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Estimating Bilateral Atrial Function by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
08:10

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Inflammation in lone atrial fibrillation: new insights by coronary sinus thermography

Konstantinos Toutouzas1, Maria Drakopoulou, Polychronis Dilaveris

  • 1First Department of Cardiology, Hippokration Hospital, Athens Medical School, Greece. ktoutouz@otenet.gr

International Journal of Cardiology
|August 5, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Atrial fibrillation (AF) patients show increased myocardial heat production, linked to systemic inflammation. Coronary sinus (CS) thermography reveals this connection, offering insights into AF development.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Thermography

Background:

  • Conflicting clinical data exists on the role of inflammation in atrial fibrillation (AF).
  • Coronary sinus (CS) thermography measures myocardial heat production, correlating with inflammatory states.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate increased CS blood temperature in AF patients.
  • To determine the correlation between myocardial heat production and systemic inflammation in AF.

Main Methods:

  • Included patients with AF and sinus rhythm controls.
  • Measured C-reactive protein (CRP) and CS/RA blood temperatures using a 7F thermography catheter.
  • Calculated DeltaT (CS minus RA blood temperature).

Main Results:

  • AF patients (hypertensive and normotensive) exhibited higher DeltaT (myocardial heat production) than controls.
  • Elevated CRP levels were observed in AF patients compared to controls.
  • A significant correlation was found between CRP levels and DeltaT in AF patients.

Conclusions:

  • Patients with AF demonstrate elevated myocardial heat production.
  • This increased heat production is correlated with systemic inflammation.
  • CS blood temperature measurement offers valuable insights into AF pathogenesis.
Abstract

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