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Background We compared the cognitive status and quality of life in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) or remaining on oral anticoagulation (OAC) after atrial fibrillation ablation. Methods and Results Cognition was assessed by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) survey at baseline and follow‐up. Consecutive patients receiving LAAO or OAC after atrial fibrillation ablation were screened, and patients with a score of ≤17 were excluded from the study. Quality of life was measured at baseline and 1 year using the Atrial Fibrillation Effect on Quality of Life survey. A total of 50 patients (CHA2DS2‐VASc [congestive heart failure, hypertension, age≥75 years, diabetes mellitus, stroke or transient ischemic attack, vascular disease, age 65–74 years, sex category] score: 3.30±1.43) in the LAAO group and 48 (CHA2DS2‐VASc score 2.73±1.25) in the OAC group were included in this prospective study. Mean baseline MoCA score was 26.18 and 26.08 in the LAAO and OAC groups, respectively (P=0.846). At 1 year, scores were 26.94 and 23.38 in the respective groups. MoCA score decreased by an estimated −2.74 (95% CI, −3.61 to −1.87; P

Bermekimab is a true human monoclonal antibody that targets interleukin-1alpa (IL-1α), an inflammation-mediating alarmin. IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) is a natural molecule that blocks IL-1α activity by occupying the IL-1 receptor. The effect of endogenous IL-1Ra levels on the effectiveness of bermekimab is unknown. We investigated whether pre-treatment levels of circulating IL-1Ra, assessed by an enzyme-linked immunoassay, correlated with achievement of the primary outcome endpoint (effect on lean body mass and symptoms at week 8) in a Phase III study (2:1 randomization) of bermekimab versus placebo (each with best supportive care) in advanced colorectal cancer. Patients who responded to bermekimab in terms of achieving the primary endpoint had lower levels of IL-1Ra than non-responders (N = 204 patients; median = 843 vs. 1035 pg/ml, p=0.0092); no such relationship was observed in the placebo arm (N = 100 patients; 901 vs. 984 pg/ml, p = 0.55). Multivariate analysis corroborated that, in the bermekimab group, patients with lower baseline IL-1Ra levels were more likely to achieve the primary endpoint (odds ratio (OR) 1.7 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.1 to 2.6), p = 0.017); in contrast, in the placebo arm, pre-treatment plasma IL-1Ra levels were not associated with outcome (OR 1.2 (95% CI 0.6 to 2.5), p = 0.57). The current findings demonstrate that, in a randomized phase III trial, patients with advanced colorectal cancer and lower levels of circulating IL-1Ra are more responsive to treatment with the IL-1α-targeting antibody bermekimab and these observations define a potential biomarker for anti-IL-1α therapy.

Objective: To assess if patients treated with omega-3(n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAS) had lower procedural failure rates compared to an untreated population.Methods and Results: From January 2004 to 2007, 1500 PVAI patients underwent catheter ablation. Two hundred and eighty five (19%) patients were treated with PUFAs. These patients were matched in a nested case controlled analysis. After matching, there were 129 patients in the PUFA group and 129 in the control group. Thirty-five (27.1%) patients in the study group had early recurrence vs. 57 (44.1%) in the control group p-value

Abstract Purpose  To report survival rates in patients treated with pulmonary vein antrum isolation (PVAI), atrioventricular junctional ablation (AVJA), and antiarrhythmic and direct current cardioversion (A + DCCV) at 7 years follow-up. Methods  From February 2002–December 2004, 1,000 consecutive patients underwent PVAI or A + DCCV or AVJA. These patients were matched in a nested case-controlled methodology. Survival rates were compared at the end of 7 years. Results  Three hundred and forty-five consecutive patients had undergone PVAI (34.5%), 157 (15.7%) consecutive patients AVJA, and 498(49.8%) A + DCCV. After matching the patients in a nested case-controlled methodology, 146 (32.3%) patients were in the PVAI group, 205 (59.4%) in the A + DCCV, and 101 (22.3%) in the AVJA. At 69 ± 27 months, 63 (13.9%) patients had died in the matched population. Three (2.1%) patients died in the PVAI group, 34 (16.5%) in the A + DCCV group, and 26 (25.7%) in the AVJA group. In multivariable analysis, treatment strategy was a significant predictor of mortality. Compared to patients with PVAI (reference group), those with A + DCCV (HR 4.9, p = 0.011) and AVJA (HR 10.6, p = 0.001) procedures had higher mortality risk. Conclusion  Compared to the other two procedures, patients with PVAI had the best survival rates at the end of 7 years. However, the observational case-control design of this study incurs the potential for confounding due to non-randomized treatment selection, and creates a major limitation in making valid generalization of the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]