†Deceased (see In Memoriam at the end of this document) *Representative of the Pediatric and Congenital Electrophysiology Society (PACES) ‡Representative of the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) xRepresentative of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) {Representative of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) #Representative of the Latin American Heart Rhythm Society (LAHRS) **Representative of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) ‡ ‡Representative of the American Heart Association (AHA) xxRepresentative of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) {{Representative of the Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society (APHRS)

The KB algorithm for AF detection supported by physician review can accurately differentiate AF from SR. This technology can help screen patients prior to elective CV and avoid unnecessary procedures.

Background-Atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation is increasingly used in clinical practice. We aimed to study the natural history and long-term outcomes of ablated AF. Methods and Results-We followed 831 patients after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) performed in 2005. We documented clinical outcomes using our prospective AF registry with most recent update on this group of patients in October 2009. In the first year after ablation, 23.8% had early recurrence. Over long-term follow-up (55 months), only 8.9% had late arrhythmia recurrence defined as occurring beyond the first year after ablation. Repeat ablations in patients with late recurrence revealed conduction recovery in at least 1 of the previously isolated PVs in all of them and right-sided triggers with isoproterenol testing in 55.6%. At last follow-up, clinical improvement was 89.9% (79.4% arrhythmia-free off antiarrhythmic drugs and 10.5% with AF controlled with antiarrhythmic drugs). Only 4.6% continued to have drug-resistant AF. It was possible to safely discontinue anticoagulation in a substantial proportion of patients with no recurrence in the year after ablation (CHADS score Յ2, stroke incidence of 0.06% per year). The procedure-related complication rate was very low. Conclusions-Pulmonary vein isolation is safe and efficacious for long-term maintenance of sinus rhythm and control of symptoms in patients with drug-resistant AF. It obviates the need for antiarrhythmic drugs, negative dromotropic agents, and anticoagulants in a substantial proportion of patients. (Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol. 2011;4:271-278.)

Isolated left ventricular noncompaction (ILVNC) is a cardiomyopathy that was first described in 1926 as a "spongy myocardium." The disorder results from intrauterine arrest of compaction of the loose interwoven meshwork of the fetal myocardial primordium and subsequent persistence of deep trabecular recesses in the myocardial wall. The classical clinical presentation is a triad of heart failure, arrhythmias, and embolic events from mural thrombi. ILVNC has been associated with several autosomal dominant, X-linked, and mitochondrial genetic mutations that are also shared among other cardiomyopathies. Over the past decade, ILVNC has been subject to intensive research, as it increases the risk for sudden cardiac death. This review focuses on the current understanding of ILVNC in adult populations and attempts to provide organized insight into the disease process, screening, diagnosis, management, role of device therapy, and prognosis.

Large-scale studies of genomic variation could assist efforts to eliminate malaria.