Gaku Sekita

Prevalence of amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis and associated risk factors in Japanese patients.

Amiodarone is a widely used agent for life-threatening arrhythmias. Although amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis (AIT) is a major adverse effect that can cause recurrence of arrhythmias and exacerbation of heart failure, risk factors for AIT among amiodarone-treated Japanese patients have not been elucidated. Here, we investigated the prevalence and predictive factors for AIT. The study subjects were 225 patients treated with amiodarone between 2008 and 2012, who were euthyroid before amiodarone therapy. All patients with AIT were diagnosed by measurement of thyroid hormones and ultrasonography. Among the 225 subjects, 13 patients (5.8%) developed AIT and all the patients were classified as Type 2 AIT. Baseline features of patients with AIT were not different from those who did not develop AIT, except for age (AIT, 55.1 ± 13.8, non-AIT, 68.1 ± 12.0 years, P < 0.001). Multivariate analyses using the Cox proportional hazard model identified age as the sole determinant of AIT (hazard ratio: 0.927, 95% confidence interval: 0.891–0.964). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis identified age of 63.5 years as the cutoff value for AIT with sensitivity of 70.3% and specificity of 69.2%. In summary, this study showed that the prevalence of AIT is 5.8% in Japanese patients treated with amiodarone and that young age is a risk factor for AIT.

Rapid Improvement and Long-term Stability of Pacing Threshold with Active-fixation Screw-in Lead

Background: Active‐fixation screw‐in leads are associated with initially high thresholds. However, pacing thresholds have been shown to improve within several minutes after screwin. The aim of this study is to investigate the long‐term stability of rapidly improved pacing thresholds following the implantation of active‐fixation screw‐in leads.

A proposal of clinical ECG index “vagal score” for determining the mechanism of paroxysmal atrioventricular block

Paroxysmal atrioventricular block (P‐AVB) is a well‐known cause of syncope; however, its underlying mechanism is difficult to determine. This study aimed to evaluate a new ECG index, the “vagal score (VS),” to determine the mechanism of P‐AVB.

The use of serum bepridil concentration as a safe rhythm control strategy in patients with atrial tachyarrhythmias

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of serum bepridil (Bep) concentration (SBC) for safely managing patients with atrial tachyarrhythmias (AT).

Long-term reliability of sweet-tip type screw-in leads

Active fixation leads have provided stable atrial and ventricular pacing; however, long‐term follow‐up data have not been satisfactory. The purpose of this study was to investigate the long‐term reliability of active fixation leads and their electrical characteristic stability.

Bradyarrhythmias may induce central sleep apnea in a patient with obstructive sleep apnea

Abstract The relationship between central sleep apnea (CSA) and bradyarrhythmia remains unclear. We report the case of a 70-year-old man with severe obstructive sleep apnea and bradyarrhythmia due to sick sinus syndrome in whom concomitant CSA was alleviated after pacemaker implantation.

Twiddler's syndrome detected by patient's complaint of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator rotation in the subcutaneous pocket

Twiddlers syndrome presents as a rare implantable‐cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) malfunction that is potentially fatal. The following case is that of a 79‐year‐old woman, who was implanted with an ICD and experienced Twiddlers syndrome. Five months after the implantation, the patient complained that the generator sometimes rotated in the subcutaneous pocket. Fluoroscopy showed that the generator had rotated and the leads were twisted, which is compatible with Twiddlers syndrome. Although all the leads were functioning normally, a procedure to repair the twisted leads was performed. Twiddlers syndrome is usually detected due to a serious device malfunction; however, this case study suggests that it can be detected prior to ICD malfunction by the patients complaint.

Stability of intrinsic rhythm in pacemaker-dependent patients during pacemaker replacement: Can we predict the need for temporary pacing?

In pacemaker‐dependent patients, the risk of asystole must be managed during device replacement. This study aimed to examine whether we could predict the indication for temporary pacing (TP) during the generator replacement.

Watching National Team Matches in World Cup Soccer 2014 on Television was Associated with Increasing Frequency of Premature Ventricular Contractions

Objective: Psychological triggers, such as emotional stress, increase the incidence of acute cardiovascular events. The association between soccer championships and risk of cardiovascular events remains controversial. A World Cup Soccer (WCS) match involving a national team might be a strong enough trigger to induce cardiovascular events. However, there are no reports of a multicenter study that has investigated the relationship between watching WCS and cardiac arrhythmia. Methods: We assessed 25 patients who were evaluated for ischemic changes and/or arrhythmia using 24-h Holter electrocardiography in four cardiology divisions during WCS 2014. The patients were divided into two groups: the watching (W) group consisted of 7 patients who watched WCS on live television and the Non-Watching (NW) group consisted of 18 patients who did not watch WCS. Heart rates, arrhythmia, and ischemic changes were evaluated. Results: There were no differences in the clinical characteristics, heart rates, premature atrial contraction frequencies, and ischemic changes between the two groups. Although there were no differences in total Premature Ventricular Contractions (PVCs), the frequency of PVCs during matches (61 ± 101 vs. 7 ± 8, P = 0.03) and 1 hour before matches (15 ± 17 vs. 3 ± 5, P = 0.01) were significantly higher in the W group than in the NW group. No sustained ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation was observed. Conclusions: A significant association between watching WCS and frequency of PVCs was observed in patients with/or suspected of having cardiovascular disease. Received Date: February 13, 2016 Accepted Date: March 28, 2016 Published Date: April 01, 2016 Citation: Shimada, K., et al. Watching National Team Matches in World Cup Soccer 2014 on Television was Associated with Increasing Frequency of Premature Ventricular Contractions. (2016) J Heart Cardiol 2(1): 17-21. DOI: 10.15436/2378-6914.16.022 Journal of Heart and Cardiology Open Access Review Article Copyrights:

Variations in cephalic vein venography for device implantation–Relationship to success rate of lead implantation

Lead implantation using the cephalic vein (CV) cutdown technique has been well established, but is not always expected to achieve high success rates. We studied the relationship between preoperative CV venography and the success rate of lead implantation.