Image integration using Carto-Merge in patients undergoing catheter ablation for paroxysmal and persistent AF does not significantly improve the clinical outcome, but shortens the X-ray exposure.

Although not substantially worse than in patients with preserved LVEF, AF ablation in patients with impaired LVEF is affected by high long-term recurrence rate. Among these patients SR maintenance is associated with greater clinical improvement.

Background-J-point elevation is common in athletes; nevertheless, the influence of structural changes associated with the athlete's heart and its prognostic impact are still debated. Our aim was to investigate the prevalence of J-point elevation, the associated clinical, electrocardiographic, and echocardiographic characteristics and its impact on long-term outcome in elite soccer players. Methods and Results-Clinical, electrocardiographic, and cardiopulmonary exercise test data from 332 male professional soccer players were retrospectively analyzed. For 235 (70.7%) athletes echocardiographic data were also available. J-point elevation was defined as an elevation ≥1 mm in ≥2 contiguous leads. Long-term follow-up data were obtained for all athletes, whereas univariate and multivariable analyses were performed to assess the associated characteristics. Overall, 118 (35.6%) athletes showed a J-point elevation ≥1 mm. At multivariable analysis a significant direct association of interventricular septum thickness (odds ratio for 1 SD increase, 1.361; 95% confidence interval, 1.019-1.817; P=0.036) and Sokolow-Lyon index (odds ratio for 1 SD increase, 1.367; 95% confidence interval, 1.026-1.822; P=0.033) and an inverse association of baseline heart rate (odds ratio for 1 SD increase, 0.686; 95% confidence interval, 0.508-0.927; P=0.011) with J-point elevation were observed. During a long-term follow-up (median, 13.3 years; first and third quartiles, 10.1-17.0 years), a low mortality rate was observed, not related to cardiovascular causes. Conclusions-The correlation between J-point elevation and interventricular septum thickness suggests a possible mechanistic role of exercise-induced left ventricular hypertrophy as the basis for J-point elevation. After a long-term follow-up, no cardiac death was observed. (Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol. 2013;6:1178-1184.)

With long-term follow-up, LAV at MRI represents the main determinant of outcome after PVI plus linear lesion for ablation of paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation.

(AAM) is copyrighted and published by Elsevier. It is posted here by agreement between Elsevier and the University of Turin. Changes resulting from the publishing process-such as editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms-may not be reflected in this version of the text. The definitive version of the text was subsequently published in HEART RHYTHM, 13 (3), 2016, 10.1016/j.hrthm.2015.11.029. You may download, copy and otherwise use the AAM for non-commercial purposes provided that your license is limited by the following restrictions: (1) You may use this AAM for non-commercial purposes only under the terms of the CC-BY-NC-ND license. (2) The integrity of the work and identification of the author, copyright owner, and publisher must be preserved in any copy.