BACKGROUND Landiolol effectively controls rapid heart rate in atrial fibrillation or flutter (AF/AFL) patients with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. However, predicting landiolol Responders and Non-Responders and patients who will experience adverse effects remains a challenge. The aim of this study was to clarify the potential applicability of landiolol for rapid AF/AFL and refractory ventri...

BACKGROUND Atrial fibrillation (AF) can occur even after the correction of mitral valve (MV) pathology in patients who have pre-operative sinus rhythm and undergo MV surgery. However, the factors associated with the occurrence of AF after MV surgery are still unclear. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the factors determining the occurrence of permanent AF after MV surgery i...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of long term cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) on left atrial and left ventricular (LV) reverse remodelling and reversal to sinus rhythm (SR) in patients with heart failure with atrial fibrillation (AF). PATIENTS 74 consecutive patients (age 68 (8) years; 67 men) with advanced heart failure and AF (20 persistent and 54 permanent) were implanted with a CR...

The fraction of anthropogenic CO2 emissions remaining in the atmosphere, known as the airborne fraction (AF), has remained roughly constant over the last 50 years, averaging about 50-60%. Since AF is widely considered a fundamental property of the carbon cycle, its historical constancy has been taken as evidence that anthropogenic emissions have not as yet triggered a “climate-carbon-cycle feed...

BACKGROUND Traditional healers in Ethiopia use a wide range of medicinal plants with antidiarrheal properties. Among these, Croton macrostachyus is one such plant claimed to have an antidiarrheal activity in Ethiopian folklore medicine. Previous studies showed that the crude extract is endowed with the claimed property. The present study was undertaken to further the claim by screening differen...

The ongoing threat from Influenza necessitates the development of new vaccine and adjuvant technologies that can maximize vaccine immunogenicity, shorten production cycles, and increase global vaccine supply. Currently, the most successful adjuvants for Influenza vaccines are squalene-based oil-in-water emulsions. These adjuvants enhance seroprotective antibody titers to homologous and heterolo...

AIMS Atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure are conditions that often coexist. Consequently, many patients with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) present with AF. We evaluated the effectiveness of internal cardioversion of AF in patients with an ICD. METHODS Retrospectively, we included 27 consecutive ICD patients with persistent AF who underwent internal cardioversion using...

Structural remodeling in chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) occurs over weeks to months. To study the electrophysiological, structural, and functional changes that occur in chronic AF, the selection of the best animal model is critical. AF was induced by rapid atrial pacing (50-Hz stimulation every other second) in pigs (n = 4), dogs (n = 8), and goats (n = 9). Animals underwent MRIs at baseline ...

BACKGROUND Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is a common complication after open heart surgery and is frequently associated with increased hospital stay, complications, and mortality rates. The effect of β-blockers on prevention of supraventricular arrhythmias has been confirmed in several prospective randomized studies. OBJECTIVES This clinical trial aimed to compare the preventive effects of carvedi...

BACKGROUND A recent publication from the HORIZON (Health Outcomes and Reduced Incidence With Zoledronic Acid Once Yearly) trial in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis reported a higher risk of serious atrial fibrillation (AF) in zoledronic acid recipients than in placebo recipients. This adverse effect was unexpected and had not been recognized previously. METHODS We studied alendronate so...