Ventricular fibrillation is examined to determine whether it is an instance of deterministic chaos. Surface ECGs from dogs in fibrillation were used to generate a state space representation of fibrillation. Our analysis failed to identify a low-dimensional attractor that could be associated with fibrillation. The results suggest that fibrillation is similar to a nonchaotic random signal. We not...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Atrial fibrillation frequently complicates CKD and is associated with adverse outcomes. Progression to ESRD is a major complication of CKD, but the link with atrial fibrillation has not been fully delineated. In this study, we examined the association of incident atrial fibrillation with the risk of ESRD in patients with CKD. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREM...

BACKGROUND Chronic liver injury from different etiologies drives liver fibrosis. However, little is known about the associated factors, systemic factors in particular. Recently, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and atrial fibrillation have been shown to be associated with each other. Thereby, we aimed to study the association between atrial fibrillation and liver stiffness. STUDY Ext...

Recent studies have demonstrated that fibrillatory rhythms are not random phenomena but have definable patterns. However, standard mapping techniques may have limitations in their ability to identify the organization of fibrillation. The purpose of this study was to develop and apply a method, "ensemble vector mapping," for characterizing the spatiotemporal organization of fibrillation. Ventric...

BACKGROUND The occurrence of atrial fibrillation after ablation of type I atrial flutter remains an important clinical problem. To gain further insight into the pathogenesis and significance of postablation atrial fibrillation, we examined the time to onset, determinants, and clinical course of atrial fibrillation after ablation of type I flutter in a large patient cohort. METHODS AND RESULTS...

AIMS To characterize the nature and timing of atrial ectopics preceding clinical episodes of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. METHODS AND RESULTS Holter recordings (n= 177, 60 patients, 58% male, mean age 61.7 +/- 11.5 years) were performed on patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. These were subjected to standard analysis and recordings containing atrial fibrillation episodes suitable ...

OBJECTIVE Diabetes has long been recognized as a risk factor for atrial fibrillation, but its independent contribution to atrial fibrillation has not been fully evaluated. We sought to compare the prevalence and incidence of atrial fibrillation in age- and sex-matched patients with and without type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Using an observational cohort design, we selected 10,21...

Na(+) and K(+) channel-blocking drugs have anti- and proarrhythmic effects. Their effects during fibrillation, however, remain poorly understood. We used computer simulation of a two-dimensional (2-D) structurally normal tissue model with phase I of the Luo-Rudy action potential model to study the effects of Na(+) and K(+) channel blockade on vulnerability to and termination of reentry in simul...

BACKGROUND Atrial fibrillation is the most common complication after myocardial revascularization, and it increases morbidity/mortality. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this prospective randomized study was to test the hypothesis that temporary biatrial pacing is effective in reducing the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation after myocardial revascularization. METHODS Ninety-eight non-co...