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AIMS: Given the advances in atrial fibrillation (AF) management and the availability of new European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines, there is a need for the systematic collection of contemporary data regarding the management and treatment of AF in ESC member countries.METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted a registry of consecutive in- and outpatients with AF presenting to cardiologists in nine participating ESC countries. All patients with an ECG-documented diagnosis of AF confirmed in the year prior to enrolment were eligible. We enroled a total of 3119 patients from February 2012 to March 2013, with full data on clinical subtype available for 3049 patients (40.4% female; mean age 68.8 years). Common comorbidities were hypertension, coronary disease, and heart failure. Lone AF was present in only 3.9% (122 patients). Asymptomatic AF was common, particularly among those with permanent AF. Amiodarone was the most common antiarrhythmic agent used (∼20%), while beta-blockers and digoxin were the most used rate control drugs. Oral anticoagulants (OACs) were used in 80% overall, most often vitamin K antagonists (71.6%), with novel OACs being used in 8.4%. Other antithrombotics (mostly antiplatelet therapy, especially aspirin) were still used in one-third of the patients, and no antithrombotic treatment in only 4.8%. Oral anticoagulants were used in 56.4% of CHA2DS2-VASc = 0, with 26.3% having no antithrombotic therapy. A high HAS-BLED score was not used to exclude OAC use, but there was a trend towards more aspirin use in the presence of a high HAS-BLED score.CONCLUSION: The EURObservational Research Programme Atrial Fibrillation (EORP-AF) Pilot Registry has provided systematic collection of contemporary data regarding the management and treatment of AF by cardiologists in ESC member countries. Oral anticoagulant use has increased, but novel OAC use was still low. Compliance with the treatment guidelines for patients with the lowest and higher stroke risk scores remains suboptimal.

Aims Although increasingly recognized as a distinct pathological entity, left bundle branch block‐induced cardiomyopathy (LBBB‐ICMP) is not included among the possible aetiologies of acquired dilated cardiomyopathies (DCM). While diagnostic criteria have been proposed, its recognition remains principally retrospective, in the presence of clinical and instrumental red flags. We aimed to assess the prevalence and clinical and instrumental features of LBBB‐ICMP in a large cohort of patients with DCM. Methods and results We analysed a cohort of 242 DCM patients from a two‐centre registry. Inclusion criteria were age > 18, non‐ischaemic or non‐valvular DCM, and LBBB on electrocardiogram. LBBB‐ICMP was defined according to previously proposed diagnostic criteria: (i) neither family history nor clinically identifiable potential causes for DCM; (ii) negative genetic testing; (iii) echocardiographic features including non‐severe chamber dilation, normal absolute and relative wall thickness, marked dyssynchrony, and normal right ventricular function; and (iv) absence of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). From the entire cohort, we identified 30 subjects (similar in terms of New York Heart Association class I or II in 80% vs. 75%, P = 0.56; QRS width of 150 ± 22 vs. 151 ± 24 ms, P = 0.82; and cardiac remodelling of baseline end‐diastolic diameter 66 ± 8 vs. 65 ± 10 mm, P = 0.53) with a comprehensive dataset including CMR and genetic testing, required to verify the presence of the diagnostic criteria proposed for LBBB‐ICMP. The main characteristics of this subgroup were 73% males, age 45 ± 13 years, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 30 ± 10%, LGE in 38% of patients, and QRS complex of 150 ± 22 ms. Patients were under guideline‐directed medical therapy, and 57% of them were treated with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Two patients (6.67%, 50% males, age 53 ± 13 years) fulfilled the diagnostic criteria proposed for LBBB‐ICMP. After a follow‐up of 44 (12–76) months, LVEF was normal and QRS width significantly reduced (from 154 ± 25 to 116 ± 52 ms) in patients with LBBB‐ICMP. Both patients were under optimal medical treatment, and one was implanted with CRT‐D. Neither of the two patients experienced death, malignant ventricular arrhythmia, or heart failure hospitalization at follow‐up. Conclusions Left bundle branch block‐induced cardiomyopathy emerges as a distinct pathological entity, promptly identifiable in a minority but not negligible proportion of patients with newly diagnosed DCM and LBBB, using a series of diagnostic criteria including CMR and genetic testing. Further studies are needed to better elucidate the clinical course of LBBB‐ICMP.

Aims: To analyze temporal trends (2001 -2017) of Pacemakers (PM) and Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators (ICD) procedures in Italy, according to the national Hospital Discharge Database (HDD). Methods: Frequency and implant rate (IR) in the Italian population were analyzed by age groups (

Objective The objective was to provide an exhaustive characterization of ECG features in a large cohort of dilated cardiomyopathies (DCMs) and then investigate their possible prognostic role in the long term. Background ECG is an accessible, reproducible, low-cost diagnostic and prognostic tool. However, an extensive description of ECG features and their long-term prognostic role in a large cohort of DCM is lacking. Methods All available baseline ECGs of DCM patients enrolled from 1992 to 2013 were systematically analysed. Patients underwent to a complete clinical-laboratory evaluation. The study outcome measures were death or heart transplant (D/HT) and sudden death or malignant ventricular arrhythmias (SD/MVA). Results Four hundred and fourteen DCM patients were enrolled. During a median follow-up of 125 months, 55 and 57 patients experienced D/HT and SD/MVA, respectively. At multivariate analysis, left ventricular hypertrophy (P = 0.017), heart rate (HR, P = 0.005) and anterolateral T-wave inversion (P = 0.041) predicted D/HT. Regarding SD/MVA, S wave amplitude in V2 (P = 0.008), R wave amplitude in DIII (P = 0.007), anterolateral T-wave inversion (P = 0.017) emerged as predictors. At receiver-operating curve analyses, the addition of ECG models to the clinical-laboratory evaluation significantly increased the area under the curve both for D/HT (from 0.68 to 0.74, P = 0.042) and SD/MVA (from 0.70 to 0.77, P = 0.048). Conclusion The exhaustive systematic evaluation of ECG has an incremental impact in the prognostication of a large cohort of DCM patients, also regarding the arrhythmic stratification.

AIMS: Arrhythmic risk stratification is a challenging issue in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), particularly when left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is more than 35%. We studied the prevalence and predictors of sudden cardiac death or malignant ventricular arrhythmias (SCD/MVAs) in DCM patients categorized at low arrhythmic risk because of intermediate left ventricular dysfunction under optimal medical treatment (OMT). METHODS: DCM patients considered at low arrhythmic risk (LVEF >35% and New York Heart Association class I-III after 6 ± 3 months of OMT) were analysed. An arrhythmogenic profile was defined as the presence of at least one among a history of syncope, nonsustained ventricular tachycardia, at least 1000 premature ventricular contractions/24 h, at least 50 ventricular couplets/24 h at Holter ECG monitoring. SCD/MVAs was considered as the study end-point. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 152 months (interquartile range 100-234), 30 out of 360 (8.3%) patients at low arrhythmic risk (LVEF 47 ± 7%) experienced the study end-point [14 (3.9%) SCD and 16 (4.4%) MVA]. Compared with survivors, patients who experienced SCD/MVAs had more frequently an arrhythmogenic profile and a larger left atrium. Their LVEF at the last available evaluation before the arrhythmic event was 36 ± 12%. At multivariable analysis, left atrial end-systolic area [hazard ratio 1.107; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.039-1.179, P = 0.002 for 1 mm increase] and arrhythmogenic profile (hazard ratio 3.667; 95% CI 1.762-7.632, P = 0.001) emerged as predictors of SCD/MVAs during follow-up. CONCLUSION: A consistent quota of DCM patients with intermediate left ventricular dysfunction receiving OMT experienced SCD/MVA during follow-up. Left atrial dilatation and arrhythmogenic pattern were associated with a higher risk of SCD/MVA.

Background Sleep apnea, as measured by polysomnography, is associated with adverse outcomes in heart failure. The DASAP-HF (Diagnosis and Treatment of Sleep Apnea in Patient With Heart Failure) study previously demonstrated that the respiratory disturbance index (RDI) computed by the ApneaScan algorithm (Boston Scientific) accurately identifies severe sleep apnea in implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) patients. Objective The purpose of the long-term study phase was to assess the incidence of clinical events after 24 months and investigate the association with RDI values. Methods Patients with left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35% implanted with an ICD were enrolled and followed-up for 24 months. The RDI calculated at 1 month after implantation was used to stratify patients (below or above 30 episodes/h). The endpoints were all-cause death and a combination of all-cause death or cardiovascular hospitalization. Results Of the 265 enrolled patients, 224 had usable RDI values. Severe sleep apnea (RDI ≥30 episodes/h) was diagnosed in 115 patients (51%). These patients were more frequently male (84% vs 72%; P = .030) and had higher creatinine levels. During median follow-up of 25 months, 19 patients (8%) died. Cardiovascular hospitalizations were reported in 19 patients (8%). The risk of all-cause death was higher in patients with RDI ≥30 episodes/h (hazard ratio [HR] 3.33; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.35–8.21; P = .023), as well as the risk of all-cause death or cardiovascular hospitalization (HR 1.94; 95% CI 1.01–3.76; P = .048). At multivariate analysis, independent predictors of death were RDI ≥30 episodes/h (HR 4.02; 95% CI 1.16–13.97; P = .029) and creatinine levels (HR 2.36; 95% CI 1.26–4.42; P = .008). Conclusion In heart failure patients implanted with an ICD, higher RDI values are associated with death and cardiovascular hospitalizations. Device-detected severe sleep apnea independently predicts death.

There is limited evidence on characterization and natural history of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT)-induced left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. The aim of this work was to characterize clinical features and long-term evolution of SVT-induced LV dysfunction. Patients consecutively admitted with sustained SVT and heart rate >100 bpm as the only known cause of a new onset LV systolic dysfunction (i.e., LV ejection fraction [EF]

Background: Little is known about the role of different types of atrial fibrillation (AF) in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). We investigated the epidemiological and prognostic impact of different types of AF in DCM during long-term follow-up. Method: We evaluated consecutive DCM patients enrolled in the Trieste Muscle Heart Disease Registry. Uni- and multivariable, extended Kaplan-Meier and propensity score-matching analyses were performed for a composite outcome including death/heart transplantation/ventricular-assist device implantation. Results: Out of 1181 DCM patients (71% males, age 49 ± 15 years, left ventricular ejection fraction 33 ± 11%), 46 (3.9%) had baseline permanent AF (permAF), while 66 (5.6%) had a history of paroxysmal/persistent AF. Compared with sinus rhythm (SR) patients, permAF patients were older (48 ± 15 vs. 61 ± 11 respectively, p = 0.001), were more frequently in NYHA class III-IV (18% vs. 30%, p = 0.002) and had larger left atrium diameter (40 ± 8 vs. 50 ± 10 mm, respectively). Paroxysmal/persistent AF patients had intermediate characteristics between permAF and SR. During a median follow-up of 135 (75–210) months, 63 patients developed permAF (0.45 new cases/100patients/year). At multivariable analysis, permAF as a time-dependent variable was an independent outcome predictor (HR 2.45; 95% C.I. 2.61–3.63, p < 0.001), together with creatinine, NYHA class, restrictive filling pattern and moderate-severe mitral regurgitation, while paroxysmal/persistent AF was neutral. Propensity score-matching analysis confirmed the higher rate of primary outcome events in patients with baseline or incident permAF versus patients without permAF during a very long-term follow-up (70% vs. 20%, p < 0.001). Conclusions: PermAF in a large DCM cohort had low prevalence and incidence but had a relevant. prognostic role on hard outcomes.

Sudden cardiac death and arrhythmia-related events in patients with non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NICM) have been significantly reduced over the last couple of decades as a result of evidence-based pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapeutic strategies. Nevertheless, the arrhythmic stratification in patients with NICM remains extremely challenging, and the simple indication based on left ventricular ejection fraction appears to be insufficient. Therefore, clinicians need to go beyond the current criteria for implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation in the direction of a multiparametric evaluation of arrhythmic risk. Several parameters for arrhythmic risk stratification, ranging from electrocardiographic, echocardiographic, imaging-derived and genetic markers, are crucial for proper arrhythmic risk stratification and a multiparametric evaluation of risk in patients with NICM. In particular, integration of cardiac magnetic resonance parameters (mostly late gadolinium enhancement) and specific genetic information (ie, presence of LMNA, PLN, FLNC mutations) appears fundamental for proper implementation of the current arrhythmic risk stratification. Finally, a novel approach focused on both arrhythmic risk and prediction of left ventricular reverse remodelling during follow-up might be useful for effective multiparametric and dynamic arrhythmic risk stratification in NICM. In the future, a complete and integrated evaluation might be mandatory to implement arrhythmic risk prediction in patients with NICM and to discriminate the competing risk between heart failure-related events and life-threatening arrhythmias.

Background Parameters measured during implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implant also depend on bioelectrical properties of the myocardium. We aimed to explore their potential association with clinical outcomes in patients with single/dual‐chamber ICD and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT‐D). Methods In the framework of the Home Monitoring Expert Alliance, baseline electrical parameters for all implanted leads were compared by the occurrence of all‐cause mortality, adjudicated ventricular arrhythmia (VA), and atrial high‐rate episode lasting ≥24 hours (24 h AHRE). Results In a cohort of 2976 patients (58.1% ICD) with a median follow‐up of 25 months, event rates were 3.1/100 patient‐years for all‐cause mortality, 18.1/100 patient‐years for VA, and 9.3/100 patient‐years for 24 h AHRE. At univariate analysis, baseline shock impedance was consistently lower in groups with events than without, with a 40 Ω cutoff that better identified high‐risk patients. However, at multivariable analysis, the adjusted‐hazard ratios (HRs) lost statistical significance for any endpoint. Baseline atrial sensing amplitude during sinus rhythm was lower in patients with 24 h AHRE than in those without (2.45 [IQR: 1.65‐3.85] vs 3.51 [IQR: 2.37‐4.67] mV, P 1.5 mV vs those with values ≤1.5 mV was 0.52 (95% CI: 0.33‐0.83), P = .006. Conclusions Although lower baseline shock impedance was observed in patients with events, the association lost statistical significance at multivariable analysis. Conversely, low sinus rhythm atrial sensing (≤1.5 mV) measured with standard transvenous leads could identify subjects at high risk of atrial arrhythmia., Some of the electrical parameters routinely measured at ICD/CRT‐D implant differed according to long‐term clinical outcome. Shock impedance values were lower in patients who experienced death and both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias during follow‐up. Subjects with atrial signal amplitude below 1.5 mV showed a significant higher risk of atrial arrhythmias as compared to those with >1.5 mV, potentially revealing the presence of a more impaired atrial tissue.

Aims Primary prevention implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is not generally recommended in New York Heart Association (NYHA) I class patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). This study sought to assess the competing risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in DCM patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) ≤35% and NYHA I class. Methods A total of 272 DCM patients with EF ≤35% and NYHA class I–III after ≥3 months of guideline-directed medical therapy were included. The risk of SCD and SCD/malignant ventricular arrhythmias (MVA) was assessed in NYHA I vs. NYHA II and NYHA III groups by competing risk analysis. Results NYHA I patients were younger, had higher EF and smaller left atrium, were less likely receiving mineral corticoid receptor antagonists. The cumulative incidence of SCD (p = 0.92) and SCD/MVA (p = 0.42) did not differ between NYHA I vs NYHA II–III classes. NYHA class did not influence the association between ICD and SCD risk (p for interaction = 0.125). Conclusions In this cohort of DCMs, patients with EF ≤35% and NYHA I class were exposed to a risk of SCD and life-threatening arrhythmias not different from NYHA II–III. Therefore, inclusion of asymptomatic patients with DCM and systolic dysfunction should be strongly considered in future randomized studies on primary prevention ICD.

Aims Remote monitoring is an effective strategy to improve patients' outcomes and reduce hospitalization in patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices. However, data on patients' satisfaction are scarce. The aim of the current study was to assess patients' satisfaction, ease of use and impact on daily activities of the remote monitoring and to investigate whether there are differences among different devices and different manufacturers. Methods A modified Home Monitoring Acceptance and Satisfaction Questionnaire telephone survey on the perceived quality of the different systems was performed with all patients followed with remote monitoring for at least 3 months. Results Among 604 patients with remote monitoring screened by telephone, 466 patients (77%) answered the questionnaire [142 patients (30.5%) had a pacemaker, 317 patients (68%) had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, and seven patients (1.5%) had an implantable loop recorder]. Ninety-seven percent of patients were satisfied by the remote monitoring system during the entire follow-up and found it easy to use. Similarly, 85% of patients did not experience any restriction in daily activities, and for 99% of patients it did not affect their privacy. Importantly, for the vast majority of patients, remote monitoring gave a great (56.7%) or moderate (33.4%) sense of security. Conclusion Daily impact of cardiac implantable electronic devices still remains a challenging issue for caregivers. The introduction of remote monitoring allowed closer follow-up and improved outcomes. Our results highlighted patients' satisfaction, who also felt safer, with the remote monitoring, its ease of use, and the absence of any disturbances in patients' everyday activities or in their privacy.

Background: Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) have a pivotal role in preventing major arrhythmic events in patients with severely reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Device replacement strategy is still controversial in patients without severely reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) at the end of battery life. Objective: To evaluate the long-term arrhythmic outcome of patients with ICD or and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-D) with normal or intermediate LVEF at the time of device replacement. Methods: All consecutive patients with reduced ejection fraction heart failure, both from ischemic and non-ischemic origin, implanted with ICD or CRT-D for primary prevention from 2002 to 2009, were considered. The study population included patients without previous ICD interventions and without severe dysfunction (i.e. LVEF ≥ 35%) 60 [53–65] months after implantation (average battery duration). The outcome measure was the occurrence of appropriate ICD interventions in the long-term. Results: Among the 255 patients (150 ICDs; 105 CRT-D) evaluated, 45 (18%) had LVEF ≥ 35% without ICD interventions 5-year follow-up after implantation (15 ICD [10%]; 30 CRT-D [29%]). In the long term, ICD interventions were 4 (27%) in the ICD group and 5 (17%) in the CRT-D group. Conclusions: Despite the absence of severe left ventricular dysfunction at the time of battery replacement, a not negligible number of patients with ICD and CRT-D maintained a high risk of appropriate interventions in the long term, suggesting the opportunity of replacing the ICD regardless the amount of LV dysfunction. © 2019 Elsevier B.V.

A 42 years old woman was admitted to the Cardiology Department for heart failure. The woman had a diagnosis of Idiopathic Restrictive Cardiomyopathy. At the age of 29 she underwent a variant of the traditional intervention of Heterotopic Heart Transplantation (HHT). The donor Left Ventricular (dLV)was implanted towork as a biologic left ventricular device in series with the recipient Left Ventricular (rLV). This variant of the traditional intervention (Fig. 1 Panel A; G; H) was necessary to prevent the failure of the donor Right Ventricular (dRV) because the patient at the time of transplantation had a pulmonary resistance of 12Wood Unit. The patient had an abdominal pacemaker with three epicardial electrodes to allow the counter pulsation of the two hearts (Fig. 1 Panel A; B; C; D; F). The atrial electrode was added four years after the transplantation because the patient developed a third-degree atrioventricular block in the native heart. At the echocardiography examination the donor heart showed a severe hypertrophy (maximum 30 mm; anterior-septum; Video 1; transthoracic echocardiography) and a severe hypertrophy of papillary muscles, maximum 26 mm (Video 2; transesophageal echocardiography). The angiography showed normal coronary arteries. The patient underwent endomyocardial biopsy specimens that reveal no evidence of active myocarditis or amyloid but myocardial fiber disarray (Fig. 1 Panel I). Inside the heterogeneity of presentation of heart failure after HHT, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy of the donor heart can be a possibility which needs a knowledge of the type of intervention (traditional or variant) for a proper evaluation and a correct diagnosis.

Benign thyroid nodules are an extremely common occurrence. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is gaining ground as an effective technique for their treatment, in case they become symptomatic. Here we review what are the current indications to RFA, its outcomes in terms of efficacy, tolerability, and cost, and also how it compares to the other conventional and experimental treatment modalities for benign thyroid nodules. Moreover, we will also address the issue of treating with this technique patients with cardiac pacemakers (PM) or implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD), as it is a rather frequent occurrence that has never been addressed in detail in the literature.

There are no parameters predicting the individual probability of "full response" to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). The aim of this work was to find prognostic factors of full clinical and echocardiographic responses (i.e., ≥50\% left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] and New York Heart Association class I) after 1 year of CRT. This was a prospective follow-up study that involved 2 hospitals. Patients (n = 75) with advanced heart failure (64 ± 9 years of age, 87\% men, LVEF 24 ± 7\%) who received CRT were followed for 17 ± 9 months. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to identify predictors of full CRT response. A nomogram predicting the individual probability of full CRT response during follow-up was calculated. There were 13 patients with restoration of normal LVEF versus 62 without (mean LVEF 56\% ± 5\% vs 31\% ± 8\%, respectively, p 75\% probability of restoration of normal LVEF. In conclusion, our nomogram using a combination of cause, baseline QRS width, and degree of QRS shortening in response to CRT allows assessment of individual probability of full response. This observation awaits further confirmation from larger series.

Background Few data are available in the literature regarding the characteristics and prognosis of asymptomatic patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Aim To determine the frequency with which patients affected by DCM are diagnosed in the asymptomatic state as well as to evaluate the natural history of such patients and the factors influencing their outcome. Moreover, we sought to compare the outcome of asymptomatic patients with that of patients with signs of overt heart failure at the time of first evaluation. Methods and results We analyzed the data of 747 patients with DCM enlisted in the Heart Muscle Disease Registry of Trieste from 1978 to 2007. We divided our population into four groups; group 1 comprised 118 asymptomatic [New York Heart Association (NYHA) I] patients without a history of congestive symptoms (16%), group 2 comprised 102 asymptomatic (NYHA I) patients (14%) with a positive anamnesis for heart failure stabilized in medical therapy, group 3 comprised 327 patients (44%) with signs of mild heart failure (NYHA II) and group 4 comprised 200 patients (26%) in NYHA III–IV. During the follow-up of 112 ± 63 months, 46 (21%) of 220 asymptomatic patients with DCM died or underwent heart transplantation. By Cox proportional model, left ventricular ejection fraction of 30% or less was a unique independent predictor either for death/heart transplantation (hazard ratio 3.15, 95% confidence interval 1.5–6.7, P = 0.003) or for sudden death/major ventricular arrhythmias (hazard ratio 3.9, 95% confidence interval 1.7–9.3, P = 0.002). Patients from group 1 had a trend for a better outcome with respect to those from group 2 (P = 0.06). In comparison with the asymptomatic patients, those with signs of overt heart failure at baseline had a worse prognosis. Conclusion The proportion of asymptomatic patients with DCM at the moment of first evaluation at our center is significant (30%). Among them, those without a previous history of heart failure had a less advanced disease and a trend for a better long-term outcome on optimal medical treatment. Therefore, early diagnosis may offer better long-term quality of life and even better survival. Further studies on larger populations are indicated.

Attempting a careful evaluation of the incidence of sudden death (SD) in congestive heart failure is inevitably a complex and imprecise task. In particular, this is due to the difficulties in defining and understanding the baseline mechanisms underlying SD. “Sudden” death is commonly regarded as a synonym of “cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation,” which is in turn considered to be a merely arrhythmic phenomenon occurring during apparent wellbeing, and without any precipitating cause other than an extrasystole or a sustained ventricular tachycardia. Cardiac arrest may also be the terminal event during refractory pulmonary edema and/or cardiogenic shock in a patient with end-stage heart failure, a pulmonary embolism in a patient with severe biventricular dysfunction, bradyarrhythmia due to advanced atrioventricular (AV) block, electrical asystole, ventricular fibrillation secondary to myocardial ischemia or infarction, or secondary to a noncardiac event such as a cerebro vascular accident or a ruptured aortic aneurysm. Pratt et al.[1] analyzed a population of 834 patients with an automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implanted for ventricular tachycardia or sustained ventricular tachycardia. During follow-up 109 patients died (17 died “suddenly”). Autopsy findings revealed a nonarrhythmic cause (pulmonary embolism, ruptured aortic aneurysm, stroke, acute myocardial infarction) in 7/17 patients. Postmortem analysis of the ICD memory revealed ventricular tachyarrhythmias preceding death in only 7/17 patients.

Our goal was to set up a pilot study to explore the possible relation between the expression of p66((ShcA)) and PTX3, two emerging regulators of stress response and inflammation processes, respectively, and the circulating levels of LDL-cholesterol (LDL), a factor implicated in the development of inflammation and oxidative-stress associated diseases such as atherosclerosis. p66((ShcA)) and PTX3 mRNA contents were determined locally, in subcutaneous adipose specimens of non-diabetic pacemaker-implanted patients, and systemically in the circulating white blood cells (WBC) obtained from the same patients. The mean of the circulating LDL levels (125 mg/dl) was chosen as a threshold to identify two groups here considered to have high (>125 mg/dl) and low (

To analyse the characteristics and outcome of patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DC) considered at high risk of sudden death (SD) and treated with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) for primary prevention (Group A) in comparison with patients treated with ICDs because of previous sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias or syncope (Group B).Group A consisted of 27 patients with at least two of the following criteria: left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD)or =70 mm (74%), LV ejection fraction (LVEF)or =30% (78%), non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) (56%), long history of disease (or =48 months since diagnosis, 85%) and family history of SD (11%). Group B consisted of 27 patients treated with ICDs because of sustained VT/fibrillation (n=18) or syncope (n=9).NYHA class, LVEF, LVEDD and amiodarone treatment were similar in the two groups. Patients in group A were younger (46+/-15 vs 59+/-17 years, P=0.0008), were more often treated with beta-blockers (89% vs 62%; P=0.02) and had a longer interval since diagnosis (86+/-60 vs 40+/-50 months; P=0.004). Twelve month rates of appropriate intervention (AI) were 41% in Group A and 57% in group B (P NS). In group A, after a mean follow-up of 21+/-14 months, patients showing the combination of LVEFor =30% and LVEDDor =70 mm had the highest frequency of AI (76% vs 10%, P=0.005). In group B, after a mean follow-up of 33+/-23 months, 78% of patients with syncope had AI. Total and sudden deaths were 11% and 4% in group A and 19% and 4% in group B (P NS).Patients with idiopathic DC treated with ICD for primary prevention because they were considered at high risk of SD according to clinical criteria showed a high rate of AI, similar to that of patients treated for secondary prevention. The highest rate of AI was seen in patients with both severe dysfunction and dilatation and in those with previous syncope.

Therapy with β-adrenergic blocking agents has been advocated as a potential useful approach in heart failure. Recent studies suggest that histologic parameters may be helpful in assessing the effectiveness of β-blocker treatment in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). In order to predict the response to β-blockers in DCM, fibrous tissue was evaluated at endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) in 45 patients (pts) with a mean left ventricular ejection fraction of 0.28 ± 0.07, who were successively long-term treated with metoprolol (M) (mean dosage 138 ±26 mg/die). EMB was performed from left (n = 32) or right (n = 13) ventricle by means of a King's bioptome or the Cordis adaptation of this instrument. Quantification of fibrous tissue was performed at 9 × magnification and with a computerized morphometric system. Qualitative evaluation at light microscopy distinguished four types of fibrosis: pericellular, perivascular, focal, and endocardial. Volume fraction of fibrous tissue ranged from 1.3 to 35.5% (mean 12.1 ± 9.3%) and was not significantly correlated with any clinical variable considered. After 24 ± 12 months of treatment, 25 pts were considered improved (group A), whereas the remaining 20 pts were considered not improved (group B), according to criteria based on ejection fraction, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, filling pattern at Doppler-Echocardiography, cardiothoracic ratio, NYHA functional class, and exercise duration at ergometric test. Volume fraction of fibrous tissue did not differ significantly between the two groups (group A = 12.1 ± 9.1%; group B = 11.3 ± 9.6%;p = NS). Dominant pericellular type of fibrosis was equally distributed between the two groups (group A = 9 25 pts, 36%; group B = 10 20 pts, 50%), whereas a perivascular and/or focal replacement fibrosis was more frequent in group A (group A = 10 20 pts, 50%; group B = 2 20 pts, 10%; p = .05, OR 5.55 at univariate analysis). At multivariate analysis mean aortic blood pressure was the only variable discriminating the two groups; the type of fibrosis, although not statistically significant, maintained a high value of odds-ratio (5.23). In conclusion, extent of total fibrosis assessed by EMB may range widely in patients with DCM, is not correlated with the most important clinical variables, and is not predictive of long-term response to β-blocker treatment. Otherwise, prevalent perivascular and/or focal replacement fibrosis could be associated with a higher probability of improvement after long-term β-blocker treatment.