Prevalence of early repolarization pattern in patients with lone atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to test the association of early repolarization pattern (ER) with lone atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS: Electrocardiograms (ECGs) were analyzed in blinded fashion in a case-control study of 182 patients with lone AF and 182 controls without AF. RESULTS: Patients with lone AF and controls had similar frequencies of ER pattern (15% vs. 19%, p=0.40). In patients <50years of age, there was also no difference in the percentage of patients with ER in the AF and control groups (17% vs. 19%, p=0.60). ER pattern was more common in patients with ECG voltage criteria of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), with ER present in 57% of patients with elevated Sokolow-Lyon voltage compared to 14% of those without (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: No association could be identified between the ER pattern and lone AF in young and middle-aged patients. In this age group, ER is substantially more common in patients with elevated Sokolow-Lyon voltage criteria.

Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection and Its Association With Fibromuscular Dysplasia and Other Vascular Abnormalities.

Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) has recently been associated with spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD). We sought to further elucidate the association of FMD with SCAD. We performed a retrospective cohort review of patients with SCAD evaluated at our institution from 2008 to 2019. Baseline characteristics, coronary angiographic data, and screening for FMD were recorded. In patients who completed screening for FMD, variables were compared between patients with FMD and those without. We identified 51 patients with SCAD, all of whom were female, with a mean age of 46.8 years. A quarter of patients underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and half of those suffered a complication during PCI. 78% of patients underwent complete screening for FMD, of which 63% were diagnosed with multifocal FMD. Vascular abnormalities other than FMD were found in 70% of screened patients. Patients with FMD were older than those without FMD (50.7 vs 42.6 years, p = 0.006). FMD was more frequently associated with type 2 SCAD (84% vs 47%, p = 0.025), tortuous non-SCAD coronaries (96% vs 53%, p = 0.002), and other vascular abnormalities (84% vs 47%, p = 0.03). In conclusion, the majority of patients within the all-female cohort with SCAD were found to have FMD. Other vascular abnormalities were also common. Patients with FMD were older and were more likely to have type 2 SCAD, tortuous non-SCAD coronary arteries, and other vascular abnormalities.

Very late presentation in ST elevation myocardial infarction: Predictors and long-term mortality.

BACKGROUND: Despite improvements in ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) care, total ischemic time remains long in patients who present late. Our goal was to identify predictors of very late presentation (≥12 h) of STEMI and determine long-term mortality. METHODS: We retrospectively examined consecutive patients admitted with STEMI to our institution using the ACTION Registry™. Time of symptom onset to first medical contact (FMC) was calculated and categorized as <12 h or ≥12 h. Predictors of very late presentation were determined. RESULTS: Compared to patients who presented <12 h (n = 365), those who presented ≥12 h (n = 49) after symptom onset were more likely women, diabetics, and those with prior coronary revascularization. In addition, patients who presented ≥12 h had worse ventricular function, were less likely to report chest pain, and were less likely to be transported by ambulance and to undergo coronary angiography. Late presenters had higher rates of heart failure, longer hospitalizations, and were less likely to be discharged home. Diabetes, female sex, and absence of chest pain were strong predictors of late presentation. Long-term survival was significantly lower in late presenters (73% vs. 93%, p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Female sex, diabetes, and absence of chest pain are strong predictors of presentation delay, and long-term mortality is significantly increased in those presenting very late.