Background Leadless pacemaker is a novel technology, and evidence supporting its use is uncertain. We performed a systematic review and meta‐analysis to examine the safety and efficacy of leadless pacemakers implanted in the right ventricle. Methods and Results We searched PubMed and Embase for studies published before June 6, 2020. The primary safety outcome was major complications, whereas the primary efficacy end point was acceptable pacing capture threshold (≤2 V). Pooled estimates were calculated using the Freedman‐Tukey double arcsine transformation. Of 1281 records screened, we identified 36 observational studies of Nanostim and Micra leadless pacemakers, with most (69.4%) reporting outcomes for the Micra. For Micra, the pooled incidence of complications at 90 days (n=1608) was 0.46% (95% CI, 0.08%–1.05%) and at 1 year (n=3194) was 1.77% (95% CI, 0.76%–3.07%). In 5 studies with up to 1‐year follow‐up, Micra was associated with 51% lower odds of complications compared with transvenous pacemakers (3.30% versus 7.43%; odds ratio [OR], 0.49; 95% CI, 0.34–0.70). At 1 year, 98.96% (95% CI, 97.26%–99.94%) of 1376 patients implanted with Micra had good pacing capture thresholds. For Nanostim, the reported complication incidence ranged from 6.06% to 23.54% at 90 days and 5.33% to 6.67% at 1 year, with 90% to 100% having good pacing capture thresholds at 1 year (pooled result not estimated because of the low number of studies). Conclusions Most studies report outcomes for the Micra, which is associated with a low risk of complications and good electrical performance up to 1‐year after implantation. Further data from randomized controlled trials are needed to support the widespread adoption of these devices in clinical practice.

Aims Contemporary long‐term survival following a heart failure (HF) hospitalization is uncertain. We evaluated survival up to 10 years after a HF hospitalization using national data from Australia and New Zealand, identified predictors of survival, and estimated the attributable loss in life expectancy. Methods and results Patients hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of HF from 2008–2017 were identified and all‐cause mortality assessed by linking with Death Registries. Flexible parametric survival models were used to estimate survival, predictors of survival and loss in life expectancy. A total of 283 048 patients with HF were included (mean age 78.2 ± 12.3 years, 50.8% male). Of these, 48.3% (48.1–48.5) were surviving by 3 years, 34.1% (33.9–34.3) by 5 years and 17.1% (16.8–17.4) by 10 years (median survival 2.8 years). Survival declined with age with 53.4% of patients aged 18–54 years and 6.2% aged ≥85 years alive by 10 years (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] for mortality 4.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.65–5.04 for ≥85 years vs. 18–54 years) and was worse in male patients (aHR 1.14, 95% CI 1.13–1.15). Prior HF (aHR 1.20, 95% CI 1.18–1.22), valvular and rheumatic heart disease (aHR 1.11, 95% CI 1.10–1.13) and vascular disease (aHR 1.07, 95% CI 1.04–1.09) were cardiovascular comorbidities most strongly associated with long‐term death. Non‐cardiovascular comorbidities and geriatric syndromes were common and associated with higher mortality. Compared with the general population, HF was associated with a loss of 7.3 years in life expectancy (or 56.6% of the expected life expectancy) and reached 20.5 years for those aged 18–54 years. Conclusion Less than one in five patients hospitalized for HF were surviving by 10 years with patients experiencing almost 60% loss in life expectancy compared with the general population, highlighting the considerable persisting societal burden of HF. Concerted multidisciplinary efforts are needed to improve post‐hospitalization outcomes of HF.

BACKGROUND: Data on long-term outcomes following an acute stroke are sparse. We assessed survival, risk of recurrent stroke and loss in life expectancy following an acute stroke using population-wide data from Australia and New Zealand. METHODS: We included all adults with the first stroke hospitalization during 2008 and 2017 at all public and most private hospitals. Patients were followed up to 10 years after the stroke by linkage to each region’s Registry of Deaths and subsequent hospitalizations. Flexible parametric survival modeling was used to estimate all-cause mortality, stroke recurrence, and loss in life expectancy. Competing risk model was used when estimating the risk of stroke recurrence. RESULTS: Three hundred thirteen thousand one hundred sixty-two patients were included (mean age 73.0±14.6 y, 52.0% males) with ischemic stroke (175 547, 56.1%) being the most common, followed by hemorrhagic stroke (77 940, 24.9%) and unspecified stroke (59 675, 19.1%). The overall survival probability was 79.4% at 3 months, 73.0% at 1 year, 52.8% at 5 years, and 36.4% at 10 years. Cumulative incidence of stroke recurrence was 7.8% at 3 months, 11.0% at 1 year, 19.8% at 5 years, and 26.8% at 10 years. Hemorrhagic stroke was associated with greater mortality (hazard ratio, 2.02 [95% CI, 1.99–2.04]) and recurrent stroke (hazard ratio, 1.63 [95% CI, 1.59–1.67]) compared with ischemic stroke. Female sex (hazard ratio, 1.10 [95% CI, 1.09–1.11]) and increasing age (≥85 years versus 18–54 years: hazard ratio, 7.36 [95% CI, 7.15–7.57]) were also associated with increased mortality. Several risk factors including atherosclerotic coronary and noncoronary vascular disease, cardiac arrhythmia, and diabetes were associated with increased risk of mortality and recurrent stroke. Compared with the general population, an acute stroke was associated with a loss of 5.5 years of life expectancy, or 32.7% of the predicted life expectancy, and was pronounced in patients with a hemorrhagic stroke (7.4 years and 38.5% of predicted life expectancy lost). CONCLUSIONS: In this population-wide study, death and recurrence of stroke were common after an acute stroke and an acute stroke was associated with considerable loss in life expectancy. Further improvements in treatment and secondary prevention of stroke are needed to reduce these risks.