lluis mont

• Prof, MD, PhD
• Professor (Full) at University of Barcelona

Aims Screening the general population aged 65 for atrial fibrillation (AF) has been proposed as a preventive measure against potential complications. Metrics derived from heart rate variability (HRV) that depict heart rate fragmentation (HRF) have been suggested to reflect autonomic nervous system dysfunction. The aim of the study was to assess the...

BACKGROUND Brugada syndrome (BrS) is a genetic disorder that increases the risk of ventricular tachyarrhythmias and sudden cardiac death (SCD). Certain drugs (propofol, local anaesthetics), fever, bradycardia, increased vagal tone and electrolyte imbalances can trigger or worsen BrS arrhythmias. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the incidence of malignant ven...

BACKGROUND Transcriptional dysregulation, possibly affected by genetic variation, contributes to disease development. Due to dissimilarities in development, function, and remodeling during disease progression, transcriptional differences between the left atrial (LA) and right atrial (RA) may provide insight into diseases such as atrial fibrillation...

Efficient personalized ablation strategies for treating atrial arrhythmias remain challenging. Discrepancies in identifying arrhythmogenic areas using characterization methods, such as late gadolinium enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (LGE-MRI) and electroanatomical mapping, require a comparative analysis of local impedance (LI) and LGE-MRI data....

Background and Aims Risk stratification of sudden cardiac death after myocardial infarction and prevention by defibrillator rely on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Improved risk stratification across the whole LVEF range is required for decision-making on defibrillator implantation. Methods The analysis pooled 20 data sets with 140 204...

Importance The emergence of novel programming guidelines that reduce premature and inappropriate therapies along with the availability of new implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) technologies lacking traditional endocardial antitachycardia pacing (ATP) capabilities requires the reevaluation of ATP as a first strategy in terminating fast ven...

Aims: In cardiac device implantation, having both surgical skills and ability to manipulate catheter/lead/wire is crucial. Few cardiologists, however, receive formal surgical training prior to implanting. Skills are mostly acquired directly on-the-job and surgical technique varies across institutions; suboptimal approaches may increase complicatio...

A 53-year-old patient with a history of heart transplant is referred for atrial tachycardia ablation. Two dissociated concomitant rhythms are observed: a focal atrial tachycardia in the donor atrium and atrial fibrillation in the remaining recipient atrium.

Background and Aims In patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), recurrent AF and sinus rhythm during follow-up are determined by interactions between cardiovascular disease processes and rhythm control therapy. Predictors of attaining sinus rhythm at follow-up are not well known. Methods To quantify the interaction between cardiovascular disease pr...

Background Short and rare episodes of atrial fibrillation (AF) are commonly detected using implanted devices (device‐detected AF) in patients with prior stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). The effectiveness and safety of oral anticoagulation in patients with prior stroke or TIA and device‐detected AF but with no ECG‐documented AF is unclear....

Background The prevalence and impact of obesity on outcomes of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have not been well studied. Objective To examine the proportion of participants with obesity enrolled in RCTs of AF ablation and outcomes of ablation when subgroup analysis of participants with obesity were available...

Aims Reduced left atrial PITX2 is associated with atrial cardiomyopathy and atrial fibrillation (AF). PITX2 is restricted to left atrial cardiomyocytes (aCMs) in the adult heart. The links between PITX2 deficiency, atrial cardiomyopathy, and AF are not fully understood. Methods and results To identify mechanisms linking PITX2 deficiency to AF, we...

Aims To describe the rationale, design, delivery and baseline characteristics of STEEER-AF (Stroke prevention and rhythm control Treatment: Evaluation of an Educational programme of the European Society of Cardiology [ESC] in a cluster-Randomised trial in patients with Atrial Fibrillation). Methods & Results STEEER-AF is a pragmatic trial designed...

Aims Longitudinal dyssynchrony correction and ‘strain’ improvement by comparable cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) techniques is unreported. Our purpose was to compare echocardiographic dyssynchrony correction and ‘strain’ improvement by conduction system pacing (CSP) vs. biventricular pacing (BiVP) as a marker of contractility improvement du...

Background: The subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is associated with fewer lead-related complications than a transvenous ICD; however, the subcutaneous ICD cannot provide bradycardia and antitachycardia pacing. Whether a modular pacing-defibrillator system comprising a leadless pacemaker in wireless communication with a sub...

Introduction: In this prospective multicenter controlled study with patients scheduled for conventional CRT implantation we evaluate the clinical value of patient-tailored LV lead implantation by integrating 3D noninvasive 12-lead ECG-based electroanatomic activation maps with advanced AI algorithms and automatic segmentation of coronary sinus (CS)...

Aims Same-day discharge (SDD) after atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation is an effective means to spare healthcare resources. However, safety remains a concern, and besides structural adaptations, SDD requires more efficient logistics and coordination. Therefore, in this study, we implement a streamlined, nurse-coordinated SDD programme following a st...

Aims Recent trial data demonstrate beneficial effects of active rhythm management in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and support the concept that a low arrhythmia burden is associated with a low risk of AF-related complications. The aim of this document is to summarize the key outcomes of the 9th AFNET/EHRA Consensus Conference of the Atrial...

Aims Different disease processes can combine to cause atrial fibrillation (AF). Their contribution to recurrent AF after ablation in patients is not known. Cardiovascular processes associated with recurrent AF after AF ablation were determined by quantifying biomolecules related to inflammation, metabolism, proliferation, fibrosis, shear stress, at...

Background Noninvasive myocardial scar characterization with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has been shown to accurately identify conduction channels and can be an important aid for ventricular tachycardia (VT) ablation. A new mapping method based on targeting deceleration zones (DZs) has become one of the most commonly used strategies for VT abl...

Background and Objectives: Left atrial (LA) remodelling and dilatation predicts atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrences after catheter ablation. However, whether right atrial (RA) remodelling and dilatation predicts AF recurrences after ablation has not been fully evaluated. Materials and Methods: This is an observational study of 85 consecutive patie...

Background and Aims Patients with long atrial high-rate episodes (AHRE) ≥ 24 hours and stroke risk factors are often treated with anticoagulation for stroke prevention. Anticoagulation has never been compared to no anticoagulation in these patients. Methods This secondary prespecified analysis of NOAH-AFNET 6 examined interactions between AHRE dur...

Background and Aims Left atrial catheter ablation is well-established in patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) but associated with risk of embolism to the brain. To assess the impact of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) slice thickness on the rate of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detected ischemic brain lesions after ablation. Metho...

Aims Conducting channels (CCs) detected by late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance (LGE-CMR) are related to ventricular tachycardia (VT). The aim of this work was to study the ability of postablation LGE-CMR to evaluate ablation lesions. Methods This is a prospective study of consecutive patients referred for a scar-related VT ablat...

Early detection of atrial fibrillation (AF) enables initiation of anticoagulation and early rhythm control therapy to reduce stroke, cardiovascular death, and heart failure. In a cross-sectional, observational study, we aimed to identify a combination of circulating biomolecules reflecting different biological processes to detect prevalent AF in pa...

Introduction: Prediction of recurrent ventricular arrhythmia (VA) in survivors of an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is important, but currently difficult. Risk of recurrence may be related to presence of myocardial scarring assessed with late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance (LGE-CMR). Our study aims to characterize myocard...

Background: Device-detected atrial high-rate episodes (AHREs) are atrial arrhythmias detected by implanted cardiac devices. AHREs resemble atrial fibrillation but are rare and brief. Whether the occurrence of AHREs in patients without atrial fibrillation (as documented on a conventional electrocardiogram [ECG]) justifies the initiation of anticoag...

Aims Recurrence of arrhythmia after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) in the form of atypical atrial flutter (AFL) is common among a significant number of patients and often requires redo ablation with limited success rates. Identifying patients at high risk of AFL after AF ablation could aid in patient selection and personalized ablati...

Left bundle branch block (LBBB) is not just a simple electrocardiogram alteration. The intricacies of this general terminology go beyond simple conduction block. This review puts together current knowledge on the historical concept of LBBB, clinical significance, and recent insights into the pathophysiology of human LBBB. LBBB is an entity that aff...

Importance: In cardiac device implant training, there is no common system to objectively assess trainees' ability to perform tasks at predetermined performance levels before in vivo practice; therefore, patients are potentially exposed to risks related to operators' early learning curve. Objective: To assess the effect on implant performance qua...

Although the benefits of moderate exercise in patients at high cardiovascular risk are well established, the effects of strenuous exercise remain unknown. We aimed to study the impact of strenuous exercise in a very high cardiovascular risk model. Nephrectomized aged Zucker obese rats were trained at a moderate (MOD) or high (INT) intensity or were...

Atrial high-rate episodes (AHRE) are atrial tachyarrhythmias detected by continuous rhythm monitoring by pacemakers, defibrillators, or implantable cardiac monitors. AHRE occur in 10-30 % of elderly patients without atrial fibrillation. However, it remains unclear whether the presence of these arrhythmias has therapeutic consequences. The presence...

Aims: To define a stepwise application of left bundle branch pacing (LBBP) criteria that will simplify implantation and guarantee electrical resynchronization. Left bundle branch pacing has emerged as an alternative to biventricular pacing. However, a systematic stepwise criterion to ensure electrical resynchronization is lacking. Methods and res...

Purpose The atrial fibrillation (AF) substrate can be characterized by left atrium (LA) fibrosis assessed by delayed-enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), potentially guiding therapeutic strategies and predicting outcomes in patients with AF undergoing the catheter ablation (CA) procedure. Two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (...

Background: Atrial cardiomyopathy (AtCM) is emerging as an independent prognostic factor in cardiovascular disease. Fibrotic remodeling, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, and capillary density are histological hallmarks of atCM. The contribution of etiological factors and atrial fibrillation (AF) to the development of differential atCM phenotypes has not...

The study by Strocchi et al. adds evidence that choosing the cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) according to the cardiac substrate of each patient could be beneficial. Perhaps the most appropriate approach in CRT would be to find the appropriate niche for each pacing method. It may be less about demonstrating the superiority of conduction syst...

Background: A new functional mapping strategy based on targeting deceleration zones (DZs) has become one of the most commonly used strategies within the armamentarium of substrate-based ablation methods for ventricular tachycardia (VT) in patients with structural heart disease. The classic conduction channels detected by voltage mapping can be acc...

Aims Heterogeneous tissue channels (HTCs) detected by late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance (LGE-CMR) are related to ventricular arrhythmias, but there are few published data about their arrhythmogenic characteristics. Methods and results We enrolled 34 consecutive patients with ischaemic and non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy who were...

Aims With recurrence rates up to 50% after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in persistent atrial fibrillation (AF), predictive tools to improve patient selection are needed. Patient selection based on left atrial late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has been proposed previously (UTAH-classification). However, this...

Objectives The aim of this study was to compare percutaneous catheter ablation vs. minimally invasive surgical ablation, evaluating the impact of repeated ablation on atrial function, and evaluating predictors of atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence.Background When AF ablation fails, re-ablations are required in up to 40% of patients to treat recurr...

An increased burden of premature atrial contractions (PACs) has long been considered a benign phenomenon. However, strong evidence of their involvement in the occurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF), ischemic stroke, and excess mortality suggests the need for management. The central question to be resolved is whether increased ectopic atrial rhythm...

The consequences of extremely intense long‐term exercise for brain health remain unknown. We studied the effects of strenuous exercise on brain structure and function, its dose‒response relationship, and mechanisms in a rat model of endurance training. Five‐week‐old male Wistar rats were assigned to moderate (MOD) or intense (INT) exercise or a sed...

Aims: Standardized data definitions are essential for monitoring and assessment of care and outcomes in observational studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The European Unified Registries for Heart Care Evaluation and Randomized Trials (EuroHeart) project of the European Society of Cardiology aimed to develop contemporary data standards...

Background Left atrial structural remodeling contributes to the arrhythmogenic substrate of atrial fibrillation (AF), but the role of the right atrium (RA) remains unknown. Our aims were to comprehensively characterize right atrial structural remodeling in AF and identify right atrial parameters predicting recurrences after ablation. Methods and R...

Resumen Introducción y objetivos La resonancia magnética cardiaca con realce tardío de gadolinio (RMC-RTG) permite la detección no invasiva de la fibrosis auricular izquierda en pacientes con fibrilación auricular (FA). Sin embargo, se desconoce si se puede utilizar la misma metodología en la aurícula derecha (AD). Nuestro objetivo fue definir un...

Background Conduction system pacing (CSP) has emerged as an alternative to biventricular pacing (BiVP). Randomized studies comparing both therapies are scarce and do not include left bundle branch pacing. Objectives This study aims to compare ventricular resynchronization achieved by CSP vs BiVP in patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy i...

Aims: Electrical reconnection of pulmonary veins (PVs) is considered an important determinant of recurrent atrial fibrillation (AF) after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). To date, AF recurrences almost automatically trigger invasive repeat procedures, required to assess PVI durability. With recent technical advances, it is becoming increasingly com...

In order to determine the site of origin (SOO) in outflow tract ventricular arrhythmias (OTVAs) before an ablation procedure, several algorithms based on manual identification of electrocardiogram (ECG) features, have been developed. However, the reported accuracy decreases when tested with different datasets. Machine learning algorithms can automa...

Background Substrate-based ablation has become a successful technique for ventricular tachycardia (VT) ablation. High-density (HD) mapping catheters provide high-resolution electroanatomical maps and better discrimination of local abnormal electrograms. The HD Grid Mapping Catheter is an HD catheter with the ability to map orthogonal signals on top...

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation strategy is associated with a non-negligible risk of complications and often requires repeat procedures (AF ablation track), implying repetitive exposure to procedural risk. Objective To develop and validate a model to estimate individualized cumulative risk of complications in patients undergoing the A...

Background Little is known about genome-wide changes in the atrial transcriptome as a cause or consequence of atrial fibrillation (AF), and the effect of its common and clinically relevant comorbidity, heart failure (HF). Objective To explore candidate disease processes for atrial fibrillation, we investigated gene expression changes in atrial tis...

Aims: Despite marked progress in the management of atrial fibrillation (AF), detecting AF remains difficult and AF-related complications cause unacceptable morbidity and mortality even on optimal current therapy. Methods and results: This document summarizes the key outcomes of the 8th AFNET/EHRA Consensus Conference of the Atrial Fibrillation N...

Moderate exercise has well-founded benefits in cardiovascular health. However, increasing, yet controversial, evidence suggests that extremely trained athletes may not be protected from cardiovascular events as much as moderately trained individuals. In our rodent model, intensive but not moderate training promoted aorta and carotid stiffening and...

Introduction and objectives: Late gadolinium-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance (LGE-CMR) allows noninvasive detection of left atrial fibrosis in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, whether the same methodology can be used in the right atrium (RA) remains unknown. Our aim was to define a standardized threshold to characterize RA fibr...