Cardiology News /Recent Literature Review Third Quarter 2012

Abstract

TCT Meeting will take place in Miami, 22-26/10/12

HCS Meeting to be held in Athens, 1-3/11/12

AHA 2012 is scheduled for Los Angeles, 3-7/11/12

EuroEcho will take place in Athens, 5-8/12/2012

HCS Working Group Seminars: Thessaloniki, 14-16/2/2013

ACC Meeting: San Francisco, 9-11/3/13

HRS Meeting: Denver, 8-11/5/13

EuroPCR: Paris, 21-24/5/13

EuroPace: Athens, 23-26/6/13

ESC Congress: Amsterdam, 31/8-4/9/13

Dennmark Cohort Study: In Patients with AF, Interruption of Warfarin Confers Increased Short-Term Risk of Death or Thrombo-Embolic Events

In total, 48,989 atrial fibrillation (AF) patients receiving warfarin were included in this retrospective cohort study. Of these, 35,396 patients had at least one episode of warfarin treatment interruption. In all, 8255 deaths or thromboembolic events occurred during treatment interruption showing an initial clustering of events during 0–90 days. The first 90-day interval of treatment interruption was associated with a markedly higher risk of death or thrombo-embolism (incidence rate ratio-IRR 2.5) vs the interval of 271–360 days. The authors concluded that in this patient population with AF, almost 3 out of 4 patients on warfarin treatment had one or more periods of treatment interruption. Interruption of warfarin therapy was associated with a significantly increased short-term risk of thrombo-embolism or death during the first 90 days of interruption (Raunso J et al, Eur Heart J 2012; 33: 1886–1892).

Left Ventricular Dyssynchrony May Determine Outcome Following CRT in Patients with RBBB and Help in the Selection of CRT Candidates

Echocardiography was performed in 561 cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) recipients (89 with RBBB & 472 with LBBB) before and 6 months after CRT. RBBB patients had a higher prevalence of male gender, ischemic heart disease, atrial fibrillation, and lower exercise capacity when compared with LBBB patients, despite smaller left ventricular (LV) volumes. In addition, the extent of both interventricular and LV dyssynchrony was less in RBBB patients. At 6 months, RBBB patients also showed limited LV reverse remodelling. LV dyssynchrony and mitral regurgitation were identified as independent predictors of all-cause mortality or heart failure hospitalization among RBBB patients. The authors concluded that RBBB patients referred for CRT exhibit interventricular and LV dyssynchrony, albeit less than their LBBB counterparts; preimplantation LV dyssynchrony may be an important determinant of death or heart failure hospitalization among CRT recipients with RBBB (Leong DP et al, Eur Heart J 2012; 33: 1934–1941)... (excerpt)