Circulation JournalPub Date : 2025-01-24Epub Date: 2024-12-06DOI: 10.1253/circj.CJ-24-0815
Masaru Kato, Shunsuke Kawatani, Takuya Tomomori, Akihiro Okamura, Yasuhito Kotake, Koji Aoyama, Jun Akagi, Shintaro Okuda, Shota Hayashi, Kazuhiro Yamamoto
{"title":"Usefulness of Apple Watch Electrocardiograms for Identifying the Origin of Premature Ventricular Contractions.","authors":"Masaru Kato, Shunsuke Kawatani, Takuya Tomomori, Akihiro Okamura, Yasuhito Kotake, Koji Aoyama, Jun Akagi, Shintaro Okuda, Shota Hayashi, Kazuhiro Yamamoto","doi":"10.1253/circj.CJ-24-0815","DOIUrl":"10.1253/circj.CJ-24-0815","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The Apple Watch (AW) can record single-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs) and has been investigated for arrhythmia detection. In this study we evaluated its accuracy in identifying the origin of premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) vs. standard 12-lead ECGs.</p><p><strong>Methods and results: </strong>A total of 7 patients with PVCs were assessed using both 12-lead and AW ECG recordings. The QRS polarity observed in the AW recordings was consistent with that of the standard ECGs in most cases, demonstrating its utility in estimating three distinct PVC origins.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The AW holds potential as an auxiliary tool for PVC origin assessment, contributing to arrhythmia management in clinical practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":50691,"journal":{"name":"Circulation Journal","volume":" ","pages":"251-254"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142796503","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Initial Holter Electrocardiogram Index to Predict the Burden of Subsequent Persistent Premature Ventricular Complex in Childhood.","authors":"Gaku Izumi, Satoru Shida, Norio Kobayashi, Hirokuni Yamazawa, Atsuhito Takeda","doi":"10.1253/circj.CJ-24-0438","DOIUrl":"10.1253/circj.CJ-24-0438","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Asymptomatic premature ventricular complex (PVC) in childhood often disappears over time. However, predictive factors for persistent PVC are unknown. We examined predictive factors for persistent PVCs on initial Holter electrocardiogram (ECG) in pediatric patients with asymptomatic PVC.</p><p><strong>Methods and results: </strong>The initial Holter ECG findings of untreated PVC patients (n=216) between 2010 and 2021 were examined. Multivariable analysis was performed to clarify predictive factors for subsequent persistent PVC burden for each index (age, sex, PVC burden, PVC origin, minimum and maximum mean RR intervals [RRmin and RRmax, respectively]) of the 3 heartbeats of baseline sinus rhythm immediately before the PVC. The median age at initial Holter ECG was 11.6 years (range 5.8-18.8 years), the PVC burden was 5.22% (range 0.01-44.21%), RRmin was 660 ms, RRmax was 936 ms, RRrange (=RRmax-RRmin) was 273 ms, and 15 (7%) PVC runs were identified. The median follow-up period was 5.1 years (range 0.8-9.4 years), and the final Holter PVC burden was 3.99% (range 0-36.38%). In multivariate analysis, RRrange was the only independent risk factor for predicting a final Holter PVC burden >10%, with an area under the curve of 0.920 using an RRrange of 600 ms as the cut-off value.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>A wide RRrange at the initial Holter ECG may be a predictive indicator for persistent PVC in childhood.</p>","PeriodicalId":50691,"journal":{"name":"Circulation Journal","volume":" ","pages":"234-239"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141735609","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Circulation JournalPub Date : 2025-01-24Epub Date: 2024-07-31DOI: 10.1253/circj.CJ-24-0476
Hidehira Fukaya, Keiko Ryo-Koriyama
{"title":"Exploring the Uncertainty - Is Left Atrial Reservoir Strain the Missing Piece?","authors":"Hidehira Fukaya, Keiko Ryo-Koriyama","doi":"10.1253/circj.CJ-24-0476","DOIUrl":"10.1253/circj.CJ-24-0476","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50691,"journal":{"name":"Circulation Journal","volume":" ","pages":"162-163"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141861496","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effects of Longitudinal Changes in Anemia Status on Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation - Analysis From the Hokuriku-Plus AF Registry.","authors":"Toyonobu Tsuda, Kenshi Hayashi, Takeshi Kato, Takashi Kusayama, Yoichiro Nakagawa, Akihiro Nomura, Hayato Tada, Soichiro Usui, Kenji Sakata, Masa-Aki Kawashiri, Noboru Fujino, Masakazu Yamagishi, Masayuki Takamura","doi":"10.1253/circj.CJ-24-0132","DOIUrl":"10.1253/circj.CJ-24-0132","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Anemia, a common comorbidity in older patients with heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AF), is associated with an increased risk of adverse events. This study evaluated the prognostic effects of longitudinal changes in anemia status on clinical outcomes in patients with AF.</p><p><strong>Methods and results: </strong>We prospectively evaluated data of 1,388 patients with AF from the Hokuriku-Plus AF Registry (1,010 men; mean [±SD] age 72.3±9.7 years) and recorded the incidence of death, HF, thromboembolism, and major bleeding. Of these patients, the 1,233 for whom hemoglobin levels were available at baseline and at the 1-year follow-up were further evaluated. Patients were categorized into 3 groups based on longitudinal changes in 1-year anemia status: Group 1, AF without anemia; Group 2, AF with improved anemia; and Group 3, AF with sustained or new-onset anemia. Over the 1-5 years of follow up, the incidences of death, HF, thromboembolism, and major bleeding were significantly higher among patients with than without anemia. In addition, the incidence of death or HF was significantly higher in Group 3 than in Groups 1 and 2. Multivariate analysis revealed no anemia or improvement in anemia in 1 year as an independent predictor for a favorable prognosis for cardiovascular death and HF.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Recovery from anemia may be associated with a favorable clinical course of AF.</p>","PeriodicalId":50691,"journal":{"name":"Circulation Journal","volume":" ","pages":"164-173"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142094033","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"10-Year Trends of Antithrombotic Therapy Status and Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Renal Dysfunction - The Fushimi AF Registry.","authors":"Nobutoyo Masunaga, Mitsuru Ishii, Kouhei Oka, Keita Okamoto, Yusuke Yoshida, Kimihito Minami, Kenjiro Ishigami, Kosuke Doi, Yasuhiro Hamatani, Takashi Yoshizawa, Yuya Ide, Akiko Fujino, Moritake Iguchi, Hiromichi Wada, Koji Hasegawa, Hikari Tsuji, Masahiro Esato, Mitsuru Abe, Masaharu Akao","doi":"10.1253/circj.CJ-24-0614","DOIUrl":"10.1253/circj.CJ-24-0614","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Anticoagulation therapy for atrial fibrillation (AF) has undergone major changes following the introduction of direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) in 2011. However, the transition of anticoagulation therapy for AF patients with severe renal dysfunction remains to be elucidated.</p><p><strong>Methods and results: </strong>Follow-up data, including creatinine clearance (CrCl), were available for 3,706 patients in the Fushimi AF Registry. We divided patients into 3 groups based on CrCl as follows: (1) CrCl ≥50 mL/min; (2) 50 mL/min>CrCl≥30 mL/min; and (3) CrCl <30 mL/min. In patients with CrCl ≥50 mL/min and 50>CrCl≥30 mL/min, prescription of oral anticoagulants increased year-by-year from 2011 to 2021 with a growing proportion of DOAC; however, the prescription of oral anticoagulants remained almost unchanged in those with CrCl <30 mL/min. In patients with CrCl ≥50 mL/min and 50 mL/min>CrCl≥30 mL/min, the incidence of adverse events, including stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding, was lower among patients enrolled after 2014 than before 2013. However, these trends were not seen in patients with CrCl <30 mL/min.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Despite the increased use of DOAC in patients with AF since 2011, anticoagulation therapy for AF patients with severe renal dysfunction has largely remained unchanged, and a reduction in adverse events in those patients has not been observed.</p>","PeriodicalId":50691,"journal":{"name":"Circulation Journal","volume":" ","pages":"174-183"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142548711","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Circulation JournalPub Date : 2025-01-24Epub Date: 2024-11-15DOI: 10.1253/circj.CJ-24-0827
Tomoya Hara, Masataka Sata
{"title":"Current Real-World Status of Oral Anticoagulant Management in Japanese Patients.","authors":"Tomoya Hara, Masataka Sata","doi":"10.1253/circj.CJ-24-0827","DOIUrl":"10.1253/circj.CJ-24-0827","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Anticoagulant therapy is a drug therapy that inhibits the formation of blood clots. Although anticoagulants are effective in preventing thromboembolism, they also carry the risk of bleeding, so they must be managed carefully, taking both efficacy and safety into account. Evidence regarding the effectiveness and safety of each anticoagulant has already accumulated through many large clinical trials and post-marketing surveillance. However, when making decisions in clinical practice, it is necessary to always take into consideration differences in patient populations between clinical trials and actual clinical practice, as well as differences in historical background. (For example, there are differences in antiplatelet drugs and coronary artery interventions that were mainly used in each era.) In this review we discuss the effectiveness and safety of currently used anticoagulants, focusing on different patient backgrounds and points to keep in mind regarding their proper use, based on the latest reports in Asian populations, especially Japanese people, over the past 1-2 years.</p>","PeriodicalId":50691,"journal":{"name":"Circulation Journal","volume":" ","pages":"150-152"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142649479","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Impact of Underdosing of Direct Oral Anticoagulants on Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.","authors":"Hideki Kitahara, Tatsuro Yamazaki, Takashi Hiraga, Sakuramaru Suzuki, Yuji Ohno, Junya Harada, Kenichi Fukushima, Tatsuhiko Asano, Naoki Ishio, Raita Uchiyama, Hirofumi Miyahara, Shinichi Okino, Masanori Sano, Nehiro Kuriyama, Masashi Yamamoto, Naoya Sakamoto, Junji Kanda, Yoshio Kobayashi","doi":"10.1253/circj.CJ-24-0418","DOIUrl":"10.1253/circj.CJ-24-0418","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Underdoses of direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) are sometimes prescribed due to bleeding risk concerns in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We investigated the prevalence of DOAC underdosing and its impact on clinical outcomes in AF patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).</p><p><strong>Methods and results: </strong>This multicenter observational cohort study enrolled patients with AF on DOAC undergoing PCI between January 2015 and March 2021 at 15 institutions across Japan. Clinical outcomes within 1 year, including major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), all-cause mortality, ischemic stroke, and major bleeding events, were evaluated. Of 623 patients enrolled, 167 (26.8%) received underdoses, 224 (36.0%) received appropriate low doses, 210 (33.7%) received appropriate standard doses, and 22 (3.5%) received overdoses. Clinical outcomes were compared between patients with underdoses (n=167) and appropriate doses (n=434). Although the incidence of MACE, all-cause mortality, and major bleeding events did not differ significantly between the 2 groups (log-rank P=0.850, P=0.163, and P=0.711, respectively), ischemic stroke occurred more frequently in the underdose than appropriate-dose group (log-rank P=0.011). After propensity score matching, the same result was observed for the frequency of ischemic stroke (log-rank P=0.026).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Compared with appropriate doses of DOAC, DOAC underdosing was associated with a higher incidence of ischemic stroke, despite no significant difference in MACE, all-cause mortality, and major bleeding events in AF patients undergoing PCI.</p>","PeriodicalId":50691,"journal":{"name":"Circulation Journal","volume":" ","pages":"195-203"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142878440","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"How Electrical Storms Recur Over Time in Patients With Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators - Subanalysis of the Nippon Storm Study.","authors":"Ryobun Yasuoka, Masahiro Maruyama, Gaku Nakazawa, Takashi Noda, Takashi Nitta, Yoshifusa Aizawa, Tohru Ohe, Takashi Kurita","doi":"10.1253/circj.CJ-24-0390","DOIUrl":"10.1253/circj.CJ-24-0390","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Electrical storms (E-storms), defined as multiple fatal ventricular arrhythmias over a short period, negatively affect the prognosis of patients receiving an implantable cardioverter defibrillator or cardiac resynchronization therapy with a defibrillator (ICD/CRT-D). However, the prognostic impact of recurrent E-storms has not been well elucidated.</p><p><strong>Methods and results: </strong>We analyzed the association between E-storm recurrences and mortality using data from 1,274 participants in the Nippon Storm Study, a prospective observational study conducted at 48 ICD/CRT-D centers in Japan. Differences in E-storm recurrences by patient characteristics were evaluated using the mean cumulative function (MCF), which is the cumulative number of E-storm episodes per patient as a function of time. Patients with multiple E-storms had a 3.39-fold higher mortality risk than those without E-storms (95% confidence interval 1.82-6.28; P<0.01). However, there was no significant difference in mortality risk between patients with a single E-storm and those without E-storms. The MCF curve exhibited a slower ascent in patients who received primary prevention ICD/CRT-D than in those who received secondary prevention ICD/CRT-D. However, when analyzing only patients with E-storms, the MCF curves demonstrated comparable trajectories in both groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>E-storm recurrences may have a negative impact on prognosis. Once patients with primary prevention experience an E-storm episode, they face a similar risk of subsequent recurrent E-storms as patients with secondary prevention.</p>","PeriodicalId":50691,"journal":{"name":"Circulation Journal","volume":" ","pages":"214-223"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142019468","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}