We clearly showed that the expression of the MMP-9 increased in fibrillating atrial tissue, which may have contributed to the atrial structural remodeling and atrial dilatation during AF.

SummaryBackground: Myocardial bridging (MB) has been associated with cardiac events. Whether coronary spasm is one factor contributing to those events is unknown.Hypothesis: This study investigated whether the likelihood of coronary spasm is increased in patients with MB.Methods: A spasm-provocation test was performed by infusing acetylcholine into the left coronary artery in 114 Japanese patients with chest pain. The test result was defined as positive when the diameter of the coronary artery was reduced by ≥ 50% and ST-segment changes were documented. Myocardial bridging was defined as a > 15% reduction in coronary arterial diameter during systole after intracoronary injection of nitroglycerin.Results: Myocardial bridging was identified in 41 patients (36%) and was located in the mid-segment of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) in all patients. Patients with MB experienced coronary spasm more frequently than patients without MB (MB+: 73%; MBϪ: 40%, p = 0.0006). Furthermore, among patients with a positive spasm-provocation test, coronary spasm occurred more frequently in the midsegment of the LAD in patients with MB than in those without MB (MB+: 73%; MBϪ: 45%, p = 0.0259). Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that MB was a predictor of coronary spasm (odds ratio: 3.478, p = 0.0088).

No abstract

The repolarization abnormalities in congenital LQTS were attenuated by increasing the heart rate, which supported the efficacy of pacemaker therapy. However, during sympathetic stimulation, the effects of increased heart rate on these repolarization abnormalities were limited.

A transthoracic LAAWV <10cm/s in persistent AF patients with a low CHADS2 score may be a very specific diagnostic tool for evaluating severe SEC, one of the high risk factors for thromboembolism.