| 1. |
- Linz, Dominik, et al.
(author)
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Longer and better lives for patients with atrial fibrillation : the 9th AFNET/EHRA consensus conference
- 2024
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In: Europace. - : Oxford University Press. - 1099-5129 .- 1532-2092. ; 26:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aims: Recent trial data demonstrate beneficial effects of active rhythm management in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and support the concept that a low arrhythmia burden is associated with a low risk of AF-related complications. The aim of this document is to summarize the key outcomes of the 9th AFNET/EHRA Consensus Conference of the Atrial Fibrillation NETwork (AFNET) and the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA).Methods and results: Eighty-three international experts met in Munster for 2 days in September 2023. Key findings are as follows: (i) Active rhythm management should be part of the default initial treatment for all suitable patients with AF. (ii) Patients with device-detected AF have a low burden of AF and a low risk of stroke. Anticoagulation prevents some strokes and also increases major but non-lethal bleeding. (iii) More research is needed to improve stroke risk prediction in patients with AF, especially in those with a low AF burden. Biomolecules, genetics, and imaging can support this. (iv) The presence of AF should trigger systematic workup and comprehensive treatment of concomitant cardiovascular conditions. (v) Machine learning algorithms have been used to improve detection or likely development of AF. Cooperation between clinicians and data scientists is needed to leverage the potential of data science applications for patients with AF.Conclusions: Patients with AF and a low arrhythmia burden have a lower risk of stroke and other cardiovascular events than those with a high arrhythmia burden. Combining active rhythm control, anticoagulation, rate control, and therapy of concomitant cardiovascular conditions can improve the lives of patients with AF. Graphical Abstract
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| 2. |
- Fabritz, Larissa, et al.
(author)
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Dynamic risk assessment to improve quality of care in patients with atrial fibrillation : the 7th AFNET/EHRA Consensus Conference
- 2021
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In: Europace. - : Oxford University Press. - 1099-5129 .- 1532-2092. ; 23:3, s. 329-344
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- AimsThe risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF) and its complications continues to increase, despite good progress in preventing AF-related strokes.Methods and resultsThis article summarizes the outcomes of the 7th Consensus Conference of the Atrial Fibrillation NETwork (AFNET) and the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) held in Lisbon in March 2019. Sixty-five international AF specialists met to present new data and find consensus on pressing issues in AF prevention, management and future research to improve care for patients with AF and prevent AF-related complications. This article is the main outcome of an interactive, iterative discussion between breakout specialist groups and the meeting plenary. AF patients have dynamic risk profiles requiring repeated assessment and risk-based therapy stratification to optimize quality of care. Interrogation of deeply phenotyped datasets with outcomes will lead to a better understanding of the cardiac and systemic effects of AF, interacting with comorbidities and predisposing factors, enabling stratified therapy. New proposals include an algorithm for the acute management of patients with AF and heart failure, a call for a refined, data-driven assessment of stroke risk, suggestions for anticoagulation use in special populations, and a call for rhythm control therapy selection based on risk of AF recurrence.ConclusionThe remaining morbidity and mortality in patients with AF needs better characterization. Likely drivers of the remaining AF-related problems are AF burden, potentially treatable by rhythm control therapy, and concomitant conditions, potentially treatable by treating these conditions. Identifying the drivers of AF-related complications holds promise for stratified therapy.
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| 3. |
- Platonov, Pyotr, et al.
(author)
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Analysis of atrial fibrillatory rate during spontaneous episodes of atrial fibrillation in humans using implantable loop recorder electrocardiogram.
- 2012
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In: Journal of Electrocardiology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1532-8430 .- 0022-0736.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Atrial fibrillatory rate (AFR) can predict outcome of interventions for atrial fibrillation (AF); however, AFR behavior at AF onset in humans is poorly described. We studied AFR during spontaneous AF episodes in patients with lone paroxysmal AF who received implantable loop recorders and had AF episodes of 1 hour or more recorded (n=4). Mean AFR per minute was assessed from continuous implantable loop recorder electrocardiogram using spatiotemporal QRST cancellation and time-frequency analysis. Atrial fibrillatory rate increased from 290±20 to 326±39 fibrillations per minute during the first 3 hours (P<.05) and reached plateau then. Atrial fibrillatory rate beyond the initial 3 hours can, therefore, be considered stable and may be evaluated for prediction of intervention effect.
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| 4. |
- Saiz-Vivo, Javier, et al.
(author)
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Atrial Fibrillatory Rate Characterization Extracted from Implanted Cardiac Monitor Data
- 2021
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In: 2021 Computing in Cardiology, CinC 2021. - 2325-8861 .- 2325-887X. - 9781665479165 ; 48
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim of this study is to characterize atrial fibrillatory rate (AFR) extracted from a cohort of continuously monitored atrial fibrillation (AF) patients as function of episode duration and onset time. The f-wave signal used to compute the AFR was extracted from a single lead ECG strip of the AF episodes stored in an Implantable Cardiac Monitor (ICM) in a cohort of 99 patients. The f-wave signals were obtained from 1400 AF episodes using a spatiotemporal QRST cancellation process and the AFR was estimated as the fundamental frequency of a model fitted to the extracted f-waves. We studied the relationship between AFR and episode duration and episode onset time, respectively. AFR (median (interquartile range)) was significantly lower (p-value<0.05) in short episodes (<20 min) (5.15 (0.66) Hz) than in longer episodes (5.30 (0.74) Hz). AFR was significantly higher for episodes with onset time at night (00-06) (5.34 (0.82) Hz) than for episodes with onset during the day (10-20) (5.21 (0.70) Hz). Significant differences were also found between the relative AFR (ratio between the AFR and the average AFR of the patient) and episode duration (Short: 99.2 (9.3) %; Long: 100.0 (8.9) %). Data extracted from ICMs shows that that nighttime AF onset and longer duration AF episodes are more common in patients with higher AFR.
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| 5. |
- Saiz-Vivo, Javier, et al.
(author)
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Heart rate characteristic based modelling of atrial fibrillatory rate using implanted cardiac monitor data
- 2023
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In: Physiological Measurement. - : IOP Publishing. - 0967-3334 .- 1361-6579. ; 44:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study is to investigate the feasibility of using heart rate characteristics to estimate atrial fibrillatory rate (AFR) in a cohort of atrial fibrillation (AF) patients continuously monitored with an implantable cardiac monitor (ICM). We will use a mixed model approach to investigate population effect and patient specific effects of heart rate characteristics on AFR, and will correct for the effect of previous ablations, episode duration, and onset date and time.APPROACH: The f-wave signals, from which AFR is estimated, were extracted using a QRST cancellation process of the AF episodes in a cohort of 99 patients (67% male; 57±12 years) monitored for 9.2(0.2-24.3) months as median(min-max). The AFR from 2453 f-wave signals included in the analysis was estimated using a model-based approach. The association between AFR and heart rate characteristics, prior ablations, and episode-related features were modelled using fixed-effect and mixed-effect modelling approaches.MAIN RESULTS: The mixed-effect models had a better fit to the data than fixed-effect models showing higher coefficients of determination (R2=0.49 vs R2=0.04) when relating the variations of AFR to the heart rate features. However, when correcting for the other factors, the mixed-effect model showed the best fit (R2=0.56). AFR was found to be significantly affected by previous catheter ablations (p<0.05), episode duration (p<0.05), and irregularity of the RR interval series (p<0.05).SIGNIFICANCE: Mixed-effect models are more suitable for AFR modelling. AFR was shown to be faster in episodes with longer duration, less organized RR intervals and after several ablation procedures.
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| 6. |
- Schnabel, Renate B, et al.
(author)
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Early diagnosis and better rhythm management to improve outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation : the 8th AFNET/EHRA consensus conference
- 2023
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In: Europace. - : Oxford University Press. - 1099-5129 .- 1532-2092. ; 25:1, s. 6-27
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Despite marked progress in the management of atrial fibrillation (AF), detecting AF remains difficult and AF-related complications cause unacceptable morbidity and mortality even on optimal current therapy. This document summarizes the key outcomes of the 8th AFNET/EHRA Consensus Conference of the Atrial Fibrillation NETwork (AFNET) and the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA). Eighty-three international experts met in Hamburg for 2 days in October 2021. Results of the interdisciplinary, hybrid discussions in breakout groups and the plenary based on recently published and unpublished observations are summarized in this consensus paper to support improved care for patients with AF by guiding prevention, individualized management, and research strategies. The main outcomes are (i) new evidence supports a simple, scalable, and pragmatic population-based AF screening pathway; (ii) rhythm management is evolving from therapy aimed at improving symptoms to an integrated domain in the prevention of AF-related outcomes, especially in patients with recently diagnosed AF; (iii) improved characterization of atrial cardiomyopathy may help to identify patients in need for therapy; (iv) standardized assessment of cognitive function in patients with AF could lead to improvement in patient outcomes; and (v) artificial intelligence (AI) can support all of the above aims, but requires advanced interdisciplinary knowledge and collaboration as well as a better medico-legal framework. Implementation of new evidence-based approaches to AF screening and rhythm management can improve outcomes in patients with AF. Additional benefits are possible with further efforts to identify and target atrial cardiomyopathy and cognitive impairment, which can be facilitated by AI.
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| 7. |
- Tancin Lambert, Anna, et al.
(author)
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Biomarkers Predictive of Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with Cryptogenic Stroke. Insights from The Nordic Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke (NOR-FIB) Study
- 2023
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In: European Journal of Neurology. - : Wiley. - 1351-5101 .- 1468-1331. ; 30:5, s. 1352-1363
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: There are currently no biomarkers used to select cryptogenic stroke (CS) patients for monitoring with insertable cardiac monitors (ICMs), the most effective tool for diagnosing atrial fibrillation (AF) in CS. The purpose of this study was to assess clinically available biomarkers as predictors of AF.METHODS: Eligible CS and cryptogenic transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients underwent 12-month monitoring with ICMs, clinical follow-up, and biomarker sampling. Levels of cardiac and thromboembolic biomarkers, taken within 14 days from symptom onset, were compared between patients diagnosed with AF (n=74) during monitoring and those without AF (n=185). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were created. Biomarkers reaching area under ROC curve (AUC) ≥ 0.7 were dichotomized by finding optimal cut-off values and used in logistic regression establishing their predictive value for increased risk of AF in unadjusted and adjusted models.RESULTS: B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), creatine kinase, D-dimer, high-sensitivity cardiac Troponin I and T were significantly higher in the AF than non-AF group. BNP and NT-proBNP reached predefined AUC level, 0.755 and 0.725 respectively. Optimal cut-off values were 33.5 ng/L for BNP, and 87 ng/L for NT-proBNP. Regression analysis showed that NT-proBNP was a predictor of AF in both unadjusted, odds ratio (OR) 7.72 (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.16-18.87), and age and sex adjusted models, OR 4.82 (95% CI 1.79-12.96).CONCLUSION: Several clinically established biomarkers were associated with AF. NT-proBNP performed best as AF predictor and could be used for selecting patients for long-term monitoring with ICMs.
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