Evaluation of atrial vulnerability immediately after radiofrequency catheter ablation of accessory pathway in patients with Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome

Purpose  

The intrinsic atrial vulnerability is proposed as one of the mechanisms of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) in Wolff–Parkinson–White (WPW) syndrome. In this study, we examined the early changes in atrial refractoriness and intra- and inter-atrial conduction times after radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation of accessory pathway (AP).     

Ventricular fibrillation as a primary manifestation of Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome

Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome (WPW) is defined as a condition involving an accessory pathway associated with symptoms. A typical ECG pattern of a pre-excitation shows a short PQ interval, presence of delta wave and a broad QRS complex on surface ECG. The underlying mechanism involves an accessory pathway, which enables conduction of a depolarization wave from atria to ventricles bypassing the AV node and predisposes to arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. The most common arrhythmia in patients with WPW syndrome is atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia. However, it is not present in all patients with pre-excitation [1], [2], [3], [4]. Up to 1/3 of patients with AVRT experience atrial fibrillation, which may be conducted to ventricular myocardium via the accessory pathway and lead to a life-threatening ventricular fibrillation. The most effective treatment of the WPW syndrome is a radiofrequency catheter ablation [2], [5], [6], [7], [8]. This paper describes a case of a 40-year-old woman after a cardiopulmonary resuscitation for ventricular fibrillation, which was a primary manifestation of the WPW syndrome. It focuses on pathophysiology, clinical pattern and treatment possibilities of patients with WPW syndrome.     

Clinical features of Kashin–Beck disease in adults younger than 50 years of age during a low incidence period: severe elbow and knee lesions

More than one million people are affected by Kashin–Beck disease (KBD) in a limited endemic area. However, few studies focused on the clinical features of adult KBD patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical features of adult KBD patients who were younger than 50 years of age during a low incidence period. A special questionnaire was designed that surveyed general data, clinical symptoms, and signs and included the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Anthropometrics, the joint VAS, the range of joint motion (ROM), and joint function were measured. The VAS and joint dysfunction were compared among the different joints of extremities, and the relationship among the VAS, ROM, age, course of KBD, and number of enlarged knee and elbow joints elbow was analyzed. Two hundred forty-nine adult Tibetan KBD patients, matched with 249 healthy control subjects, have been surveyed. The VAS results show that the knee is the joint associated with the most pain, followed by the elbow. The elbow shows a higher percentage of limited ROM (47.0 %). The number of enlarged joints has a significant correlation with the VAS or elbow and knee ROM compared with the age or course of disease (P?<?0.05). Severe elbow and knee lesions are important clinical features of KBD in adults younger than 50 years of age during a low incidence period. The number of enlarged joints can partially predict the VAS or ROM of elbow and knee and may be used for evaluating the patient’s condition and function.     

Ten-year natural course of habitual snoring and restless legs syndrome in a population aged 61–63?years at the baseline

Purpose

We investigated the prevalence, natural course, and associated risk factors of habitual snoring (HS) and restless legs syndrome (RLS) over a period of 10?years among an aging population from their early sixties to their seventies.

Methods

A population-based follow-up study among all persons born in 1935 and living in the city of Oulu in northern Finland was conducted. In this study, we examined subjects who had participated in two subsequent surveys conducted in 1996?C1998 and 2007?C2008. The data were gathered by questionnaires, as well as by laboratory and clinical measurements.

Results

Altogether 457 (55%) of the 838 eligible subjects participated in both surveys. The prevalence of both RLS and HS decreased during the 10?years from 21% to 15% and from 26% to 19%, respectively. Half of those who snored in 1996?C1998 stopped snoring in 10?years time, and half of those who suffered from restless legs at least three times per week in 1996?C1998 suffered from this syndrome never or less than once a week in 2007?C2008. The 10-year incidence of new cases of both HS and RLS was 7%. Male gender predicted best the incidence of new HS in 10?years, while the Zung sum score as a marker of depressive symptoms and waist circumference predicted RLS.

Conclusions

Overall, the prevalence of both HS and RLS seems to diminish during aging. The causes behind this still remain unknown and should be investigated with more sophisticated methods.     

Predicting metabolic syndrome by anthropometric measures among adults 35–65 years in the west of Iran; a cross sectional study from an Iranian RaNCD cohort data

AimsAnthropometric indices have been proposed for the early detection of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its risk factors. The present study aimed to determine optimal cutoff points for the Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist Circumference (WC), and Waist Hip Ratio (WHR) in the prediction of MetS.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was performed on 9746 adults 35–65 years, recruited in Ravansar Non-Communicable Diseases (RaNCD) cohort. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to compare the predictive validity and determine optimal cutoff values.ResultsThe optimal cutoff points for BMI, WC and WHR were 27.3 kg/m² (AUC: 78.6; 95%CI 77.1, 80.1), 97 cm (AUC: 63.8; 95%CI 60.4, 67.2) and 0.95 (AUC: 75.5; 95% CI 73.9, 77.1), respectively in men for the prediction of MetS. But in women the optimal cutoff points for BMI, WC and WHR were 28.6 kg/m² (AUC: 65.7; 95%CI 62.1, 69.4), 98.1 cm (AUC: 65.6; 95%CI 62.4,68.8) and 0.95 (AUC:62.39; 95%CI 60.9,63.9). The risk of MetS in men and women with a BMI higher than the optimal cutoff point was respectively 2.23 and 2.30 times higher than that in those with a WC lower than the cutoff point.ConclusionsBMI is a better predictor of MetS than WC and WHR in adults 35–65 years. We recommend that the optimal cut off point be set for men 27.3 kg/m² and for women 28.6 kg/m².     

Bone metabolism and the 10-year probability of hip fracture and a major osteoporotic fracture using the country-specific FRAX algorithm in men over 50 years of age with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a case–control study

The aim of the study was to evaluate the 10-year probability of hip fracture and a major osteoporotic fracture using the FRAX algorithm, vitamin D status, bone mineral density (BMD), and biochemical markers of bone turnover in men over 50 years of age with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We estimated FRAX-predicted 10-year fracture probability, levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-D), markers of bone turnover, and bone mineral density at the L1–L4 (lumbar spine (LS)) and femur neck (FN) in 68 men with T2DM and compared these with an age-matched group (n?=?68). The mean (range) age of the T2DM group was 61.4 (51–78)?years. The prevalence of hypovitaminosis D (25-OH-D <75 nmol/L) was 59 %. The mean (range) FRAX hip fracture and FRAX major osteoporotic fracture was 0.7 (0–2.8) and 3.2 (0–8.5)?%, respectively. BMD at the FN (0.974 vs. 0.915 g/cm², p?=?0.008) and LS (1.221 vs. 1.068 g/cm², p?<?0.001) was significantly higher in the T2DM cohort as compared to the healthy age-matched males. 25-OH-vitamin D (67.7 vs.79.8 nmol/L, p?<?0.001), crosslaps (0.19 vs. 0.24 μg/L, p?=?0.004), and osteocalcin (13.3 vs. 15.7 μg/L, p?=?0.004) were significantly lower in the T2DM group. There was no difference in FRAX-related fracture probability between the two groups. Acknowledging the limitations of our study size, we suggest that the increased BMD in T2DM and the noninclusion of T2DM as a secondary risk factor in the FRAX algorithm may be probable explanations for the discordance between literature-observed and FRAX-related fracture probabilities.