No abstract

Compared with standard CRT treatment, the use of speckle-tracking echocardiography to the target LV lead placement yields significantly improved response and clinical status and lower rates of combined death and heart failure-related hospitalization. (Targeted Left Ventricular Lead Placement to Guide Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy [TARGET] study); ISRCTN19717943).

Background-Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is an incretin hormone secreted postprandially that promotes myocardial glucose uptake. The active amide GLP-1 (7-36) is degraded by the enzyme DPP-4, and drugs that inhibit this enzyme (such as sitagliptin) have been introduced to treat type 2 diabetes. We assessed the hypothesis that increasing the plasma concentration of GLP-1 by DPP-4 inhibition would protect the heart from ischemic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction during dobutamine stress echocardiography in patients with coronary artery disease. Methods and Results-Fourteen patients with coronary artery disease and preserved LV function awaiting revascularization were studied. After either a single dose of 100 mg sitagliptin or placebo, 75 g of glucose was given orally to promote GLP-1 secretion and dobutamine stress echocardiography was conducted with tissue Doppler imaging at rest, peak stress, and 30 minutes. After sitagliptin, plasma GLP-1 (7-36) was increased at peak stress (16.5Ϯ10.7 versus 9.7Ϯ8.7 pg/mL; Pϭ0.003) and in recovery (12.4Ϯ5.5 versus 9.0Ϯ5.5 pg/mL; Pϭ0.01), and the LV response to stress was enhanced (ejection fraction, 72.6Ϯ7.

Presurgical ATG therapy lowers GH and IGF-1 concentrations, induces tumor shrinkage, and ameliorates/reverses cardiac, vascular, and sleep complications in many patients with acromegaly. However, responses vary considerably between individuals, and attainment of biochemical control cannot be assumed to equate to universal complication control.

The discovery that bradyarrhythmias heralded terminal cardiac decompensation in most patients with severe cardiac AL amyloidosis supports a study of prophylactic pacemaker insertion in this patient population.

Background-The incretin hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) has been shown to have cardioprotective properties in animal models of ischemia and infarction due to promotion of myocardial glucose uptake and suppression of apoptosis. We investigated whether GLP-1 protected the heart from dysfunction caused by supply ischemia during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods and Results-Twenty patients with normal left ventricular (LV) function and single-vessel coronary disease within the left anterior descending artery undergoing elective PCI were studied. A conductance catheter was placed into the LV through the femoral artery, and pressure-volume loops were recorded at baseline and during a 1-minute low-pressure balloon occlusion at the site of the stenosis. The patients were randomized to receive an infusion of either GLP-1(7-36) amide at 1.2 pmol/kg per minute or saline immediately after the first balloon occlusion. Coronary balloon occlusion caused LV stunning in the control group with cumulative LV dysfunction on subsequent occlusion that was not seen in the GLP-1 group. GLP-1 improved recovery of LV systolic and diastolic function at 30 minutes after balloon occlusion compared with control (delta dP/dt max from baseline, Ϫ1.6% versus Ϫ12.2%; Pϭ0.02) and reduced the LV dysfunction after the second balloon occlusion (delta dP/dt max , Ϫ13.1% versus Ϫ25.3%; Pϭ0.01). Conclusions-In

ISRCTN 69686930.

Introduction Cryoballoon ablation is an established technique to achieve pulmonary vein isolation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Recently, a new manufacturer of cryoballoon achieved regulatory CE marking (POLARx™; Boston Scientific). We describe our early experience of using this new market entrant of the technology and describe procedural aspects in comparison to the incumbent Medtronic Arctic Front Advance™. Methods We assessed the first 40 AF ablations performed with the POLARx catheter at the Barts Heart Centre. These patients were compared with a contemporaneous series of patients undergoing ablation by the same operators using the Arctic Front Advance. Procedural metrics were prospectively recorded. Results A total of four operators undertook 40 cases using the POLARx catheter, compared with 40 cases using the Arctic Front Advance. Procedure times (60.0 vs. 60.0 min) were similar between the two technologies, however left atrial dwell time (35.0 vs 39.0 min) and fluoroscopy times (3.3 vs. 5.2 min) were higher with the POLARx. Measured nadir and isolation balloon temperatures were significantly lower with POLARx. Almost all veins were isolated with a median freezing time of 16.0 (POLARx) versus 15.0 (Arctic Front Advance) min. The rate of procedural complications was low in both groups. Conclusion The POLARx cryoballoon is effective for pulmonary vein isolation. Measured isolation and nadir temperatures are lower compared with the predicate Arctic Front Advance catheter. The technology appears similar in acute efficacy and has a short learning curve, but formal dosing studies may be required to prove equivalence of efficacy.