An effective risk stratification which could help us identify high-risk patients who should take oral anticoagulants (OACs) is the key step for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (SPAF). Several scoring systems were available to estimate the risk of stroke in AF, including CHADS2, CHA2DS2-VASc, R2CHADS2 and ATRIA scores, which were constituted of different clinical risk factors. Recently,...

BACKGROUND More accurate and reliable stroke risk prediction tools are needed to optimize anticoagulation decision making in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We developed a new AF stroke prediction model using the original Anticoagulation and Risk Factors in Atrial Fibrillation (ATRIA) AF cohort and externally validated the score in a separate, contemporary, community-based inception AF ...

Although diabetes has been identified as a major risk factor for atrial fibrillation, little is known about glucose metabolism in the healthy and diabetic atria. Glucose transport into the cell, the rate-limiting step of glucose utilization, is regulated by the Glucose Transporters (GLUTs). Although GLUT4 is the major isoform in the heart, GLUT8 has recently emerged as a novel cardiac isoform. ...

Maintenance of atrial fibrillation is a complex mechanism, including extensive electrical and structural remodeling of the atria which involves progressive fibrogenesis. Galectin-3 is a biomarker of fibrosis, and, thus, may be involved in atrial remodeling in atrial fibrillation patients. We review the role of galectin-3 in AF mechanisms and its potential therapeutic implications.

Investigation of the development of atrial fibrillation in-vivo is difficult as the occurrence is spontaneous and ECG signals of the atria are complex during fibrillation. In this study the model of Courtemanche et al. is parameterized such that it reproduces different action potential morphologies observed in mammal experiments. In 3D simulations on an anatomical atrial model the heterogeneous...

In adults a tachycardia is any heart rate greater than 100 beats per minute. Supraventricular tachycardias may be divided into two distinct groups depending on whether they arise from the atria or the atrioventricular junction. This article will consider those arising from the atria: sinus tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and atrial tachycardia. Tachycardias arising from re-ent...

Atrial fibrillation is the most common supraventricular tachycardia, incidence of which increases with age. This arrhythmia consequenсe multiple cardiac and noncardiac pathology. The significant side effects atrial are thromboembolic complications. It generally accepted that source these embolisms a thrombus in left appendage. However, risk thromboembolism also occurs after onset rhythm, can le...

Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia in humans. The mechanisms underlying its induction and maintenance are not fully understood. However, it seems likely that, similar to sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias, atrial fibrillation induction and maintenance are related to the presence of an anatomical and/or electrophysiological substrate, activated by specific triggers (ectopic be...

Motivation. In medical field, particularly the cardiology, the diagnosis systems constitute the essential domain of research. In some applications, the traditional methods of classification present some limitations. The neuronal technique is considered as one of the promising algorithms to resolve such problem. Method. In this paper, two approaches of the Artificial Neuronal Network (ANN) techn...

BACKGROUND Amiodarone and ranolazine have been characterized as inactivated- and activated-state blockers of cardiac sodium channel current (I(Na)), respectively, and shown to cause atrial-selective depression of I(Na)-related parameters. This study tests the hypothesis that their combined actions synergistically depress I(Na)-dependent parameters in atria but not ventricles. METHODS AND RESU...