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Aims: Direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have, to a substantial degree, replaced vitamin K antagonists (VKA) as treatments for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. However, evidence on the real-world causal effects of switching patients from VKA to DOAC is lacking. We aimed to assess the empirical incremental cost-effectiveness of switching patients to DOAC compared with maintaining VKA treatment., Methods: The target trial approach was applied to the prospective observational Swiss-AF cohort, which enrolled 2415 AF patients from 2014 to 2017. Clinical data, healthcare resource utilisation and EQ-5D-based utilities representing quality of life were collected in yearly follow-ups. Health insurance claims were available for 1024 patients (42.4%). Overall survival, quality-of-life, costs from the Swiss statutory health insurance perspective and cost-effectiveness were estimated by emulating a target trial in which patients were randomly assigned to switch to DOAC or maintain VKA treatment., Results: 228 patients switching from VKA to DOAC compared with 563 patients maintaining VKA treatment had no overall survival advantage over a 5-year observation period (HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.45, 1.55). The estimated gain in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) was 0.003 over the 5-year period at an incremental costs of CHF 23 033 (€ 20 940). The estimated incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was CHF 425 852 (€ 387 138) per QALY gained., Conclusions: Applying a causal inference method to real-world data, we could not demonstrate switching to DOACs to be cost-effective for AF patients with at least 1 year of VKA treatment. Our estimates align with results from a previous randomised trial., Competing Interests: Competing interests: JHB reports grant support from the Swiss National Foundation of Science, The Swiss Heart Foundation and the Stiftung Kardio; grant support, speakers and consultation fees to the institution from Bayer, Sanofi and Daichii Sankyo. EB reports grants from Swiss Cancer Research Foundation, Amgen, MSD, Novartis, Vifor, all outside the submitted work. MB is supported by grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation and the Swiss Heart Foundation. LB reports personal fees and non-financial support from Amgen, grants from AstraZeneca, personal fees and non-financial support from Bayer, personal fees from Bristol-Myers Squibb, personal fees from Claret Medical, grants from Swiss National Science Foundation, grants from University of Basel, grants from Swiss Heart Foundation, outside the submitted work. DC received consulting fees from Roche Diagnostics, and speaker fees from Servier and BMS/Pfizer, all outside of the current work. MK reports grants from Bayer, grants from Pfizer, grants from Boston Scientific, grants from BMS, grants from Biotronik, grants and personal fees from Daiichi Sankyo. GM has received advisory board and/or speaker’s fees from Astra Zeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Daiichi Sankyo, Gebro Pharma, Novartis and Vifor, all outside of the submitted study. AM reports fellowship and training support from Biotronik, Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Abbott/St. Jude Medical and Biosense Webster; speaker honoraria from Biosense Webster, Medtronic, Abbott/St Jude Medical, AstraZeneca, Daiichi Sankyo, Biotronik, MicroPort, Novartis, and consultant honoraria for Biosense Webster, Medtronic, Abbott/St. Jude Medcal and Biotronik. SO received research grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation and from the Swiss Heart Foundation, research grants from Foundation for CardioVascular Research Basel, research grants from Roche, educational and speaker office grants from Roche, Bayer, Novartis, Sanofi AstraZeneca, Daiichi-Sankyo and Pfizer. TR has received research grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Swiss Heart Foundation, and the sitem insel support fund, all for work outside the submitted study. Speaker/consulting honoraria or travel support from Abbott/SJM, Astra Zeneca, Brahms, Bayer, Biosense-Webster, Biotronik, Boston-Scientific, Daiichi Sankyo, Medtronic, Pfizer-BMS and Roche, all for work outside the submitted study. Support for his institution’s fellowship programme from Abbott/SJM, Biosense-Webster, Biotronik, Boston-Scientific and Medtronic for work outside the submitted study. MS reports grants from Swiss National Science Foundation, for the conduct of the study; grants from Amgen, grants from MSD, grants from Novartis, grants from Pfizer, grants from Roche, grants and personal fees from BMS and personal fees from Sandoz, all outside the submitted work. MS-B reports grants from the European Commission outside of the present work. CS has received speaker honoraria from Biosense Webster and Medtronic and research grants from Biosense Webster, Daiichi-Sankyo and Medtronic. The remaining authors have nothing to disclose., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Aim: To assess the associations of chocolate consumption with neurocognitive function, brain lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and cardiovascular outcome in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF)., Methods: We analysed data from patients of two prospective multicentre Swiss atrial fibrillation cohort studies (Swiss-AF) and (BEAT-AF). Assessments of MRI findings and neurocognitive function were performed only in the Swiss-AF population (in 1727 of 2415 patients [71.5%] with a complete data set), as patients enrolled in BEAT-AF were not systematically evaluated for these outcomes. Otherwise, the two cohorts had an equivalent set of clinical assessments. Clinical outcome analysis was performed in 3931 patients of both cohorts. Chocolate consumption was assessed by questionnaire. Patients were categorised as no/low chocolate consumption (No/Low-Ch) ≤1 servings/week, moderate chocolate consumption (Mod-Ch) >1-6 servings/week, and high chocolate consumption (High-Ch) >6 servings/week, respectively. Brain lesions were evaluated by MRI. Assessment of cognitive function was performed by neurocognitive functional testing and included global cognition measurement with a cognitive construct score. Cerebral MRI and cognition were evaluated at baseline. Cross-sectional associations between chocolate consumption and MRI findings were analysed by multivariate logistic regression models and associations with neurocognitive function by multivariate linear regression models. Clinical outcome events during follow-up were recorded and assessed by a clinical event committee. The associations between chocolate consumption and clinical outcomes were evaluated by Cox regression models. The median follow-up time was 6 years., Results: Chocolate consumption was not associated with prevalence or volume of vascular brain lesions on MRI, nor major adverse cardiac events (ischaemic stroke, myocardial infarction, cardiovascular death). However, No/Low-Ch was independently associated with a lower cognitive construct score compared to Mod-Ch (No/Low-Ch vs. Mod-Ch: coeff. -0.05, 95% CI -0.10-0), whereas other neurocognitive function tests were not independently associated with chocolate consumption categories. In addition, there was a higher risk of heart failure hospitalisation (No/Low-Ch vs. Mod-Ch: HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.01-1.52) and of all-cause mortality (No/Low-Ch vs. Mod-Ch: HR 1.29, 95% CI 1.06-1.58) in No/Low-Ch compared to Mod-Ch. No significant associations with the evaluated outcomes were observed when High-Ch was compared to Mod-Ch., Conclusion: While chocolate consumption was not associated with MRI findings and major adverse cardiac events in an atrial fibrillation population, No/Low-Ch was associated with a lower cognitive construct score, higher risk of heart failure hospitalisation and increased all-cause mortality compared to Mod-Ch., Clinicaltrials: gov Identifier: NCT02105844.

Background and Purpose: Vascular brain lesions, such as ischemic infarcts, are common among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and are associated with impaired cognitive function. The role of physical activity (PA) in the prevalence of brain lesions and cognition in AF has not been investigated., Methods: Patients from the multicenter Swiss-AF cohort study were included in this cross-sectional analysis. We assessed regular exercise (RE; at least once weekly) and minutes of weekly PA using a validated questionnaire. We studied associations with ischemic infarcts, white matter hyperintensities, cerebral microbleeds, and brain volume on brain magnetic resonance imaging and with global cognition measured with a cognitive construct (CoCo) score., Results: Among 1490 participants (mean age = 72 ± 9 years), 730 (49%) engaged in RE. In adjusted regression analyses, RE was associated with a lower prevalence of ischemic infarcts (odds ratio [OR] = 0.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.63-0.98, p = 0.03) and of moderate to severe white matter hyperintensities (OR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.62-0.99, p = 0.04), higher brain volume (β-coefficient = 10.73, 95% CI = 2.37-19.09, p = 0.01), and higher CoCo score (β-coefficient = 0.08, 95% CI = 0.03-0.12, p < 0.001). Increasing weekly PA was associated with higher brain volume (β-coefficient = 1.40, 95% CI = 0.65-2.15, p < 0.001)., Conclusions: In AF patients, RE was associated with a lower prevalence of ischemic infarcts and of moderate to severe white matter disease, with larger brain volume, and with better cognitive performance. Prospective studies are needed to investigate whether these associations are causal. Until then, our findings suggest that patients with AF should be encouraged to remain physically active., (© 2022 The Authors. European Journal of Neurology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Academy of Neurology.)

Management of hemodynamically stable, incessant wide QRS complex tachycardia (WCT) in patients who already have an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is challenging. First-line treatment is performed by medical staff who have no knowledge on programmed ICD therapy settings and there is always some concern for unexpected ICD shock. In these patients, a structured approach is necessary from presentation to therapy. The present review provides a systematic approach in four distinct phases to guide any physician involved in the management of these patients: PHASE I: assessment of hemodynamic status and use of the magnet to temporarily suspend ICD therapies, especially shocks; identification of possible arrhythmia triggers; risk stratification in case of electrical storm (ES)., Phase Ii: The preparation phase includes reversal of potential arrhythmia "triggers", mild patient sedation, and patient monitoring for therapy delivery. Based on resource availability and competences, the most adequate therapeutic approach is chosen. This choice depends on whether a device specialist is readily available or not. In the case of ES in a "high-risk" patient an accelerated patient management protocol is advocated, which considers urgent ventricular tachycardia transcatheter ablation with or without mechanical cardiocirculatory support., Phase Iii: Therapeutic phase is based on the use of intravenous anti-arrhythmic drugs mostly indicated in this clinical context are presented. Device interrogation is very important in this phase when sustained monomorphic VT diagnosis is confirmed, then ICD ATP algorithms, based on underlying VT cycle length, are proposed. In high-risk patients with intractable ES, intensive patient management considers MCS and transcatheter ablation., Phase Iv: The patient is hospitalized for further diagnostics and management aimed at preventing arrhythmia recurrences., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Regoli, Cattaneo, Kola, Thartori, Bytyci, Saccarello, Amoruso, Di Valentino and Menafoglio.)

Aims: We aimed to investigate the association of clinically overt and silent brain lesions with cognitive function in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients., Methods and Results: We enrolled 1227 AF patients in a prospective, multicentre cohort study (Swiss-AF). Patients underwent standardized brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at baseline and after 2 years. We quantified new small non-cortical infarcts (SNCIs) and large non-cortical or cortical infarcts (LNCCIs), white matter lesions (WML), and microbleeds (Mb). Clinically, silent infarcts were defined as new SNCI/LNCCI on follow-up MRI in patients without a clinical stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) during follow-up. Cognition was assessed using validated tests. The mean age was 71 years, 26.1% were females, and 89.9% were anticoagulated. Twenty-eight patients (2.3%) experienced a stroke/TIA during 2 years of follow-up. Of the 68 (5.5%) patients with ≥1 SNCI/LNCCI, 60 (88.2%) were anticoagulated at baseline and 58 (85.3%) had a silent infarct. Patients with brain infarcts had a larger decline in cognition [median (interquartile range)] changes in Cognitive Construct score [-0.12 (-0.22; -0.07)] than patients without new brain infarcts [0.07 (-0.09; 0.25)]. New WML or Mb were not associated with cognitive decline., Conclusion: In a contemporary cohort of AF patients, 5.5% had a new brain infarct on MRI after 2 years. The majority of these infarcts was clinically silent and occurred in anticoagulated patients. Clinically, overt and silent brain infarcts had a similar impact on cognitive decline., Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02105844, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02105844., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of European Society of Cardiology.)

Sustained forms of atrial fibrillation (AF) may be associated with a higher risk of adverse outcomes, but few if any long-term studies took into account changes of AF type and co-morbidities over time. We prospectively followed 3843 AF patients and collected information on AF type and co-morbidities during yearly follow-ups. The primary outcome was a composite of stroke or systemic embolism (SE). Secondary outcomes included myocardial infarction, hospitalization for congestive heart failure (CHF), bleeding and all-cause mortality. Multivariable adjusted Cox proportional hazards models with time-varying covariates were used to compare hazard ratios (HR) according to AF type. At baseline 1895 (49%), 1046 (27%) and 902 (24%) patients had paroxysmal, persistent and permanent AF and 3234 (84%) were anticoagulated. After a median (IQR) follow-up of 3.0 (1.9; 4.2) years, the incidence of stroke/SE was 1.0 per 100 patient-years. The incidence of myocardial infarction, CHF, bleeding and all-cause mortality was 0.7, 3.0, 2.9 and 2.7 per 100 patient-years, respectively. The multivariable adjusted (a) HRs (95% confidence interval) for stroke/SE were 1.13 (0.69; 1.85) and 1.27 (0.83; 1.95) for time-updated persistent and permanent AF, respectively. The corresponding aHRs were 1.23 (0.89, 1.69) and 1.45 (1.12; 1.87) for all-cause mortality, 1.34 (1.00; 1.80) and 1.30 (1.01; 1.67) for CHF, 0.91 (0.48; 1.72) and 0.95 (0.56; 1.59) for myocardial infarction, and 0.89 (0.70; 1.14) and 1.00 (0.81; 1.24) for bleeding. In this large prospective cohort of AF patients, time-updated AF type was not associated with incident stroke/SE., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background Hospitalization for heart failure (HF) is very common in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We hypothesized that biomarkers of inflammation can identify patients with AF at increased risk of this important complication. Methods and Results Patients with established AF were prospectively enrolled. Levels of hs-CRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) and interleukin-6 were measured from plasma samples obtained at baseline. We calculated an inflammation score ranging from 0 to 4 (1 point for each biomarker between the 50th and 75th percentile, 2 points for each biomarker above the 75th percentile). Individual associations of biomarkers and the inflammation score with HF hospitalization were obtained from multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. A total of 3784 patients with AF (median age 72 years, 24% prior HF) were followed for a median of 4.0 years. The median (interquartile range) plasma levels of hs-CRP and interleukin-6 were 1.64 (0.81-3.69) mg/L and 3.42 (2.14-5.60) pg/mL, respectively. The overall incidence of HF hospitalization was 3.04 per 100 person-years and increased from 1.34 to 7.31 per 100 person-years across inflammation score categories. After multivariable adjustment, both biomarkers were significantly associated with the risk of HF hospitalization (per increase in 1 SD, adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.22; 95% CI, 1.11-1.34 for log-transformed hs-CRP; adjusted HR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.35-1.62 for log-transformed interleukin-6). Similar results were obtained for the inflammation score (highest versus lowest score, adjusted HR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.80-3.30; P value for trend <0.001). Conclusions Biomarkers of inflammation strongly predicted HF hospitalization in a large, contemporary sample of patients with AF. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02105844.

Objective: The optimal target heart rate in patients with prevalent atrial fibrillation (AF) is not well defined. The aim of this study was to analyse the associations between heart rate and adverse outcomes in a large contemporary cohort of patients with prevalent AF., Methods: From two prospective cohort studies, we included stable AF outpatients who were in AF on the baseline ECG. The main outcome events assessed during prospective follow-up were heart failure hospitalisation, stroke or systemic embolism and death. The associations between heart rate and adverse outcomes were evaluated using multivariable Cox regression models., Results: The study population consisted of 1679 patients who had prevalent AF at baseline. Mean age was 74 years, and 24.6% were women. The mean heart rate on the baseline ECG was 78 (±19) beats per minute (bpm). The median follow-up was 3.9 years (IQR 2.2-5.0). Heart rate was not significantly associated with heart failure hospitalisation (adjusted HR (aHR) per 10 bpm increase, 1.00, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.07, p=0.95), stroke or systemic embolism (aHR 0.95, 95% CI 0.84 to 1.07, p=0.38) or death (aHR 1.02, 95% CI 0.95 to 1.09, p=0.66). There was no evidence of a threshold effect for heart rates <60 bpm or > 100 bpm., Conclusions: In this large contemporary cohort of outpatients with prevalent AF, we found no association between heart rate and adverse outcome events. These data are in line with recommendations that strict heart rate control is not needed in otherwise stable outpatients with AF., Competing Interests: Competing interests: Disclosures/conflicts of interest outside of the submitted work, are reported within the manuscript. GM has received consultant fees for taking part to advisory boards from Novartis and Astra Zeneca outside of the submitted work. RK receives institutional grants from Abbott, Biosense-Webster, Boston-Scientific, Biotronik, Medtronic and Sis-Medical. CSZ reports a research grant from Medtronic and honoraria from Vifor Pharma and Novartis. AA has served as consultant to Boston Scientific, Backbeat, Biosense Webster, Cairdac, Corvia, Microport CRM, EPD-Philips and Radcliffe Publisher; he received speaker fees from Boston Scientific, Medtronic, and Microport; he participates in clinical trials sponsored by Boston Scientific, Medtronic, EPD-Philips; and he has intellectual properties with Boston Scientific, Biosense Webster, and Microport CRM. JHB reports grants from the Swiss National Foundation of Science, The Swiss Heart Foundation. MK has served on the speaker’s bureau for Boston Scientific, St. Jude Medical and Biotronik; he has received lecture/consulting fees from Sorin, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bayer, Sanofi Aventis, Novartis, Medtronic, Pfizer-BMS and has received unrestricted grants from Bayer and Pfizer-BMS; he is a proctor for Medtronic (Cryoballoon). DC has received consultant/speaker fees from Servier Canada and Roche Diagnostics, Switzerland, outside of the submitted work., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Little is known about the association between alcohol consumption and risk of cardiovascular events in patients with established atrial fibrillation (AF). The main aim of the current study was to investigate the associations of regular alcohol intake with incident stroke or systemic embolism in patients with established AF., Methods: To assess the association between alcohol consumption and cardiovascular events in patients with established AF, we combined data from 2 comparable prospective cohort studies that followed 3852 patients with AF for a median of 3.0 years. Patients were grouped into 4 categories of daily alcohol intake (none, > 0 to < 1, 1 to < 2 and ≥ 2 drinks/d). The primary outcome was a composite of stroke and systemic embolism. Secondary outcomes were all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, hospital admission for acute heart failure, and a composite of major and clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding. Associations were assessed using time-updated, multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models., Results: Mean age (± standard deviation) was 71 ± 10 years (28% were women and 84% were on oral anticoagulants). We observed 136 confirmed strokes or systemic emboli. Compared with nondrinkers, adjusted hazard ratios for the primary outcome event were 0.87, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.55-1.37 for > 0 to < 1 drinks/d; 0.70, 95% CI 0.39-1.25 for 1 to < 2 drinks/d; and 0.96, 95% CI 0.56-1.67 for ≥ 2 drinks/d ( p for linear [quadratic] trend 0.71 [0.22]). There was no significant association between alcohol consumption and bleeding, but there was a nonlinear association with heart failure ( p for quadratic trend 0.01) and myocardial infarction ( p for quadratic trend 0.007)., Interpretation: In patients with AF, we did not find a significant association between low to moderate alcohol intake and risk of stroke or other cardiovascular events. Our findings do not support special recommendations for patients with established AF with regard to alcohol consumption., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, no. NCT02105844., Competing Interests: Competing interests: Jürg Beer reports receiving grants from the Swiss National Foundation of Science and the Swiss Heart Foundation. Richard Kobza reports receiving institutional grants from Abbott, Biosense-Webster, Boston-Scientific, Biotronik, Medtronic and Sis-Medical. Giorgio Moschovitis reports receiving advisory board fees from Boehringer Ingelheim, AstraZeneca and Novartis, outside of the submitted work. Michael Kühne reports receiving personal fees from Bayer, Böhringer Ingelheim, Pfizer BMS, Daiichi Sankyo, Medtronic, Biotronik, Boston Scientific and Johnson &Johnson, and grants from Bayer, Pfizer BMS, Boston Scientific, the Swiss National Science Foundation and the Swiss Heart Foundation. Leo Bonati reports receiving grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Swiss Heart Foundation and the University of Basel; grants and nonfinancial support from Bayer and AstraZeneca; personal fees from Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Claret Medical, outside the submitted work. Stefan Osswald reports receiving research grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Swiss Heart Foundation and the Cardiovascular Research Foundation, Basel. David Conen reports receiving speaker fees from Servier, Canada, outside of the current work. No other competing interests were declared., (© 2021 Joule Inc. or its licensors.)

Background: A high burden of cardiovascular comorbidities puts patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) at high risk for hospitalizations, but the role of other factors is less clear., Hypothesis: To determine the relationship between psychosocial factors and the risk of unplanned hospitalizations in AF patients., Methods: Prospective observational cohort study of 2378 patients aged 65 or older with previously diagnosed AF across 14 centers in Switzerland. Marital status and education level were defined as social factors, depression and health perception were psychological components. The pre-defined outcome was unplanned all-cause hospitalization., Results: During a median follow-up of 2.0 years, a total of 1713 hospitalizations occurred in 37% of patients. Compared to patients who were married, adjusted rate ratios (aRR) for all-cause hospitalizations were 1.28 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.97-1.69) for singles, 1.31 (95%CI, 1.06-1.62) for divorced patients, and 1.02 (95%CI, 0.82-1.25) for widowed patients. The aRRs for all-cause hospitalizations across increasing quartiles of health perception were 1.0 (highest health perception), 1.15 (95%CI, 0.84-1.59), 1.25 (95%CI, 1.03-1.53), and 1.66 (95%CI, 1.34-2.07). No different hospitalization rates were observed in patients with a secondary or primary or less education as compared to patients with a college degree (aRR, 1.06; 95%CI, 0.91-1.23 and 1.05; 95%CI, 0.83-1.33, respectively). Presence of depression was not associated with higher hospitalization rates (aRR, 0.94; 95%CI, 0.68-1.29)., Conclusions: The findings suggest that psychosocial factors, including marital status and health perception, are strongly associated with the occurrence of hospitalizations in AF patients. Targeted psychosocial support interventions may help to avoid unnecessary hospitalizations., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT02105844., (© 2020 The Authors. Clinical Cardiology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background Impaired heart rate variability (HRV) is associated with increased mortality in sinus rhythm. However, HRV has not been systematically assessed in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We hypothesized that parameters of HRV may be predictive of cardiovascular death in patients with AF. Methods and Results From the multicenter prospective Swiss-AF (Swiss Atrial Fibrillation) Cohort Study, we enrolled 1922 patients who were in sinus rhythm or AF. Resting ECG recordings of 5-minute duration were obtained at baseline. Standard parameters of HRV (HRV triangular index, SD of the normal-to-normal intervals, square root of the mean squared differences of successive normal-to-normal intervals and mean heart rate) were calculated. During follow-up, an end point committee adjudicated each cause of death. During a mean follow-up time of 2.6±1.0 years, 143 (7.4%) patients died; 92 deaths were attributable to cardiovascular reasons. In a Cox regression model including multiple covariates (age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, history of diabetes mellitus, history of hypertension, history of stroke/transient ischemic attack, history of myocardial infarction, antiarrhythmic drugs including β blockers, oral anticoagulation), a decreased HRV index ≤ median (14.29), but not other HRV parameters, was associated with an increase in the risk of cardiovascular death (hazard ratio, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.1-2.6; P =0.01) and all-cause death (hazard ratio, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.02-1.98; P =0.04). Conclusions The HRV index measured in a single 5-minute ECG recording in a cohort of patients with AF is an independent predictor of cardiovascular mortality. HRV analysis in patients with AF might be a valuable tool for further risk stratification to guide patient management. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02105844.

Background The incidence and predictors of atrial fibrillation (AF) progression are currently not well defined, and clinical AF progression partly overlaps with rhythm control interventions (RCIs). Methods and Results We assessed AF type and intercurrent RCIs during yearly follow-ups in 2869 prospectively followed patients with paroxysmal or persistent AF. Clinical AF progression was defined as progression from paroxysmal to nonparoxysmal or from persistent to permanent AF. An RCI was defined as pulmonary vein isolation, electrical cardioversion, or new treatment with amiodarone. During a median follow-up of 3 years, the incidence of clinical AF progression was 5.2 per 100 patient-years, and 10.9 per 100 patient-years for any RCI. Significant predictors for AF progression were body mass index (hazard ratio [HR], 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.05), heart rate (HR per 5 beats/min increase, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.02-1.08), age (HR per 5-year increase 1.19; 95% CI, 1.13-1.27), systolic blood pressure (HR per 5 mm Hg increase, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.00-1.05), history of hyperthyroidism (HR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.16-2.52), stroke (HR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.19-1.88), and heart failure (HR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.34-2.13). Regular physical activity (HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.66-0.98) and previous pulmonary vein isolation (HR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.53-0.90) showed an inverse association. Significant predictive factors for RCIs were physical activity (HR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.20-1.68), AF-related symptoms (HR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.47-2.30), age (HR per 5-year increase, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.85-0.92), and paroxysmal AF (HR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.51-0.73). Conclusions Cardiovascular risk factors and comorbidities were key predictors of clinical AF progression. A healthy lifestyle may therefore reduce the risk of AF progression.

One Case for Two Abstract. We report on a 59-year-old patient with a rash, hypotension and chest pain after eating tuna fish. A diagnosis of scombroid fish poisoning was made. It is a syndrome resembling an allergic reaction that occurs after eating fish of the Scombridae family contaminated with high levels of histamine. The authorities responsible for food safety should be immediately informed in order to investigate the event from their perspective, i.e. inspect selling premises, sample and test implicated food, as well as to take appropriate measures. Anaphylaxis rarely manifests as a vasospastic acute coronary syndrome, called Kounis syndrome.

Background: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) have an increased risk of cognitive decline, potentially resulting from clinically unrecognized vascular brain lesions., Objectives: This study sought to assess the relationships between cognitive function and vascular brain lesions in patients with AF., Methods: Patients with known AF were enrolled in a multicenter study in Switzerland. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cognitive testing using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) were performed in all participants. Large noncortical or cortical infarcts (LNCCIs), small noncortical infarcts (SNCIs), microbleeds, and white matter lesions were quantified by a central core laboratory. Clinically silent infarcts were defined as infarcts on brain MRI in patients without a clinical history of stroke or transient ischemic attack., Results: The study included 1,737 patients with a mean age of 73 ± 8 years (28% women, 90% taking oral anticoagulant agents). On MRI, LNCCIs were found in 387 patients (22%), SNCIs in 368 (21%), microbleeds in 372 (22%), and white matter lesions in 1715 (99%). Clinically silent infarcts among the 1,390 patients without a history of stroke or transient ischemic attack were found in 201 patients with LNCCIs (15%) and 245 patients with SNCIs (18%). The MoCA score was 24.7 ± 3.3 in patients with and 25.8 ± 2.9 in those without LNCCIs on brain MRI (p < 0.001). The difference in MoCA score remained similar when only clinically silent LNCCIs were considered (24.9 ± 3.1 vs. 25.8 ± 2.9; p < 0.001). In a multivariable regression model including all vascular brain lesion parameters, LNCCI volume was the strongest predictor of a reduced MoCA (β = -0.26; 95% confidence interval: -0.40 to -0.13; p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Patients with AF have a high burden of LNCCIs and other brain lesions on systematic brain MRI screening, and most of these lesions are clinically silent. LNCCIs were associated with worse cognitive function, even among patients with clinically silent infarcts. Our findings raise the question of MRI screening in patients with AF., (Copyright © 2019 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is considered to be a progressive disease, starting with intermittent episodes that progress over time to more sustained events. However, little is known about the prevalence of and predictors for AF type among patients with recent-onset AF. We aimed to address these issues among a selected population of patients with AF., Methods: The Basel atrial fibrillation cohort (BEAT-AF) study is an ongoing prospective multicentre cohort study among patients with AF. At baseline, we obtained information on the date of AF diagnosis, AF type, comorbidities, medication and lifestyle factors. For this analysis, 486 (31.4%) out of 1550 participants with recent-onset AF (defined as AF duration <24 months) were included. Predictors for AF type (non-paroxysmal vs paroxysmal) were obtained using multivariable adjusted logistic regression models., Results: Mean age was 67 (59-75) years and 136 (28%) were women. Recent-onset paroxysmal AF was observed in 301 (62%) participants, 185 (38%) had non-paroxysmal AF - persistent AF in 148 (30.4%) and permanent AF in 37 (7.6%). In multivariable models, odds ratios for having non-paroxysmal AF around AF diagnosis were 1.03 per year increasing in age (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.05, p = 0.01); 2.70 (1.5-4.68, p = 0.0004) for history of heart failure; 3.82 (1.05-13.87, p = 0.04) for a history of hyperthyroidism and 1.04 (1.02-1.05, p <0.0001) per beat increase in heart rate., Conclusion: We found a substantial proportion of AF patients with the non-paroxysmal form shortly after diagnosis. Predictors for non-paroxysmal AF were increasing age, history of heart failure or hyperthyroidism, and a higher heart rate.

Background: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) have an increased risk for the development of heart failure (HF). In this study, we aimed to detect predictors of HF hospitalizations in an unselected AF population., Methods: The Basel Atrial Fibrillation Cohort Study is an ongoing observational multicenter cohort study in Switzerland. For this analysis, 1193 patients with documented AF underwent clinical examination, venous blood sampling and resting 12-lead ECG at baseline. Questionnaires about lifestyle and medical history were obtained in person at baseline and during yearly follow-up phone calls. HF hospitalizations were validated by two independent physicians. Cox regression analyses were performed using a forward selection strategy., Results: Overall, 29.8% of all patients were female and mean age was 69 ±12 years. Mean follow-up time was 3.7 ±1.5 years. Hospitalization for HF occurred in 110 patients, corresponding to an incidence of 2.5 events per 100 person years of follow-up. Independent predictors for HF were body mass index (HR 1.40 [95%CI 1.17; 1.66], p = 0.0002), chronic kidney disease (2.27 [1.49; 3.45], p = 0.0001), diabetes mellitus (2.13 [1.41; 3.24], p = 0.0004), QTc interval (1.25 [1.04; 1.49], p = 0.02), brain natriuretic peptide (2.19 [1.73; 2.77], p<0.0001), diastolic blood pressure (0.79 [0.65; 0.96], p = 0.02), history of pulmonary vein isolation or electrical cardioversion (0.54 [0.36; 0.80], p = 0.003) and serum chloride (0.82 [0.70; 0.96], p = 0.02)., Conclusions: In this unselected AF population, several traditional cardiovascular risk factors and arrhythmia interventions predicted HF hospitalizations, providing potential opportunities for the implementation of strategies to reduce HF among AF patients.

Background: A longer QTc interval has been associated with more adverse cardiovascular events and death in the general population. Little evidence is available on these relationships among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF)., Methods: We performed a prospective observational multicenter cohort study of 1413 patients with AF. A resting 12‑lead electrocardiogram (ECG) was performed at baseline. QT interval was corrected for heart rate using the Bazett formula (QTc). Endpoints for this study included hospitalizations for congestive heart failure (CHF), a combination of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, systemic arterial embolism (MACE) and all-cause mortality., Results: Mean age of our population was 68±12years and 420 (30%) participants were female. Median QTc was 432ms (interquartile range 409; 457). The mean follow-up time was 3.6±1.5years. After multivariable adjustment, there was a linear increase in risk with increasing QTc interval for incident CHF (hazard ratio (HR) per 1-SD increase in QTc 1.3 [95% CI 1.1; 1.6], p=0.008), MACE (HR 1.2 [1.0; 1.4], p=0.02) and all-cause mortality (HR 1.3 [1.0; 1.6], p=0.002). Results were consistent whether or not patients were in sinus rhythm on the baseline ECG (HR for CHF 1.7 versus 1.3, p interaction 0.08; HR for MACE 1.3 versus 1.2, p interaction 0.9; HR for all-cause mortality 1.4 versus 1.4, p interaction 0.9)., Conclusions: In this large well-characterized cohort of AF patients, QTc interval was independently associated with adverse outcomes. These results were independent of the rhythm on the baseline ECG., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To prospectively evaluate the long-term outcomes after a telementoring program for distant teaching of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) and the degree of EVAR procedure assimilation into routine practice., Methods: A telementoring protocol using stepwise introduction of EVAR was implemented between a university care center and a remote vascular health care site; from March 1999 to October 2003, 49 EVAR patients (mean age 72 years; 48 men) were treated during telementoring at the remote center. After the telementoring period, 86 patients (mean age 71 years; 77 men) underwent EVAR procedures carried out at the secondary care center from November 2003 to July 2011. The long-term outcomes were compared between the EVAR procedures performed during telementoring with the procedures performed independently thereafter., Results: No significant difference was appreciated between telementored and not telementored procedures either in 30-day mortality (4.1% vs 2.3%, p=0.621) or in the initial technical success (93.9% vs 97.7%, p=0.353). The telementored group showed no significant difference in overall aneurysm-related mortality (6.1% vs 2.3%, p=0.353) or in the overall complication rates (p=0.985). The reintervention rate was significantly lower among the unmentored procedures (11.6% vs 32.7%, p=0.004). In particular, significantly fewer patients underwent late endovascular procedures (1.2% vs 12.2%, p=0.009) and late percutaneous interventions (7.0% vs 20.4%, p=0.027) after telementoring ceased., Conclusion: The telementoring program followed here allowed excellent EVAR skill assimilation into the routine practice of a remote health care site. Telementoring is a feasible strategy to support skill introduction in remote medical facilities.

Background: Several studies found that patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) have an increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia over time. However, the magnitude of the problem, associated risk factors and underlying mechanisms remain unclear., Methods: This article describes the design and methodology of the Swiss Atrial Fibrillation (Swiss-AF) Cohort Study, a prospective multicentre national cohort study of 2400 patients across 13 sites in Switzerland. Eligible patients must have documented AF. Main exclusion criteria are the inability to provide informed consent and the presence of exclusively short episodes of reversible forms of AF. All patients undergo extensive phenotyping and genotyping, including repeated assessment of cognitive functions, quality of life, disability, electrocardiography and cerebral magnetic resonance imaging. We also collect information on health related costs, and we assemble a large biobank. Key clinical outcomes in Swiss-AF are death, stroke, systemic embolism, bleeding, hospitalisation for heart failure and myocardial infarction. Information on outcomes and updates on other characteristics are being collected during yearly follow-up visits., Results: Up to 7 April 2017, we have enrolled 2133 patients into Swiss-AF. With the current recruitment rate of 15 to 20 patients per week, we expect that the target sample size of 2400 patients will be reached by summer 2017., Conclusion: Swiss-AF is a large national prospective cohort of patients with AF in Switzerland. This study will provide important new information on structural and functional brain damage in patients with AF and on other AF related complications, using a large variety of genetic, phenotypic and health economic parameters.

Background: We prospectively assessed sex-specific differences in health perception, overall symptom status, and specific symptoms in a large cohort of patients with atrial fibrillation., Methods and Results: We performed a prospective multicenter observational cohort study of 1553 patients with atrial fibrillation. Patients completed questionnaires about personal characteristics, comorbidities, and symptoms on a yearly basis. Mean age was 70±11 years among women and 67±12 years among men. Health perception on a visual analogue scale ranging from 0 to 100 (with higher scores indicating better health perception) was significantly lower in women than in men (70 [interquartile range: 50-80] versus 75 [interquartile range: 60-85]; P <0.0001). More women than men had any symptoms (85.0% versus 68.3%; P <0.0001), palpitations (65.2% versus 44.4%; P <0.0001), dizziness (25.6% versus 13.5%; P <0.0001), dyspnea (35.7% versus 21.8%; P <0.0001), and fatigue (25.3% versus 19.1%; P =0.006). At 1-year follow-up, symptoms decreased in both sexes but remained more frequent in women (49.1% versus 32.6%, P <0.0001). In multivariable adjusted longitudinal regression models, female sex remained an independent predictor for lower health perception (ß=-4.8; 95% CI, -6.5 to -3.1; P <0.0001), any symptoms (odds ratio [OR]: 2.6; 95% CI, 2.1-3.4; P <0.0001), palpitations (OR: 2.6; 95% CI, 2.1-3.2; P <0.0001), dizziness (OR: 2.9; 95% CI, 2.1-3.9; P <0.0001), dyspnea (OR: 2.1; 95% CI, 1.6-2.8; P <0.0001), fatigue (OR: 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2-2.2; P =0.0008), and chest pain (OR: 1.8; 95% CI, 1.3-2.6; P =0.001)., Conclusions: Women with atrial fibrillation have a substantially higher symptom burden and lower health perception than men. These relationships persisted after multivariable adjustment and during prospective follow-up., (© 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.)

Aims: We aimed to assess the uptake of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) among patients with atrial fibrillation between 2010 and 2015 in Switzerland., Methods: We performed a prospective observational cohort study. At the baseline examination and during yearly follow-ups, we used questionnaires to obtain information about clinical characteristics and antithrombotic treatment. Stroke risk was assessed using the CHA2DS2-VASc score., Results: 1545 patients were enrolled across seven centres in Switzerland. Mean age was 68 ± 12 years and 29.5% were female. The percentage of anticoagulated patients with an indication for oral anticoagulation (CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥2 in women and ≥1 in men) was 75% in 2010 and 80% in 2015 (p = 0.2). There was a gradual increase in the use of NOACs from 0% in 2010 to 29.8% in 2015 (p <0.0001). Out of 888 patients, who initially received a vitamin K antagonist (VKA), 86 (9.7%) were switched to an NOAC during follow-up. Use of aspirin as a monotherapy decreased from 23% in 2010 to 11% in 2015 (p <0.0001)., Conclusion: After regulatory approval, the use of NOACs in Switzerland steadily increased to about 30% in 2015, whereas switches from VKAs to NOACs were infrequent. In parallel, the prescription of aspirin as monotherapy was more than halved, suggesting significant guideline-concordant improvements in oral anticoagulation use among patients with atrial fibrillation.

Background: Qualitative change in carotid plaques was prospectively evaluated by Gray Scale Median (GSM) analysis at repeated examinations "in vivo", in relation to quantitative change in carotid arterial geometry, as assessed by high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HR-MRI)., Patients and Methods: Duplex ultrasound with GSM analysis and HR-MRI at the carotid level were performed at baseline and 1- and 2-year follow up in 30 patients with < 70% carotid stenosis. Changes in GSM values (ΔGSM) were evaluated as the intra-individual difference between 2-year and baseline values. HR-MRI studies were evaluated for lumen area (LA), total vessel area (TVA), vessel wall area (VWA = TVA-LA) and normalized wall index (NWI = VWA/TVA)., Results: ΔGSM value distribution was divided into quartiles. Predominantly echolucent plaques with ΔGSM value in the lowest quartile (ΔGSM ≤- 8) showed a significantly greater mean 2-year LA (28.62 ± 10.9 mm2 vs. 17.88 ± 4.8 mm2, p = 0.04) and a greater mean 2-year TVA (83.64 ± 19.4 mm2 vs. 63.26 ± 9.2 mm2, p = 0.02) than predominantly echogenic plaques with ΔGSM value in the highest quartile (ΔGSM ≥8)., Conclusions: Increasing echolucency during the 2-year follow up was associated with a 2-year lower degree of stenosis and higher tendency toward lumen preservation. By corroborating that plaque vulnerability is highly independent of stenosis severity, our study provided a possible new combined "in vivo" noninvasive approach for the assessment of carotid plaque vulnerability.

Background: The European Association of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (EACPR) recommends cardiovascular evaluation of middle-aged individuals engaged in sport activities. However, very few data exist concerning the impact of such position stand. We assessed the implications on workload, yield and economic costs of this preventive strategy., Methods: Individuals aged 35-65 years engaged in high-intensity sports were examined following the EACPR protocol. Athletes with abnormal findings or considered at high-cardiovascular risk underwent additional examinations. The costs of the overall evaluation until diagnosis were calculated according to Swiss medical rates., Results: 785 athletes (73% males, 46.8±7.3 years) were enrolled over a 13-month period. Among them, 14.3% required additional examinations: 5.1% because of abnormal ECG, 4.7% due to physical examination, 4.1% because of high-cardiovascular risk and 1.6% due to medical history. A new cardiovascular abnormality was established in 2.8% of athletes, severe hypercholesterolaemia in 1% and type 2 diabetes in 0.1%. Three (0.4%) athletes were considered ineligible for high-intensity sports, all of them discovered through an abnormal ECG. No athlete was diagnosed with significant coronary artery disease on the basis of a high-risk profile or an exercise ECG. The cost was US$199 per athlete and US$5052 per new finding., Conclusions: Cardiovascular evaluation of middle-aged athletes detected a new cardiovascular abnormality in about 3% of participants and a high-cardiovascular risk profile in about 4%. Some of these warranted exclusion of the athlete from high-intensity sport. The overall evaluation seems to be feasible at reasonable costs., (Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.)

Background: Second-hand smoke increases the risk of acute myocardial infarction. Canton Ticino (CT) first introduced a smoking ban in public places in 2007. This offered the opportunity to assess the long-term impact of a smoking ban on the incidence of ST-elevation myocardial infarctions (STEMI) compared with a population where the law was not yet implemented., Methods: We assessed the incidence of STEMI hospitalizations per 100 000 inhabitants both during 3 years before and after the ban application in CT and in Canton Basel City (CBC), where this law was not yet applied. Data were obtained from the codified hospital registry (ICD-10 codes)., Results: In CT, the mean incidence of STEMI admissions during the 3 pre-ban years (123.7) was significantly higher than the incidence of admissions in each of the 3 post-ban years (92.9, 101.6 and 89.6 respectively; P <.024). Analysing population subsets, a post-ban reduction was observed among ≥65-year-old people of both sexes in each of the 3 post-ban years and in the <65-year age group during the first post-ban year (P = 0.02). Conversely, the mean incidence of STEMI hospitalizations in CBC (92.4) didn't change significantly in each of the 3 post-ban years (83.9, 83.3 and 79.5, P = NS) during the same period. However, a significant long-term reduction in STEMI admissions was observed in CBC among the male group with ≥65 years (P < 0.01)., Conclusion: Our work suggests a significant impact of the smoke-free policy on the number of annual STEMI. Specific population subsets (i.e. ≥65-year-old females) were particularly affected by the smoking ban, showing a significant reduction in STEMI hospitalizations., (© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.)

Background: The usefulness and modalities of cardiovascular screening in young athletes remain controversial, particularly concerning the role of 12-lead ECG. One of the reasons refers to the presumed false-positive ECGs requiring additional examinations and higher costs. Our study aimed to assess the total costs and yield of a preparticipation cardiovascular examination with ECG in young athletes in Switzerland., Methods: Athletes aged 14-35 years were examined according to the 2005 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) protocol. ECGs were interpreted based on the 2010 ESC-adapted recommendations. The costs of the overall screening programme until diagnosis were calculated according to Swiss medical rates., Results: A total of 1070 athletes were examined (75% men, 19.7±6.3 years) over a 15-month period. Among them, 67 (6.3%) required further examinations: 14 (1.3%) due to medical history, 15 (1.4%) due to physical examination and 42 (3.9%) because of abnormal ECG findings. A previously unknown cardiac abnormality was established in 11 athletes (1.0%). In four athletes (0.4%), the abnormality may potentially lead to sudden cardiac death and all of them were identified by ECG alone. The cost was 157,464 Swiss francs (CHF) for the overall programme, CHF147 per athlete and CHF14,315  per finding., Conclusions: Cardiovascular preparticipation examination in young athletes using modern and athlete-specific criteria for interpreting ECG is feasible in Switzerland at reasonable cost. ECG alone is used to detect all potentially lethal cardiac diseases. The results of our study support the inclusion of ECG in routine preparticipation screening., (Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.)

Aims: The time course of atherosclerosis burden in distinct vascular territories remains poorly understood. We longitudinally evaluated the natural history of atherosclerotic progression in two different arterial territories using high spatial resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HR-MRI), a powerful, safe, and non-invasive tool., Methods and Results: We prospectively studied a cohort of 30 patients (mean age 68.3, n = 9 females) with high Framingham general cardiovascular disease 10-year risk score (29.5%) and standard medical therapy with mild-to-moderate atherosclerosis intra-individually at the level of both carotid and femoral arteries. A total of 178 HR-MRI studies of carotid and femoral arteries performed at baseline and at 1- and 2-year follow-up were evaluated in consensus reading by two experienced readers for lumen area (LA), total vessel area (TVA), vessel wall area (VWA = TVA - LA), and normalized wall area index (NWI = VWA/TVA). At the carotid level, LA decreased (-3.19%/year, P = 0.018), VWA increased (+3.83%/year, P = 0.019), and TVA remained unchanged. At the femoral level, LA remained unchanged, VWA and TVA increased (+5.23%/year and +3.11%/year, both P < 0.01), and NWI increased for both carotid and femoral arteries (+2.28%/year, P = 0.01, and +1.8%/year, P = 0.033)., Conclusion: The atherosclerotic burden increased significantly in both carotid and femoral arteries. However, carotid plaque progression was associated with negative remodelling, whereas the increase in femoral plaque burden was compensated by positive remodelling. This finding could be related to anatomic and flow differences and/or to the distinct degree of obstruction in the two arterial territories.

Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between improved ejection fraction (EF) and occurrence of arrhythmias in patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy devices with defibrillator function (CRT-D). The hypothesis was that patients who experienced a marked improvement in EF also had fewer appropriate defibrillator interventions., Methods and Results: We analysed data of 270 patients from 2 prospective registries with follow-up of ≥12 months and echocardiography performed ≥8 months after CRT-D implantation. The discriminator was whether left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) improved to >35% [cut-off for primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation]. Mean age was 61±11 years, LVEF 22±5%, and follow-up 40±22 months. Ischaemic cardiomyopathy was present in 48%, and secondary prevention indication was present in 25%. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator interventions were delivered to 35% of patients. Echocardiography (20±15 months after implantation) showed an improvement in LVEF from 22% (SD 5.4%) to 30% (SD 9.8%). Improvement to >35% was seen in 21% of patients. Those who improved to >35% had fewer ICD interventions than those who did not (23 vs.38%; P-value 0.03). Analysing only patients with a primary prevention indication and stratifying again in patients with and without improvement of LVEF to >35%, the latter had highly significant more ICD-therapies (6 vs. 31%; P-value 0.0008)., Conclusion: Patients with CRT-D for primary prevention, whose LVEF improved to >35% during mid-term follow-up, are at low risk of first ICD therapies beyond year 1. If similar findings are reported in other patient cohorts, this might impact on decision-making at the time of battery depletion.