Cracking the Mysteries of Diastolic Function in Atrial Fibrillation

Cracking the mysteries of diastolic function in atrial fibrillation: new technology for an old problem.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinically significant cardiac arrhythmia with an estimated number of 2.3 million U.S. citizens affected (1). Additionally, this number will only continue to increase because of an aging U.S. population—it is estimated that the number of affected individuals will double by 2050 (1). AF is often interlinked with some cardiac dysfunction. However, asses...

Left ventricular diastolic function after electrical cardioversion of atrial fibrillation.

In chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) left ventricular function may gradually diminish as a result of an intrinsic tachycardiomyopathy. This tachycardia induced cardiomyopathy is characterised by decreased systolic function, ventricular dilation, and raised ventricular filling pressures. In such patients left ventricular systolic function may gradually improve after electrical cardioversion. Litt...

Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in atrial fibrillation

Cheryl Jones: cracking mysteries in paediatric infection.

Cheryl Jones’ upbringing by parents in the hospitality industry, while hectic and fun, could not have been more diff erent from her current life as a paediatric infectious diseases clinician and researcher. Her unrelenting schedule sees her combine her roles as Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Sydney (where she is also Deputy Dean), with ward rounds at the Children’s Hospital at We...

Left Atrial Diastolic Dysfunction following Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation.

Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA)-induced thermal injury may cause and/or worsen left atrial (LA) diastolic dysfunction leading to pulmonary hypertension and heart failure in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), the incidence of which is probably more common than is generally realized. Biplane 2-dimensional echocardiography coupled with tissue Doppler (velocity) imaging and Doppler-der...