Joo-Il Choi

BACKGROUND: Being obese or underweight, and having diabetes are important risk factors for new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF). However, it is unclear whether there is any interaction between body weight and diabetes in regard to development of new-onset AF. We aimed to evaluate the role of body weight status and various stage of diabetes on new-onset AF. METHODS: This was a nationwide population based study using National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) data. A total of 9,797,418 patients who un

Remote monitoring is beneficial for the management of patients with cardiovascular implantable electronic devices by impacting morbidity and mortality. With increasing numbers of patients using remote monitoring, keeping up with higher volume of remote monitoring transmissions creates challenges for device clinic staff. This international multidisciplinary document is intended to guide cardiac electrophysiologists, allied professionals, and hospital administrators in managing remote monitoring c

AIMS: Heavy consumption of alcohol is a known risk factor for new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF). We aimed to evaluate the relative importance of frequent drinking vs. binge drinking. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 9 776 956 patients without AF who participated in a national health check-up programme were included in the analysis. The influence of drinking frequency (day per week), alcohol consumption per drinking session (grams per session), and alcohol consumption per week were studied. Compa

This meta-analysis showed that beta-blockers were effective in reducing risk of cardiac events in patients with LQTS. Among them, nadolol was effective in LQT1 and LQT2, whereas other drugs showed different effectiveness depending on LQT genotype.

BACKGROUND: atrial tachycardia (AT) commonly recurs within 3 months after radiofrequency catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF). However, it remains unclear whether early recurrence of atrial tachycardia (ERAT) predicts late recurrence of AF or AT. METHODS: of 352 consecutive patients who underwent circumferential pulmonary vein isolation with or without linear ablation(s) for AF, 56 patients (15.9%) with ERAT were identified by retrospective analysis. ERAT was defined as early relapse o

AIMS: The impact of persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients undergoing radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) is not well known. We performed this analysis to evaluate the electrophysiological characteristics of PLSVC and its role in triggering and maintaining AF. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients with AF referred to two tertiary hospitals were screened and patients with PLSVC in pre-RFCA imaging studies were enrolled. Among 3967 patients, PLSVC was present i

AIMS: There are several non-genetic risk factors for new-onset atrial fibrillation, including age, sex, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and alcohol consumption. However, whether these non-genetic risk factors have equal significance among different age groups is not known. We performed a nationwide population-based analysis to compare the clinical significance of non-genetic risk factors for new-onset atrial fibrillation in various age groups. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 9,797,409 people wi

The benefits of radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) significantly decrease with late recurrence (LR). We aimed to develop a scoring system to identify patients at high and low risk for LR following RFCA, based on a comprehensive evaluation of multiple risk factors for AF recurrence, including echocardiographic parameters. We studied 2,352 patients with AF undergoing first-time RFCA in a single institution. The LR-free survival rate up to 5 years was

This study found that depression was associated with a significantly increased cumulative incidence and risk of new-onset AF. Recurrent episodes of depression were associated with even higher risk. These findings suggest the need for adequate screening for AF in people with depression, particularly in younger people and women.

RFCA is associated with a significant increase in the PCS and MCS in AF patients. Patients without AF recurrence after RFCA had a better improvement in the PCS and MCS than patients who had AF recurrence.

The esterification of aqueous lactic acid solution with methanol and its reverse reaction catalyzed by acidic cation exchange resins in the H+ form were carried out in a batch system. The inhibiting effects of water and methanol on the resins were evaluated. The experimental data were correlated by a kinetic model that the inhibition by methanol and water was included. The reaction rate constants and the adsorption coefficients were determined from the experiments. The activity of acidic resin w

Non-vitamin K antagonist anticoagulants (NOACs) have been used to prevent thromboembolism in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and shown favorable clinical outcomes compared with warfarin. However, off-label use of NOACs is frequent in practice, and its clinical results are inconsistent. Furthermore, the quality of anticoagulation available with warfarin is often suboptimal and even inaccurate in real-world data. We have therefore compared the effectiveness and safety of off-label use of NO

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess whether the morphological and functional changes of the left atrium (LA) differ after catheter ablation (ABL) from those after electrical cardioversion (ECV) in atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS AND RESULTS: AF patients who had maintained sinus rhythm for 3 months after either ECV (n=30) or ABL (n=33) were studied. Both 2-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography were performed at baseline, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after these procedures. LA di