BACKGROUND:Stroke is an increasing health problem worldwide. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a major risk factor for stroke, and the attention given to AF screening is rising, as new monitoring ...technologies emerge. We aimed to evaluate the performance of a large panel of screening strategies and to assess population characteristics associated with diagnostic yield.
METHODS:Individuals with stroke risk factors but without AF were recruited from the general population to undergo screening with an implantable loop recorder. New-onset AF lasting ≥6 minutes was adjudicated by senior cardiologists. After continuous monitoring for >3 years, complete day-to-day heart rhythm data sets were reconstructed for every participant, including exact time of onset and termination of all AF episodes. Random sampling was applied to assess the sensitivity and negative predictive value of screening with various simulated screening strategies compared with the implantable loop recorder. The diagnostic yield across strategies and population subgroups was compared by use of nonparametric tests.
RESULTS:The rhythm data sets comprised 590 participants enduring a total of 659 758 days of continuous monitoring and 20 110 AF episodes. In these data, a single 10-second ECG yielded a sensitivity (and negative predictive value) of 1.5% (66%) for AF detection, increasing to 8.3% (67%) for twice-daily 30-second ECGs during 14 days and to 11% (68%), 13% (68%), 15% (69%), 21% (70%), and 34% (74%) for a single 24-hour, 48-hour, 72-hour, 7-day, or 30-day continuous monitoring, respectively. AF detection further improved when subsequent screenings were performed or when the same monitoring duration was spread over several periods compared with a single period (eg, three 24-hour monitorings versus one 72-hour monitoring; P<0.0001 for all comparisons). The sensitivity was consistently higher among participants with age ≥75 years, male sex, CHADS2 score >2, or NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide) ≥40 pmol/L and among participants with underlying ≥24-hour AF episodes compared with shorter AF (P<0.0001 for all screening strategies).
CONCLUSIONS:In screening for AF among participants with stroke risk factors, the diagnostic yield increased with duration, dispersion, and number of screenings, although all strategies had low yield compared with the implantable loop recorder. The sensitivity was higher among participants who were older, were male, or had higher NT-proBNP.
REGISTRATION:URLhttps://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifierNCT02036450.
Abstract
Aims
We aimed to investigate whether left atrial (LA) markers from cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) were able to predict atrial fibrillation (AF) in elderly patients with risk factors ...for stroke.
Methods and results
At baseline, 203 participants with stroke risk factors but without history of AF underwent advanced CMR and received an implantable loop recorder. During a median of 40 (37–42) months of continuous monitoring, incident AF was detected in 79 patients (39%). With regards to CMR markers, a steep increase in incidence rate of AF was seen with LA maximum volume (LAmax) above 55 mL/m2, LA minimum volume (LAmin) above 30 mL/m2, LA total emptying fraction (LA TEF) below 45%, LA active emptying fraction (LA AEF) below 37%, LA strain S below 25%, LA strain A below 17%, and LA strain rate A above −1.7 s−1. After multivariate adjustment, the above-mentioned CMR markers remained associated with AF incidence: hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) 1.25 (1.06–1.48) and 1.51 (1.22–1.87) per 10 mL/m2 increase of LAmax and LAmin, respectively, 1.49 (1.26–1.76) and 1.46 CI (1.25–1.71) per 5% decrease in LA TEF and LA AEF, respectively, 1.23 (1.05–1.44) and 1.56 (1.18–2.06) per 5% decrease in LA strain S and A, respectively, and 2.06 (1.31–3.23) per s−1 increase in LA strain rate A. In prediction analyses, LA functional indices increased area under the receiver operating characteristic curve significantly.
Conclusion
The risk of AF, including asymptomatic AF, increases significantly with increasing LA volumes and worsening LA function.
As new heart rhythm monitoring technologies emerge, subclinical atrial fibrillation (AF) signifies a future challenge to health care systems. The pathological characteristics of this condition are ...largely unknown.
This study sought to characterize the natural history of subclinical AF in at-risk patients from the general population.
The authors studied 590 individuals ≥70 years of age with ≥1 of hypertension, diabetes, previous stroke, or heart failure, without history of AF, undergoing long-term implantable loop recorder monitoring as part of the LOOP (Atrial Fibrillation Detected by Continuous ECG Monitoring Using Implantable Loop Recorder to Prevent Stroke in High-risk Individuals) study. Baseline assessments included N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). All day-to-day heart rhythm and symptom data were extracted from the device. Endpoints included AF burden, AF progression, symptom reports, and heart rate during AF.
A total of 685,445 monitoring days were available for analysis. Adjudicated AF episodes lasting ≥6 min were detected in 205 participants (35%). The AF burden was median 0.13% (interquartile range: 0.03% to 1.05%) of the monitoring time and changed by a factor of 1.31 (95% CI: 1.02 to 1.68) per doubling of NT-proBNP. AF episodes were present 2.7% (interquartile range: 1.0% to 15.7%) of monitoring days after debut. Progression to 24-h episodes was seen in 33 of the AF patients (16%), whereas 46 (22%) had no AF episodes in the last 6 months of monitoring or longer. Symptoms were absent in 185 (90%) at debut, and 178 (87%) never reported AF-related symptoms during follow-up. The averaged heart rate during AF was 96 (interquartile range: 83 to 114) beats/min, 24 (interquartile range: 9 to 41) beats/min faster than daytime sinus rates.
Although previously unknown AF was highly prevalent, the burden was low, and progression was limited. In addition, symptoms were scarce, and the heart rate was only modestly elevated. (Atrial Fibrillation Detected by Continuous ECG Monitoring Using Implantable Loop Recorder to Prevent Stroke in High-risk Individuals LOOP; NCT02036450)
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Studies have shown that soluble urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor (suPAR) and CRP (both inflammatory markers) and coronary artery calcification (CAC) are independent risk predictors for ...cardiovascular (CV) disease. The aim of this study is to assess whether suPAR and CRP have an increased predictive prognostic value beyond the traditional CV risk factors and the CAC score.
A population sample of 1179 subjects, free of CV disease was included. The subjects underwent traditional CV risk evaluation, CAC assessment and blood sampling for suPAR and CRP. CV events were extracted from The Danish National Patient Register after 6.5 years. The additive values of suPAR and CRP were evaluated by unadjusted Kaplan Meier analysis, adjusted hazard ratio and ROCAUC models.
1179 participants (47.6% males, mean age 55 years) were included. 73 events occurred. In Kaplan Meier analyses, suPAR and CRP were significantly associated with CV events (p = 0.03 and p = 0.002). Adjusted for the CV risk factors and the CAC score, the hazard ratios for suPAR and CRP were 1.17 (95% confidence interval CI 1.01–1.34) and 1.04 (95% CI 1.01–1.06), respectively. suPAR was associated with a substantial risk among women (2.03; 95% CI 1.45–2.84) and 60-year-old subjects (1.44; 95% CI 1.09–1.90). By ROCAUC, neither suPAR nor CRP provided significant estimates (0.7100 and 0.7054) compared to the traditionally CV risk factors (0.6952, p = 0.24 and p = 0.16) and CAC score (0.7481, p = 0.33 and p = 0.32).
Adjusted for traditional CV risk factors and CAC score, suPAR and CRP were of minor importance in risk prediction.
•In adjusted Cox analysis, suPAR and CRP were significantly associated with cardiovascular events.•suPAR was particular promising among women and persons at age 60.•CPR was of importance among persons at age 60.•Neither suPAR nor CRP improved area under the curve in the entire population.•Inflammatory markers may supplement risk stratification after adjustment for CAC.
The bulk of the current knowledge on atrial fibrillation (AF)-associated stroke risk and benefit of oral anticoagulation derives from studies on patients with clinically diagnosed AF. Subclinical AF ...(SCAF), defined as AF discovered during the interrogation of prolonged heart monitoring, is often asymptomatic and short-lasting, is associated with increased stroke risk compared with sinus rhythm, and may progress to clinical AF. Despite the extensive screening for and treatment of SCAF, especially in secondary stroke prevention, the net benefit of this practice is not established. Recent studies of SCAF have provided new insights: (1) SCAF is extremely common and may sometimes indicate physiological findings, (2) the stroke risk associated with SCAF is lower than that of clinically detected AF, and (3) any benefit on stroke risk may be countered by increased bleeding risk (no net benefit). How should we interpret the latest knowledge in the setting of poststroke AF screening and prevention?
Elderly individuals occupy an increasing part of the general population. Conventional and speckle-tracking transthoracic echocardiography may help guide risk stratification in these individuals. The ...purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential utility of conventional and speckle-tracking echocardiography in the screening of cardiac abnormalities in the elderly population.
Two cohorts of elderly individuals (sample size: 1441 and 944) were analyzed, who were part of a randomized controlled clinical trial (LOOP study) and of an observational study (Copenhagen City Heart Study), recruiting participants from the general population >70 years of age with cardiovascular risk factors (arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, heart failure, or prior stroke) and sinus rhythm. Participants underwent a comprehensive transthoracic echocardiographic examination, including myocardial speckle tracking. Cardiac abnormalities were defined according to the ASE/EACVI guidelines.
Structural cardiac abnormalities such as left ventricular (LV) remodeling, mitral annular calcification (MAC), and aortic valve sclerosis (with or without stenosis) were highly prevalent in the LOOP study (40%, 39%, and 27%, respectively). Moreover, a high prevalence of functional cardiac alterations such as LV diastolic dysfunction (LVDD), abnormal LV longitudinal systolic strain (GLS), and abnormal left atrial (LA) reservoir strain was present in the LOOP study (27%, 18%, and 9%, respectively). Likewise, the rate of LVDD, abnormal GLS, and abnormal LA reservoir strain was comparable in the validation sample from the Copenhagen City Heart Study. In line with these findings, subjects with LV remodeling, MAC, and aortic valve changes had a higher prevalence of LVDD, abnormal GLS, and abnormal LA reservoir strain than those without structural cardiac alterations.
The findings of this study highlight the potential clinical utility of conventional and speckle-tracking echocardiography in the screening of structural and functional cardiac abnormalities in the elderly population. Further studies are warranted to determine the prognostic relevance of these findings.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
IMPORTANCE: Atrial fibrillation (AF) screening trials have failed to demonstrate a significant reduction in stroke risk. The impact on stroke severity and the importance of prior strokes are unknown. ...OBJECTIVE: To assess stroke characteristics in patients undergoing implantable loop recorder (ILR) screening for AF vs usual care and assess the importance of prior stroke. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This was a post hoc analysis of the Atrial Fibrillation Detected by Continuous Electrocardiogram Monitoring Using Implantable Loop Recorder to Prevent Stroke in High-Risk Individuals (LOOP) randomized clinical trial. Persons 70 years or older without known AF but diagnosed with 1 or more of the following, hypertension, diabetes, heart failure, or prior stroke, were screened for inclusion. Four sites in Denmark recruited participants by letter between January 31, 2014, and May 17, 2016. The median (IQR) follow-up period was 65 (59-70) months. Data were analyzed from April 1 to May 31, 2022. INTERVENTIONS: ILR screening for AF and anticoagulation initiation if AF duration of 6 minutes or longer was detected (ILR group) vs usual care (control group). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Adjudicated stroke, classified according to the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) using a score of 3 or more as a cutoff for severe (disabling or lethal) stroke, and according to the Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) classification for ischemic strokes. RESULTS: A total of 6205 individuals were screened for inclusion, and 6004 were randomized and included in the analysis; 4503 participants (75%; mean SD age, 74.7 4.1 years; 2375 male 52.7%) were assigned to the control group and 1501 participants (25%; mean SD age, 74.7 4.1 years; 792 male 52.8%) were assigned to the ILR group. A total of 794 of 4503 participants (17.6%) in the control group had a history of prior stroke compared with 262 of 1501 participants (17.5%) in the ILR group. During follow-up, AF was diagnosed in 1027 participants (control group, 550 12% vs ILR group, 477 32%), and anticoagulation was initiated in 89% of these (910). A total of 315 participants (5.2%) had a stroke (control group, 249 5.5% vs ILR group, 66 4.4%), and the median (IQR) mRS score was 2 (1-3) with no difference across the groups. A total of 272 participants (4.5%) had ischemic stroke (control group, 217 4.8% vs ILR group, 55 3.7%), and 123 (2.0%) had severe stroke (control group, 100 2.2% vs ILR group, 23 1.5%), and the hazard ratios comparing the control and ILR groups were 0.76 (95% CI, 0.57-1.03; P = .07) and 0.69 (95% CI, 0.44-1.09; P = .11), respectively. For participants without prior stroke, the hazard ratios were 0.68 (95% CI, 0.48-0.97; P = .04) and 0.54 (95% CI, 0.30-0.97; P = .04), respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This post hoc analysis of the LOOP randomized clinical trial found that ILR screening for AF did not result in a significant decrease in ischemic or severe strokes compared with usual care. Exploratory subgroup analyses indicated a possible reduction of these outcomes among participants without prior stroke. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02036450
Cardiac arrhythmias are considered a prominent phenomenon in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH). Older studies reported that 8% to 35% of patients with PH had supraventricular tachycardia ...(SVT), associated with adverse outcomes. Still, these arrhythmias have only been investigated via short-term monitoring or limited electrocardiogram recordings.
Patients without previous arrhythmias diagnosed with PH at a tertiary facility received an insertable cardiac monitor as part of a prospective cohort study. Baseline assessments included World Health Organization functional class, six-minute walk test, echocardiography, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.
Thirty-four patients with PH were included. Twenty-four patients had pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and 10 had chronic thromboembolic PH (CTEPH). During 46 patient-years of continuous monitoring (median: 594 (range: 334–654) days per patient), 70 arrhythmia episodes were recorded in 13 patients (38%), with a median of two (range: 1–3) episodes and an arrhythmic burden median of 1.6 (range: 0.1–228) minutes per patient. SVTs were the most common arrhythmias, with 16% of episodes being atrial fibrillation and 84% being other types of SVTs. Additionally, three patients experienced bradycardias, including one resulting in syncope and subsequent pacemaker implantation. None of the patients had sustained ventricular arrhythmias.
Arrhythmias were seen in 38% of contemporary patients with PH during long-term continuous monitoring; however, the vast majority of episodes were short and self-limiting. Modern therapy may alleviate the development of arrhythmias in stable patients with PH. This study is the first study to deploy long-term continuous monitoring in patients with PH.
•First study with long-term continuous cardiac monitoring in pulmonary hypertension.•Surprisingly low arrhythmic burden of 7.5 days in 46 patient-years.•The vast majority of episodes of arrhythmias were of short duration and self-limiting.•Supraventricular arrhythmia predominant with only 14% atrial fibrillation.•Modern therapy may alleviate arrhythmias in stable pulmonary hypertension patients.
Abstract
Aims
The aim of this study was to investigate the association between within-individual changes in physical activity and onset of atrial fibrillation (AF).
Methods and results
A total of ...1410 participants from the general population (46.2% women, mean age 74.7 ± 4.1 years) with risk factors but with no prior AF diagnosis underwent continuous monitoring for AF episodes along with daily accelerometric assessment of physical activity using an implantable loop recorder during ≈3.5 years. The combined duration of monitoring was ≈1.6 million days, where 10 851 AF episodes lasting ≥60 min were detected in 361 participants (25.6%) with a median of 5 episodes (2, 25) each. The median daily physical activity was 112 (66, 168) min/day. A dynamic parameter describing within-individual changes in daily physical activity, i.e. average daily activity in the last week compared to the previous 100 days, was computed and used to model the onset of AF. A 1-h decrease in average daily physical activity was associated with AF onset the next day odds ratio 1.24 (1.18–1.31). This effect was modified by overall level of activity (P < 0.001 for interaction), and the signal was strongest in the tertile of participants with lowest activity overall low: 1.62 (1.41–1.86), mid: 1.27 (1.16–1.39), and high: 1.10 (1.01–1.19).
Conclusions
Within-individual changes in physical activity are associated with the onset of AF episodes as detected by continuous monitoring in a high-risk population. For each person, a 1-h decrease in daily physical activity during the last week increased the odds of AF onset the next day by ≈25%, while the strongest association was seen in the group with the lowest activity overall.
Clinical Trial Registration
ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT02036450.
Graphical Abstract
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