Memory for pain is an important research and clinical issue since patients ability to accurately recall pain plays a prominent role in medical practice. The purpose of this prospective study was to find out if patients, with an episode of chest pain due to suspected acute myocardial infarction could accurately retrieve the pain initially experienced at home and during the first day of hospitalization after 6 months. A total of 177 patients were included in this analysis. The patients rated their experience of pain on a numerical rating scale. The maximal pain at home was retrospectively assessed, thereafter pain assessments were made at several points of time after admission. After 6 months they were asked to recall the intensity of pain and once again rate it on the numerical rating scale. The results from the initial and 6-month registrations were compared. In general, patients rated their maximal intensity of chest pain as being higher at the 6-month recollection as compared with the assessments made during the initial hospitalization. In particular, in patients with a high level of emotional distress, there was a systematic overestimation of the pain intensity at recall.

Abstract. Andersson P, Löndahl M, Abdon N-J, Terent A (Hudiksvall Hospital, Hudiksvall; Lund University, Lund; and Uppsala University, Uppsala; Sweden). The prevalence of atrial fibrillation in a geographically well-defined population in Northern Sweden: implications for anticoagulation prophylaxis. J Intern Med 2012; 272:170-176.Objectives. The aims of this study were to evaluate the community-based prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in a western society using a geographically welldefined population in the northern part of Sweden as a reference and to estimate the proportion of patients eligible for oral anticoagulation (OAC) prophylactic therapy according to the stroke risk indices CHADS 2 and CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc. Bleeding risk was assessed using the HAS-BLED score.Design. The study population was recruited from AURICULA, a Swedish national quality register for patients receiving anticoagulation treatment. All patients with the diagnosis AF in the catchment area are registered in AURICULA.Results. Of the 65 532 inhabitants in the catchment area, 1616 were diagnosed with AF (1200 cases were characterized as chronic AF). Thus, the overall prevalence of AF was 2.5%. The prevalence increased with age from 6.3% in patients over 55 years of age to 13.8% in those over 80 years. The prevalence was higher in men than in women in all age groups. Overall, 56.3% and 85.1% of the population were at high risk of stroke ( ‡2 points) according to CHADS 2 and CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc, respectively. In addition, 26.9% had an increased bleeding risk according to HAS-BLED. Conclusion.Within this large Caucasian population, we identified the highest community-based prevalence of AF to date. The prevalence was strongly associated with increasing age and male gender. Using CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc instead of CHADS 2 widened the indication for OAC prophylactic therapy of AF in this population.

To assess the importance of occult atrial disorder with possible embolization as a cause of non-hemorrhagic stroke, 68 patients with neurologic symptoms lasting 24 hours or more and 18 patients with transient ischemic attacks were examined by long-term electrocardiographic recording (LTER). Lacking matched controls we used a reference population of 103 elderly subjects selected at random from the general population for a previous LTER study. Permanent or episodic atrial arrhythmias of types known to cause cerebral embolization were detected by LTER in 32 (47%) of the 68 patients with a clinical diagnosis of cerebral embolization or thrombosis and in 6 (33%) of the 18 patients with transient ischemic attacks. Of the 38 patients with atrial arrhythmia during LTER 17 had such arrhythmias in their standard ECGs. This frequency of atrial arrhythmias during LTER differs from that of the reference population (p less than 0.025). Thirteen of 16 patients with multiple cerebral lesions had signs of atrial arrhythmia during LTER. Patients having occult atrial disorder with episodic atrial arrhythmia may be an important and common risk group for non-hemorrhagic stroke in addition to the previously recognized group of patients with atrial arrhythmia detectable in the standard ECG. LTER may be important in the evaluation of patients with unexplained stroke.

ObjectiveIn order to avoid effects of referral bias, we assessed risk factors for disease-related mortality in a geographical cohort of patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM), and any therapy effect on survival.MethodsDiagnostic databases in 10 hospitals in the West Götaland Region yielded 251 adult patients with HOCM (128 male, 123 female). Case notes were reviewed for clinical data and ECG and ultrasound findings. Beta-blockers were used in 71.3% of patients from diagnosis (median metoprolol-equivalent dose of 125 mg/day), and at latest follow-up in 86.1%; 121 patients had medical therapy alone, 88 short atrioventricular delay pacing and 42 surgical myectomy. Mean follow-up was 14.4±8.9 (mean±SD) years. Primary endpoint was disease-related death, and secondary endpoint heart failure deaths.ResultsThere were 65 primary endpoint events. Independent risk factors for disease-related death on multivariate Cox hazard regression were: female sex (p=0.005), age at diagnosis (p<0.001), outflow gradient ≥50 mm Hg at diagnosis (p=0.036) and at follow-up (p=0.001). Heart failure caused 62% of deaths, and sudden cardiac death 17%. Late independent predictors of heart failure death were: female sex (p=0.003), outflow gradient ≥50 mm Hg at latest follow-up (p=0.032), verapamil/diltiazem therapy (p=0.012) and coexisting hypertension (p=0.031), but not other comorbidities. Neither myectomy nor pacing modified survival, but early and maintained beta-blocker therapy was associated with dose-dependent reduction in disease-related mortality in the multivariate model (p=0.028), and final dose was also associated with reduced heart failure mortality (p=0.008). Kaplan-Meier survival curves analysed in initial dose bands of 0–74, 75–149 and ≥150 mg metoprolol/day showed 10-year freedom from disease-related deaths of 83.1%, 90.7% and 97.0%, respectively (ptrend=0.00008). Even after successful relief of outflow obstruction by intervention, there was survival benefit of metoprolol doses ≥100 mg/day (p=0.01).ConclusionsIn population-based HOCM cohorts heart failure is a dominant cause of death and on multivariate analysis beta-blocker therapy was associated with a dose-dependent cardioprotective effect on total, disease-related as well as heart failure-related mortality.

AimsExamination of long-term results following different treatments in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) in a complete geographical cohort.Methods and resultsHOCM patients attending during 2002–13 in all 10 hospitals in the West Götaland Region, Sweden, were identified (n = 251), follow-up 14.4 (±8.9) years (mean ± SD), 121 managed medically, 42 treated with myectomy and 88 with short atrioventricular (AV) delay pacing as first interventional procedure. Post-intervention follow-up was 12.9 ± 8.7 years and 12.2 ± 5.0 years, respectively. Both intervention treatments improved New York Heart Association (NYHA) class and outflow gradients significantly. Patients treated with pacing were older (median age 64 vs. 43 years, P < 0.001). Freedom from disease-related death post-procedure at 5, 10, and 20 years were 93%, 80%, 56% vs. 93%, 93%, 57% in pacing and myectomy groups, respectively (log-rank P = 0.43). Survival after diagnosis was not different in patients just treated conservatively (P = 0.51 pacing/conservative; P = 0.39 myectomy/conservative). Reintervention for outflow gradients in patients ≥18 years at procedure occurred in 3.5% in pacing group and 15.6% in myectomy group (P = 0.007). Pacing therapy was equally effective in patients aged 13–64 years (n = 44), as in patients ≥65 years (n = 44): resting gradient pre-procedure and at last follow-up were median (IQR) 65 (71) and 12 (20) mmHg for <65 year-olds (P < 0.001), and 75 (64) and 14 (38) mmHg, respectively, for ≥65 year-olds (P < 0.001). New York Heart Association class improved significantly in both age ranges to 1.6 ± 0.6 and 1.8 ± 0.7, respectively (P < 0.001; P < 0.001).ConclusionShort AV delay pacing provided lasting satisfactory relief of symptoms and outflow obstruction in the majority of patients, with low risk of requiring reintervention. Our findings support the view that pacing therapy should be considered a valid option to treat patients with HOCM.