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It is still controversial whether catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) could improve clinical outcomes in general AF population. Among 4398 patients with diagnosis of AF in the outpatient department of Kyoto University Hospital between January 2005 and March 2015, we identified 537 pairs of patients who received first-time catheter ablation (ablation group) or conservative management (conservative group), matched for age, gender, AF duration, AF type, AF symptoms, and previous heart failure (HF). The primary outcome measure was a composite of cardiovascular death, HF hospitalization, ischemic stroke, or major bleeding. Most baseline characteristics were well balanced between the 2 groups, except for the higher prevalence of low body weight, history of malignancy, and severe chronic kidney disease in the conservative group. Median follow-up duration was 5.3 years. The cumulative 5-year incidence of the primary outcome measure was significantly lower in the ablation group than in the conservative group (5.2% versus 15.6%, log-rank P 0.001). Even after adjusting for the imbalances in the baseline characteristics, the lower risk of the ablation group relative to the conservative group for the primary outcome measure remained highly significant (HR 0.32, 95% CI 0.21-0.47, P 0.001). Ablation compared with conservative management was also associated with significantly lower risks for the individual components of the primary outcome. In this matched analysis in AF patients, ablation as compared with conservative management was associated with better long-term clinical outcomes, although we could not deny the possibility of selection bias and unmeasured confounding.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) plays the main role in atrial functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR). However, the effectiveness of catheter ablation (CA) for atrial functional TR together with the mechanisms of improvement of atrial functional TR have not been fully evaluated.We retrospectively investigated consecutive 2685 patients with AF who received CA from February 2004 to December 2019 in Kyoto University Hospital, Kyoto, Japan. The current study population consisted of 2331 patients with available transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE) data before CA (2110 patients without significant TR and 221 patients with significant TR). Among the 221 patients with significant TR, there were 64 patients with functional TR and follow-up TTE at 6-18 months after CA for AF, in whom we compared echocardiographic parameters from baseline to follow-up.Patients with significant TR were older, and more often women, and had more persistent AF than those without significant TR. Among the 64 patients with functional TR, TR severity and TR jet area significantly improved at follow-up (TR jet area: 5.8 [4.0-7.6] cmTR severity and jet area improved after CA in patients with AF and significant TR. The improvement of TR might be associated with reverse remodeling of the right heart.

Aims We sought to investigate the time course of cardiac disorders after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with coexisting heart failure (HF) during long‐term follow‐up. Methods and results We analysed consecutive 280 patients undergoing first‐time catheter ablation for AF who had coexisting HF, which was defined as prior HF hospitalization, estimated right ventricular systolic pressure ≥45 mmHg, or B‐type natriuretic peptide (BNP) ≥200 pg/dL before the procedure. The primary endpoints were improvements in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), E/e′, BNP, left atrial dimension (LAD), and mitral regurgitation (MR) at 1 year. The secondary endpoints were serial changes of LVEF, E/e′, BNP, LAD, and MR at 6 months, 1 year, and 5 years and cumulative incidence of HF hospitalization. During the mean follow‐up of 5.1 ± 3.0 years, 70.7% of patients were free from recurrent AF. Among patients with LVEF

Background: Rapid and accurate diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is critical to prevent the fatal complication accompanied with the delay of the treatment. However, the diagnosis of non-ST-segment elevation ACS (NSTE-ACS), especially shortly after the onset, is not straightforward because even high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) is sometimes not elevated at that phase. We previously reported in a retrospective study that serum nardilysin is a potential biomarker for the early detection of NSTE-ACS. Here, we present the results of the Nardi-ACS study, a multicenter prospective study conducted at six centers in Japan to clarify the significance of nardilysin for the early detection of ACS. Methods and Results: We analyzed serum nardilysin and hs-cTnI (Architect; Abbott) in the sequential 2 independent cohorts; phase I primary cohort (435 patients with chest pain who consecutively visited to the emergency room (ER)) and phase II validation cohort (486 patients with a strong suspicion of ACS who underwent coronary angiography). The frequency of non-ACS, STEMI and NSTE-ACS was 64.4, 22.5, and 13.1 (%) in the phase I, and 14.0, 60.0, and 25.9 (%) in the phase II cohort, respectively. The cutoff value of serum nardilysin was set at 1350.9 pg/ml (mean +2SD) obtained in 246 healthy volunteers, while the cutoff of hs-cTnI was set at 52 pg/ml. The initial blood test in the phase I cohort revealed that nardilysin was significantly elevated in ACS patients, compared to non-ACS patients (p Conclusion: Nardilysin could be a potential biomarker for the early diagnosis of troponin-negative NSTE-ACS.

Background The impact of delays in the treatment with radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) for atrial fibrillation (AF) has not been well evaluated. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of diagnosis-to-ablation time (DAT) on the long-term clinical outcomes after AF-RFCA. Methods We enrolled 1206 consecutive patients undergoing first-time RFCA for AF. The study population was divided into 2 groups based on DAT: short ( 3 years) (N = 531) DAT groups. Results Mean follow-up duration was 5.0 ± 2.5 years. The 5-year event-free rates from recurrent atrial tachyarrhythmias after the first and second RFCAs were significantly higher in short DAT group than in long DAT group (60.2% versus 48.3%, log-rank P Conclusions In the management of AF, early RFCA was associated with significantly lower arrhythmia recurrence compared with delayed RFCA, leading to reduced cardiovascular hospitalization, especially in heart failure patients.

The incidence of subsequent need for permanent pacemaker implantation (PMI) after radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) for atrial fibrillation (AF) in real world patients with and without pre-existing bradycardia has not yet been fully evaluated. Methods and Results: A total of 1,131 consecutive patients undergoing first-time RFCA for AF who had no previous or planned device implantation, were enrolled in the present study. Of 799 paroxysmal AF (PAF) patients, 121 (15.1%) had sinus node dysfunction (SND). Of 332 non-PAF patients, 73 (22.0%) had slow ventricular response (VR), defined as heart rate80 beats/min at rest without any rate-control drugs. The 5-year cumulative incidence of PMI after RFCA in PAF patients with and without SND was 14.8% and 1.7%, respectively (P0.001). The 5-year cumulative incidence of PMI after RFCA in non-PAF patients with and without slow VR was 14.8% and 4.7%, respectively (P0.001). SND and female gender in PAF patients, as well as slow VR and age ≥75 years in non-PAF patients, were independent and additive predictors of PMI. The 5-year cumulative incidence of PMI was 26.3% in female PAF patients with SND and 33.3% in elderly non-PAF patients with slow VR.PMI was avoided in85% of patients undergoing RFCA for PAF with pre-existing SND, although care should be taken for female patients. Decision-making regarding RFCA for non-PAF patients with slow VR, especially in the elderly, should be cautious.

Background Catheter ablation has been rapidly spread as a first line therapy for atrial fibrillation (AF). A recent randomized trial have shown that AF ablation reduces the risk of death or hospitalization for heart failure (HF). However, the impact of maintained sinus rhythm (SR) on long-term risk of death or HF hospitalization has not been adequately evaluated. Purpose To investigate the impact of maintaining SR by AF ablation on long-term risk of all-cause death or HF hospitalization. Methods The long-term clinical outcomes were compared between patients with maintained SR and those with recurrent AF using a landmark analysis in which the landmark point was set at 1.5-year after the 1st ablation. Results Among consecutive 1467 patients who underwent AF ablation in our institution between February 2004 and December 2017, the study population consisted of 1311 patients after excluding 150 patients because of death or lost to follow-up. Mean age was 67.9±0.3 and paroxysmal AF was 67%. Among 460 patients who had AF recurrence within 1.5 years after the 1st ablation, 328 underwent 2nd ablation. Therefore, at 1.5-year after the 1st AF ablation, 1145 patients had maintained SR rhythm (SR-group), and 166 patients had recurrent AF episodes (AF-group). During 4.7±2.4 years of follow-up, the cumulative 5-year incidence of death or HF beyond 1.5 years after the 1st ablation was 5.1% in SR-group and 15.6% in AF-group (log rank P Risks for a Composite of Death or HF Hazard Ratio (95% CI) Crude HR P value Adjusted HR P value AF recurrence 2.59 (1.43–4.43) 0.002 2.05 (1.11–3.58) 0.02 Age>75 years old 2.55 (1.56–4.10) 50% 0.27 (0.16–0.48) Figure 1 Conclusions Successfully maintained SR was associated with reduced long-term risk for death or HF hospitalization in real world patients undergoing AF ablation.

Left atrial contrast computed tomography (LA-CT) as well as transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) can exclude left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombus, but is sometimes unable to evaluate LAA due to incomplete LAA filling. The aim of the current study was to validate the utility of real-time approach of LA-CT with real-time surveillance of LAA-filling defect (FD). We enrolled consecutive 894 patients with LA-CT studies acquired for catheter ablation and compared the diagnostic accuracy in demonstrating LAA-FD between conventional protocol (N = 474) and novel protocol with real-time surveillance of LAA-FD immediately after the initial scanning and, when necessary, adding delayed scanning in the supine or prone position (N = 420). Primary endpoint was severity of LAA-FD classified into the 3 groups: “Grade-0” for complete filling of contrast, “Grade-1” for incomplete filling of contrast, and “Grade-2” for complete FD of contrast. The prevalence of Grade-1 and Grade-2 FD was 17.3% and 11.2% in conventional protocol, whereas there was no patient with Grade-2 FD, and only 1 patient with Grade-1 FD after the additional scanning in novel protocol. In 5 patients with suspected LAA thrombus both by TEE and Grade-2 FD in LA-CT by the conventional protocol, ablation procedure was canceled due to diagnosis of LAA thrombus. Conversely, 4 patients with suspected LAA thrombus by TEE in novel protocol group was proved to have intact LAA by LA-CT with and without additional scanning. This novel approach with real-time surveillance improved the diagnostic accuracy of LA-CT in detecting LAA-FD, suggesting potential superiority of LA-CT over TEE in excluding LAA thrombus.

Background Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) for persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) is still challenging even in RFCA-era for AF. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical utility of nifekalant, a pure potassium channel blocker,during RFCA for persistent AF. Methods and results We retrospectively enrolled 157 consecutive persistentAF patientsundergoing first RFCA procedure withcomplex fractionated atrial electrogram (CFAE)ablation after pulmonary veins isolation and compared outcomes between patientswith (NFK group: N=79) and without (No-NFK group: N=78)additional CFAE ablation using intravenous nifekalant (0.3mg/kg). Primary endpoint was 24-month atrial arrhythmia-free survival post ablation.The prevalence of AF terminationwas significantly higher in NFK group than No-NFK group (64.6% versus 7.7%, P

[Aim]To investigate the effect of malignancy on the outcomes of patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) and the management strategy for AS with malignancy. [Methods and results]Using data of 3815 patients with severe AS in a retrospective multicentre registry [CURRENT AS (Contemporary outcomes after sURgery and medical tREatmeNT in patients with severe Aortic Stenosis) registry], we compared 3-year clinical outcomes among three groups based on malignancy status: with malignancy currently under treatment including best supportive care (malignancy group), with a history of malignancy without any current treatment (past history group), or without history of malignancy (no malignancy group). Patients in the malignancy group (n = 124) were more often men and had higher prevalence of low body mass index, recurrence of malignancy, anaemia, and asymptomatic status, despite comparable surgical risks and echocardiographic parameters. The malignancy group or the past history group (n = 389) had significantly higher risk for all-cause death [hazard ratio (HR) 2.49, 95% CI (95% confidence interval) 1.98–3.14; HR 1.23, 95% CI 1.04–1.46] and for malignancy-related death (HR 16.2, 95% CI 10.64–24.54; HR 3.66, 95% CI 2.43–5.52) than that of the no malignancy group (n = 3302). The excess risk for aortic valve-related death was not observed in the malignancy group (HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.48–1.29) and was lower in the past history group (HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.53–0.96). In the malignancy group, the treatment strategy (surgery: n = 16, conservative management: n = 108) was determined based on the clinical status of AS or life expectancy. [Conclusions]Malignancy had marked effect on all-cause death and malignancy-related death in patients with severe AS. History of malignancy also had a smaller but significant effect on mortality.

Aims Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) has become widely used for drug-refractory atrial fibrillation (AF). However, there is a paucity of data on the long-term clinical outcomes after RFCA for AF. The aim of the present study was to investigate the very long-term outcomes after RFCA for AF in a large number of consecutive patients. Methods and results In this retrospective single-center study, we evaluated very long-term follow-up results in 1206 consecutive patients undergoing first RFCA for AF. The primary outcomes were adverse outcomes at 30-day as a safety outcome measure and event-free rates from recurrent atrial tachyarrhythmias as efficacy outcome measures. Final follow-up rate reached 99.3% with a mean follow-up duration of 5.0±2.5years. The incidence of overall 30-day adverse outcomes was 3.6% without death. The 10-year event-free rates from recurrent atrial tachyarrhythmias after the initial and last procedures were 46.9% and 76.4%, respectively. Arrhythmia recurrence occurred most commonly during the first year and decreased beyond 3-year, although it continued to occur at an annual rate of 2.0% and 1.3%, respectively, throughout the 10-year follow-up period. The cumulative 10-year incidences of stroke and major bleeding were 4.2% and 3.5%, respectively, with annual rates of 0.3%. Discontinuation rate of oral anticoagulation at 1-, 3-, and 10-year was 34.6%, 53.4%, 58.0% and 61.9%. Conclusions RFCA for AF provided favorable very long-term arrhythmia-free survival without much safety concerns. The 10-year rates of stroke and major bleeding were low even with discontinuation of oral anticoagulation in a large proportion of patients.