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Atrial High-Rate Episodes and Their Association with Cerebral Ischemic Events in Chagasic Patients
Emanoela Lima Freitas1, Elieusa E Silva Sampaio2, Márcia Maria Carneiro Oliveira2,3
1Hospital Cardio Pulmonar, Salvador, BA - Brasil.
Insights
Atrial high-rate episodes (AHREs) detected by implantable devices predict silent strokes in Chagasic patients. This finding highlights the importance of monitoring AHREs for stroke prevention in this population.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Atrial high-rate episodes (AHREs) are linked to increased stroke risk.
- No prior studies have investigated AHREs and cerebral ischemic events in Chagasic patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the association between AHREs lasting at least 6 minutes and cerebral ischemic events in Chagasic patients.
Main Methods:
- A cohort study followed Chagasic patients with implantable electronic cardiac devices (IECDs).
- AHREs were defined as atrial frequency ≥ 190 bpm and duration ≥ 6 minutes.
- Cerebral ischemic events were identified using computed tomography (CT) of the skull.
Main Results:
- Of 67 participants, 11.9% experienced AHREs ≥ 6 minutes.
- Silent cerebral ischemic events were detected in 16.4% of patients via CT.
- AHREs ≥ 6 minutes (OR 96.2) and advanced age (OR 1.12) were independent predictors of ischemic events.
Conclusions:
- Implantable electronic cardiac device-detected AHREs are associated with silent cerebral ischemic events in Chagasic patients.
- This association underscores the potential role of AHRE monitoring in stroke risk assessment for Chagasic individuals.
Background:
Atrial high-rate episodes (AHREs) are associated with an increased risk of cerebral ischemic events; however, there are no studies related to the presence of AHREs and cerebral ischemic events in Chagasic patients.
Objective:
To investigate the association between the presence of AHREs ≥ 6 minutes and cerebral ischemic events in Chagasic patients.
Methods:
Cohort study with Chagasic patients with implantable electronic cardiac devices (IECDs), followed at the Arrhythmia Outpatient Clinic of a University Hospital, in the city of Salvador, state of Bahia, Brazil, between May 2016 and June 2017.. Patients diagnosed with atrial flutter / atrial fibrillation, with unicameral IECD and using oral anticoagulation were excluded. AHREs with atrial frequency ≥ 190 beats per minute and duration ≥ 6 minutes (min) were considered, and cerebral ischemic events were identified by computed tomography (CT) of the skull.
Results:
The 67 research participants (67.2% females, mean age 63.6 ± 9.2 years) were followed for 98 ± 28.8 days and 11.9% of the patients had AHREs ≥ 6 min. Skull CT showed silent cerebral ischemic events in 16.4% of the patients, 63.6% of whom had AHREs ≥ 6 min in the analysis of IECDs. Advanced age [OR 1.12 (95% CI 1.03-1.21; p=0.009] and the presence of AHREs ≥ 6 minutes [OR 96.2 (95% CI 9.4-987.4; p <0.001)] were independent predictors for ischemic events.
Conclusion:
AHREs detected by IECDs were associated with the presence of silent cerebral ischemic events in Chagasic patients. (Arq Bras Cardiol. 2020; [online].ahead print, PP.0-0).
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