 min mean heart rate estimated using PPG was accurate within ±10% in 93.7% of the corresponding ECG-derived 1 min mean heart rate segments. PPG-based 1 min mean heart rate estimation was more often accurate during night-time (97%) than day-time (91%, P < 0.001) and during low levels (96%) compared to high levels of motion (92%, P < 0.001). A neural network with a 10 min history of the recording did not further improve the PPG-based 1 min mean heart rate assessment [RMSE: 4.4 (95% confidence interval: 3.5-5.2 bpm)]. Only chronic heart failure was associated with a lower agreement between ECG-derived and PPG-derived 1 min mean heart rates (P = 0.040). CONCLUSION: During persistent AF, continuous PPG-based 1 min mean heart rate assessment is feasible in 60% of the analysed period and shows high accuracy compared with Holter ECG for heart rates <110 bpm.

A VIRTUAL Sleep Apnoea management pathway For the work-up of Atrial fibrillation patients in a digital Remote Infrastructure: VIRTUAL-SAFARI.

AIMS: In atrial fibrillation (AF) patients, untreated sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is associated with lower success rates of rhythm control strategies and as such structured SDB testing is recommended. Herein, we describe the implementation of a virtual SDB management pathway in an AF outpatient clinic and examine the utility and feasibility of this new approach. METHODS AND RESULTS: Prospectively, consecutive AF patients accepted for AF catheter ablation procedures without previous diagnosis of SDB were digitally referred to a virtual SDB management pathway and instructed to use WatchPAT-ONE (ITAMAR) for one night. Results were automatically transferred to a virtual sleep laboratory, upon which a teleconsultation with a sleep physician was planned. Patient experience was measured using surveys. SDB testing was performed in 119 consecutive patients scheduled for AF catheter ablation procedures. The median time from digital referral to finalization of the sleep study report was 18 [11-24] days. In total, 65 patients (55%) were diagnosed with moderate-to-severe SDB. Patients with SDB were prescribed more cardiovascular drugs and had higher body mass indices (BMI, 29 ± 3.3 vs. 27 ± 4.4kg/m2, P < 0.01). Patients agreed that WatchPAT-ONE was easy to use (91%) and recommended future use of this virtual pathway in AF outpatient clinics (86%). Based on this remote SDB testing, SDB treatment was recommended in the majority of patients. CONCLUSION: This novel virtual AF management pathway allowed remote SDB testing in AF outpatient clinics with a short time to diagnosis and high patient satisfaction. Structured SDB testing results in a high detection of previously unknown SDB in AF patients scheduled for AF ablation.

Implementation of an on-demand app-based heart rate and rhythm monitoring infrastructure for the management of atrial fibrillation through teleconsultation: TeleCheck-AF.

During the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, outpatient visits in the atrial fibrillation (AF) clinic of the Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC+) were transferred into teleconsultations. The aim was to develop anon-demand app-based heart rate and rhythm monitoring infrastructure to allow appropriatmanagement of AF through teleconsultation. In line with the fundamental aspects of integrated care, including actively involving patients in the care process and providing comprehensive care by a multidisciplinary team, we implemented a mobile health (mHealth) intervention to support teleconsultations with AF patients: TeleCheck-AF. The TeleCheck-AF approach guarantees the continuity of comprehensive AF management and supports integrated care through teleconsultation during COVID-19. It incorporates three important components: (i) a structured teleconsultation ('Tele'), (ii) a CE-marked app-based on-demand heart rate and rhythm monitoring infrastructure ('Check'), and (iii) comprehensive AF management ('AF'). In this article, we describe the components and implementation of the TeleCheck-AF approach in an integrated and specialized AF-clinic through teleconsultation. The TeleCheck-AF approach is currently implemented in numerous European centres during COVID-19.

The European TeleCheck-AF project on remote app-based management of atrial fibrillation during the COVID-19 pandemic: centre and patient experiences.

AIMS: TeleCheck-AF is a multicentre international project initiated to maintain care delivery for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) during COVID-19 through teleconsultations supported by an on-demand photoplethysmography-based heart rate and rhythm monitoring app (FibriCheck®). We describe the characteristics, inclusion rates, and experiences from participating centres according the TeleCheck-AF infrastructure as well as characteristics and experiences from recruited patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: Three surveys exploring centre characteristics (n = 25), centre experiences (n = 23), and patient experiences (n = 826) were completed. Self-reported patient characteristics were obtained from the app. Most centres were academic (64%) and specialized public cardiology/district hospitals (36%). Majority of the centres had AF outpatient clinics (64%) and only 36% had AF ablation clinics. The time required to start patient inclusion and total number of included patients in the project was comparable for centres experienced (56%) or inexperienced in mHealth use. Within 28 weeks, 1930 AF patients were recruited, mainly for remote AF control (31% of patients) and AF ablation follow-up (42%). Average inclusion rate was highest during the lockdown restrictions and reached a steady state at a lower level after easing the restrictions (188 vs. 52 weekly recruited patients). Majority (>80%) of the centres reported no problems during the implementation of the TeleCheck-AF approach. Recruited patients [median age 64 (55-71), 62% male] agreed that the FibriCheck® app was easy to use (94%). CONCLUSION: Despite different health care settings and mobile health experiences, the TeleCheck-AF approach could be set up within an extremely short time and easily used in different European centres during COVID-19.

On-Demand Mobile Health Infrastructure for Remote Rhythm Monitoring within a Wait-and-See Strategy for Recent-Onset Atrial Fibrillation: TeleWAS-AF.

Recently, we introduced the TeleCheck-AF approach, an on-demand mobile health (mHealth) infrastructure using app-based heart rate and rhythm monitoring for 7 days, to support long-term atrial fibrillation (AF) management through teleconsultation. Herein, we extend the mHealth approach to patients with recent-onset AF at the emergency department (ED). In the proposed TeleWAS-AF approach, on-demand heart rate and rhythm monitoring are used to support a wait-and-see strategy at the ED. All stable patients who present to the ED with recent-onset symptomatic AF and who are able to use mHealth solutions for heart rate and rhythm monitoring are eligible for this approach. Patients will receive both education on AF and instructions on the use of the mHealth technology before discharge from the ED. A case coordinator will subsequently check whether patients are able to activate the mHealth solution and to perform heart rate and rhythm measurements. Forty hours after AF onset, the first assessment teleconsultation with the physician will take place, determining the need for delayed cardioversion. After maximal 7 days of remote monitoring, a second assessment teleconsultation may occur, in which the rhythm can be reassessed and further treatment strategy can be discussed with the patients. This on-demand mHealth prescription increases patient involvement in the care process and treatment decision-making by encouraging self-management, while avoiding excess data-load requiring work-intensive and expensive data management. Implementation of the TeleWAS-AF approach may facilitate the management of AF in the ED and reduce the burden on the ED system, which enhances the capacity for health care utilization.

Photoplethysmography-documented atrial fibrillation in the first week after catheter ablation is associated with lower success rates.

Aims: To test the feasibility of postprocedural photoplethysmography (PPG) rhythm telemonitoring during the first week after atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation and its predictive value for later AF recurrence. Methods: PPG rhythm telemonitoring during the first week after the ablation procedure was offered to a total of 382 consecutive patients undergoing AF ablation. Patients were instructed to perform 1 min PPG recordings by a mobile health application 3 times per day and in case of symptoms. Clinicians assessed the PPG tracings via a secured cloud and the information was remotely integrated into the therapeutic pathway via teleconsultation (TeleCheck-AF approach). Results: 119 patients (31%) agreed to perform PPG rhythm telemonitoring after ablation. Patients included in the TeleCheck-AF approach were younger compared to those who declined participation (58 ± 10 vs. 62 ± 10 years, p < 0.001). Median follow up duration was 544 (53-883) days. 27% of patients had PPG tracings suggestive of AF in the week following the ablation. In 24% of patients, the integration of PPG rhythm telemonitoring resulted in a remote clinical intervention during teleconsultation. During follow-up of one year, 33% of patients had ECG-documented AF recurrences. PPG recordings suggestive of AF in the week after ablation were predictive of late recurrences (p < 0.001). Conclusion: PPG rhythm telemonitoring during the first week after AF ablation often triggered clinical interventions. Due to its high availability, PPG-based follow-up actively involving patients after AF ablation may close a diagnostic and prognostic gap in the blanking period and increase active patient-involvement.

Patient motivation and adherence to an on-demand app-based heart rate and rhythm monitoring for atrial fibrillation management: data from the TeleCheck-AF project.

AIMS: The aim of this TeleCheck-AF sub-analysis was to evaluate motivation and adherence to on-demand heart rate/rhythm monitoring app in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients were instructed to perform 60 s app-based heart rate/rhythm recordings 3 times daily and in case of symptoms for 7 consecutive days prior to teleconsultation. Motivation was defined as number of days in which the expected number of measurements (≥3/day) were performed per number of days over the entire prescription period. Adherence was defined as number of performed measurements per number of expected measurements over the entire prescription period.Data from 990 consecutive patients with diagnosed AF [median age 64 (57-71) years, 39% female] from 10 centres were analyzed. Patients with both optimal motivation (100%) and adherence (≥100%) constituted 28% of the study population and had a lower percentage of recordings in sinus rhythm [90 (53-100%) vs. 100 (64-100%), P < 0.001] compared with others. Older age and absence of diabetes were predictors of both optimal motivation and adherence [odds ratio (OR) 1.02, 95% coincidence interval (95% CI): 1.01-1.04, P < 0.001 and OR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.28-0.86, P = 0.013, respectively]. Patients with 100% motivation also had ≥100% adherence. Independent predictors for optimal adherence alone were older age (OR: 1.02, 95% CI: 1.00-1.04, P = 0.014), female sex (OR: 1.70, 95% CI: 1.29-2.23, P < 0.001), previous AF ablation (OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.03-1.07, P = 0.028). CONCLUSION: In the TeleCheck-AF project, more than one-fourth of patients had optimal motivation and adherence to app-based heart rate/rhythm monitoring. Older age and absence of diabetes were predictors of optimal motivation/adherence.

Atrial fibrillation-specific refinement of the STOP-Bang sleep apnoea screening questionnaire: insights from the Virtual-SAFARI study.

BACKGROUND: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is prevalent in up to 50% of patients referred for atrial fibrillation (AF) catheter ablation (CA). Currently, it remains unclear how to improve pre-selection for SDB screening in patients with AF. AIM: We aimed to (1) assess the accuracy of the STOP-Bang screening questionnaire for detection of SDB within an AF population referred for CA; (2) derive a refined, AF-specific SDB score to improve pre-selection. METHODS: Consecutive AF patients referred for CA without a history of SDB and/or SDB screening were included. Patients were digitally referred to the previously implemented Virtual-SAFARI SDB screening and management pathway including a home sleep test. An apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) of  ≥ 15 was interpreted as moderate-to-severe SDB. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess characteristics associated with moderate-to-severe SDB to refine pre-selection for SDB screening. RESULTS: Of 206 included patients, 51% were diagnosed with moderate-to-severe SDB. The STOP-Bang questionnaire performed poorly in detecting SDB, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.647 (95% Confidence-Interval (CI) 0.573-0.721). AF-specific refinement resulted in the BOSS-GAP score. Therein, BMI with cut-off point ≥ 27 kg/m2 and previous stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) were added, while tiredness and neck circumference were removed. The BOSS-GAP score performed better with an AUROC of 0.738 (95% CI 0.672-0.805) in the overall population. CONCLUSION: AF-specific refinement of the STOP-Bang questionnaire moderately improved detection of SDB in AF patients referred for CA. Whether questionnaires bring benefits for pre-selection of SDB compared to structural screening in patients with AF requires further studies. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISOLATION was registered NCT04342312, 13-04-2020.

Artificial intelligence for the detection, prediction, and management of atrial fibrillation.

The present article reviews the state of the art of machine learning algorithms for the detection, prediction, and management of atrial fibrillation (AF), as well as of the development and evaluation of artificial intelligence (AI) in cardiology and beyond. Today, AI detects AF with a high accuracy using 12-lead or single-lead electrocardiograms or photoplethysmography. The prediction of paroxysmal or future AF currently operates at a level of precision that is too low for clinical use. Further studies are needed to determine whether patient selection for interventions may be possible with machine learning.

Mobile app-based symptom-rhythm correlation assessment in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: The assessment of symptom-rhythm correlation (SRC) in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) is challenging. Therefore, we performed a novel mobile app-based approach to assess SRC in persistent AF. METHODS: Consecutive persistent AF patients planned for electrical cardioversion (ECV) used a mobile app to record a 60-s photoplethysmogram (PPG) and report symptoms once daily and in case of symptoms for four weeks prior and three weeks after ECV. Within each patient, SRC was quantified by the SRC-index defined as the sum of symptomatic AF recordings and asymptomatic non-AF recordings divided by the sum of all recordings. RESULTS: Of 88 patients (33% women, age 68 ± 9 years) included, 78% reported any symptoms during recordings. The overall SRC-index was 0.61 (0.44-0.79). The study population was divided into SRC-index tertiles: low (<0.47), medium (0.47-0.73) and high (≥0.73). Patients within the low (vs high) SRC-index tertile had more often heart failure and diabetes mellitus (both 24.1% vs 6.9%). Extrasystoles occurred in 19% of all symptomatic non-AF PPG recordings. Within each patient, PPG recordings with the highest (vs lowest) tertile of pulse rates conferred an increased risk for symptomatic AF recordings (odds ratio [OR] 1.26, 95% coincidence interval [CI] 1.04-1.52) and symptomatic non-AF recordings (OR 2.93, 95% CI 2.16-3.97). Pulse variability was not associated with reported symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with persistent AF, SRC is relatively low. Pulse rate is the main determinant of reported symptoms. Further studies are required to verify whether integrating mobile app-based SRC assessment in current workflows can improve AF management.

Dyspnea in patients with atrial fibrillation: Mechanisms, assessment and an interdisciplinary and integrated care approach.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained heart rhythm disorder and is often associated with symptoms that can significantly impact quality of life and daily functioning. Palpitations are the cardinal symptom of AF and many AF therapies are targeted towards relieving this symptom. However, up to two-third of patients also complain of dyspnea as a predominant self-reported symptom. In clinical practice it is often challenging to ascertain whether dyspnea represents an AF-related symptom or a symptom of concomitant cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular comorbidities, since common AF comorbidities such as heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease share similar symptoms. In addition, therapeutic approaches specifically targeting dyspnea have not been well validated. Thus, assessing and treating dyspnea can be difficult. This review describes the latest knowledge on the burden and pathophysiology of dyspnea in AF patients. We discuss the role of heart rhythm control interventions as well as the management of AF risk factors and comorbidities with the goal to achieve maximal relief of dyspnea. Given the different and often complex mechanistic pathways leading to dyspnea, dyspneic AF patients will likely profit from an integrated multidisciplinary approach to tackle all factors and mechanisms involved. Therefore, we propose an interdisciplinary and integrated care pathway for the work-up of dyspnea in AF patients.

Mobile health solutions for atrial fibrillation detection and management: a systematic review.

AIM: We aimed to systematically review the available literature on mobile Health (mHealth) solutions, including handheld and wearable devices, implantable loop recorders (ILRs), as well as mobile platforms and support systems in atrial fibrillation (AF) detection and management. METHODS: This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The electronic databases PubMed (NCBI), Embase (Ovid), and Cochrane were searched for articles published until 10 February 2021, inclusive. Given that the included studies varied widely in their design, interventions, comparators, and outcomes, no synthesis was undertaken, and we undertook a narrative review. RESULTS: We found 208 studies, which were deemed potentially relevant. Of these studies included, 82, 46, and 49 studies aimed at validating handheld devices, wearables, and ILRs for AF detection and/or management, respectively, while 34 studies assessed mobile platforms/support systems. The diagnostic accuracy of mHealth solutions differs with respect to the type (handheld devices vs wearables vs ILRs) and technology used (electrocardiography vs photoplethysmography), as well as application setting (intermittent vs continuous, spot vs longitudinal assessment), and study population. CONCLUSION: While the use of mHealth solutions in the detection and management of AF is becoming increasingly popular, its clinical implications merit further investigation and several barriers to widespread mHealth adaption in healthcare systems need to be overcome. Mobile health solutions for atrial fibrillation detection and management: a systematic review.

Clinical utility of rhythm control by electrical cardioversion to assess the association between self-reported symptoms and rhythm status in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: The best strategy to assess the association between symptoms and rhythm status (symptom-rhythm correlation) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) remains unclear. We aimed to determine the clinical utility of rhythm control by electrical cardioversion (ECV) to assess symptom-rhythm correlation in patients with persistent AF. METHODS: We used ECV to examine symptom-rhythm correlation in 81 persistent AF patients. According to current clinical practice, the presence of self-reported symptoms before ECV and at the first outpatient clinic follow-up visit (within 1-month) was assessed to determine the prevalence of a symptom-rhythm correlation (defined as self-reported symptoms present during AF and absent in sinus rhythm or absent in AF and yet relief during sinus rhythm). In addition, we evaluated symptom patterns around ECV. RESULTS: Only in 18 patients (22%), a symptom-rhythm correlation could be documented. Twenty-eight patients (35%) did not show any symptom-rhythm correlation and 35 patients (43%) had an unevaluable symptom-rhythm correlation as these patients were in symptomatic AF both at baseline and at the first outpatient AF clinic follow-up visit. Importantly, self-reported symptom patterns around ECV were intra-individually variable in 10 patients (12%) without symptom-rhythm correlation (of which 9 patients (11%) had AF recurrence) and in 2 patients (2%) with an unevaluable symptom-rhythm correlation. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with persistent AF, symptom assessment around rhythm control by ECV, once before ECV and once within 1-month follow-up, rarely identifies a symptom-rhythm correlation and often suggests changes in symptom pattern. Better strategies are needed to assess symptom-rhythm correlation in patients with persistent AF.

Long-Term and Acute Benefits of Reduced Sitting on Vascular Flow and Function.

PURPOSE: Sedentary behavior increases the risk for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. To understand potential benefits and underlying mechanisms, we examined the acute and long-term effect of reduced sitting intervention on vascular and cerebrovascular function. METHODS: This prospective study included 24 individuals with increased cardiovascular risk (65 ± 5 yr, 29.8 ± 3.9 kg·m-2). Before and after 16-wk reduced sitting, using a mobile health device with vibrotactile feedback, we examined (i) vascular function (flow-mediated dilation [FMD]), (ii) cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFv, transcranial Doppler), and (iii) cerebrovascular function (cerebral autoregulation [CA] and cerebral vasomotor reactivity [CVMR]). To better understand potential underlying mechanisms, before and after intervention, we evaluated the effects of 3 h sitting with and without light-intensity physical activity breaks (every 30 min). RESULTS: The first wave of participants showed no change in sedentary time (n = 9, 10.3 ± 0.5 to 10.2 ± 0.5 h·d-1, P = 0.87). Upon intervention optimization by participants' feedback, the subsequent participants (n = 15) decreased sedentary time (10.2 ± 0.4 to 9.2 ± 0.3 h·d-1, P < 0.01). This resulted in significant increases in FMD (3.1% ± 0.3% to 3.8% ± 0.4%, P = 0.02) and CBFv (48.4 ± 2.6 to 51.4. ±2.6 cm·s-1, P = 0.02), without altering CA or CVMR. Before and after the 16-wk intervention, 3-h exposure to uninterrupted sitting decreased FMD and CBFv, whereas physical activity breaks prevented a decrease (both P < 0.05). CA and CVMR did not change (P > 0.20). CONCLUSION: Long-term reduction in sedentary behavior improves peripheral vascular function and cerebral blood flow and acutely prevents impaired vascular function and decreased cerebral blood flow. These results highlight the potential benefits of reducing sedentary behavior to acutely and chronically improve cardio- or cerebrovascular risk.

Long-term intermittent versus short continuous heart rhythm monitoring for the detection of atrial fibrillation recurrences after catheter ablation.

BACKGROUND: The utility of long-term intermittent heart rhythm monitoring after atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation remains unclear. Therefore, we compared the efficacy and usability of long-term intermittent (AliveCor Kardia® (ACK)) versus short continuous (Holter) heart rhythm monitoring for the detection of AF recurrences after AF ablation and evaluated ACK accuracy to detect AF. METHODS: Patients were provided with Holter (for ≥24 h) simultaneously with an ACK (4 weeks) used three times a day and in case of symptoms. The primary endpoint was the difference in proportion of patients diagnosed with recurrent AF by ACK as compared to Holter monitoring. Secondary endpoints were the usability (System Usability Scale and a four-item questionnaire) of ACK and Holter monitoring; and the accuracy of the ACK algorithm for AF detection. RESULTS: Out of 126 post-ablation patients, 115 (91.3%; 35 females, median age 64.0 [58.0-68.0] years) transmitted overall 7838 ACK ECG recordings. ACK and Holter monitoring detected 29 (25.2%) and 17 (14.8%) patients with AF recurrences, respectively (p < 0.001). More than 2 weeks of ACK monitoring did not have additional diagnostic yield for detection of AF recurrences. Patients graded ACK higher than Holter monitoring and found ACK more convenient in daily usage than Holter (p < 0.001). Sensitivity and specificity of ACK for AF detection were 95.3% and 97.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term intermittent monitoring by ACK more effectively detects AF recurrences after AF ablation and has a higher patients' usability than short continuous Holter monitoring. ACK showed a high accuracy to detect AF.

The photoplethysmography dictionary: practical guidance on signal interpretation and clinical scenarios from TeleCheck-AF.

Aims: Within the TeleCheck-AF project, numerous centres in Europe used on-demand photoplethysmography (PPG) technology to remotely assess heart rate and rhythm in conjunction with teleconsultations. Based on the TeleCheck-AF investigator experiences, we aimed to develop an educational structured stepwise practical guide on how to interpret PPG signals and to introduce typical clinical scenarios how on-demand PPG was used. Methods and results: During an online conference, the structured stepwise practical guide on how to interpret PPG signals was discussed and further refined during an internal review process. We provide the number of respective PPG recordings (FibriCheck®) and number of patients managed within a clinical scenario during the TeleCheck-AF project. To interpret PPG recordings, we introduce a structured stepwise practical guide and provide representative PPG recordings. In the TeleCheck-AF project, 2522 subjects collected 90 616 recordings in total. The majority of these recordings were classified by the PPG algorithm as sinus rhythm (57.6%), followed by AF (23.6%). In 9.7% of recordings, the quality was too low to interpret. The most frequent clinical scenarios where PPG technology was used in the TeleCheck-AF project was a follow-up after AF ablation (1110 patients) followed by heart rate and rhythm assessment around (tele)consultation (966 patients). Conclusion: We introduce a newly developed structured stepwise practical guide on PPG signal interpretation developed based on presented experiences from TeleCheck-AF. The present clinical scenarios for the use of on-demand PPG technology derived from the TeleCheck-AF project will help to implement PPG technology in the management of AF patients.