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Fiorenzo Gaita

Bio: Fiorenzo Gaita is an academic researcher from University of Turin. The author has contributed to research in topics: Atrial fibrillation & Catheter ablation. The author has an hindex of 68, co-authored 524 publications receiving 19057 citations. Previous affiliations of Fiorenzo Gaita include University of Trento & Tufts Medical Center.


Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The genetic basis for a new clinical entity characterized by sudden death and short-QT intervals in the ECG is described and a novel genetic and biophysical mechanism responsible for sudden death in infants, children, and young adults caused by mutations in KCNH2 is demonstrated.
Abstract: Background— Sudden cardiac death takes the lives of more than 300 000 Americans annually. Malignant ventricular arrhythmias occurring in individuals with structurally normal hearts account for a subgroup of these sudden deaths. The present study describes the genetic basis for a new clinical entity characterized by sudden death and short-QT intervals in the ECG. Methods and Results— Three families with hereditary short-QT syndrome and a high incidence of ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death were studied. In 2 of them, we identified 2 different missense mutations resulting in the same amino acid change (N588K) in the S5-P loop region of the cardiac I Kr channel HERG (KCNH2). The mutations dramatically increase I Kr , leading to heterogeneous abbreviation of action potential duration and refractoriness, and reduce the affinity of the channels to I Kr blockers. Conclusions— We demonstrate a novel genetic and biophysical mechanism responsible for sudden death in infants, children, and young adults caused by mutations in KCNH2. The occurrence of sudden cardiac death in the first 12 months of life in 2 patients suggests the possibility of a link between KCNH2 gain of function mutations and sudden infant death syndrome. KCNH2 is the binding target for a wide spectrum of cardiac and noncardiac pharmacological compounds. Our findings may provide better understanding of drug interaction with KCNH2 and have implications for diagnosis and therapy of this and other arrhythmogenic diseases.

799 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In the largest series of Brugada syndrome patients thus far, event rates in asymptomatic patients were low and gender, familial history of SCD, inducibility of ventricular tachyarrhythmias during electrophysiological study, and the presence of an SCN5A mutation were not predictive of arrhythmic events.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Brugada syndrome is characterized by ST-segment elevation in the right precordial leads and an increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Fundamental questions remain on the best strategy for assessing the real disease-associated arrhythmic risk, especially in asymptomatic patients. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognosis and risk factors of SCD in Brugada syndrome patients in the FINGER (France, Italy, Netherlands, Germany) Brugada syndrome registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients were recruited in 11 tertiary centers in 4 European countries. Inclusion criteria consisted of a type 1 ECG present either at baseline or after drug challenge, after exclusion of diseases that mimic Brugada syndrome. The registry included 1029 consecutive individuals (745 men; 72%) with a median age of 45 (35 to 55) years. Diagnosis was based on (1) aborted SCD (6%); (2) syncope, otherwise unexplained (30%); and (3) asymptomatic patients (64%). During a median follow-up of 31.9 (14 to 54.4) months, 51 cardiac events (5%) occurred (44 patients experienced appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shocks, and 7 died suddenly). The cardiac event rate per year was 7.7% in patients with aborted SCD, 1.9% in patients with syncope, and 0.5% in asymptomatic patients. Symptoms and spontaneous type 1 ECG were predictors of arrhythmic events, whereas gender, familial history of SCD, inducibility of ventricular tachyarrhythmias during electrophysiological study, and the presence of an SCN5A mutation were not predictive of arrhythmic events. CONCLUSIONS: In the largest series of Brugada syndrome patients thus far, event rates in asymptomatic patients were low. Inducibility of ventricular tachyarrhythmia and family history of SCD were not predictors of cardiac events.

754 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The short QT syndrome is characterized by familial sudden death, short refractory periods, and inducible ventricular fibrillation, which is related to a high risk of sudden death in young, otherwise healthy subjects.
Abstract: Background— A prolonged QT interval is associated with a risk for life-threatening events. However, little is known about prognostic implications of the reverse—a short QT interval. Several members...

651 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: An area showing slow potentials is present at the perinodal region in humans and application of radiofrequency energy renders tachycardia noninducible through the preferential modification of the anterograde slow pathway in patients with AVNRT.
Abstract: BACKGROUNDAblation of the slow pathway has been performed to eliminate atrioventricular (AV) nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) either by a surgical approach or by using radiofrequency catheter technique guided by retrograde slow pathway activation mapping. From previous experience of midseptal and posteroseptal mapping, we were aware of the existence of peculiar slow potentials in most humans. Postulating their role in AVNRT, we studied these potentials and the effects of radiofrequency energy.METHODS AND RESULTSSixty-four patients (mean age, 48 +/- 19 years) with the usual form of AVNRT were studied. Slow, low-amplitude potentials were recorded when using the anterograde AV conducting system. Slow potentials occupied all (giving a continuum of electrograms) or some of the time between the atrial and ventricular electrograms. Their most specific patterns were their progressive response to increasing atrial rates, which resulted in a dramatic decline in amplitude and slope, a corresponding increase in du...

622 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Patients with Chicken Wing LAA morphology are less likely to have an embolic event even after controlling for comorbidities and CHADS2 score, and these results could have a relevant impact on the anticoagulation management of patients with a low-intermediate risk for stroke/TIA.

617 citations


Cited by
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TL;DR: Authors/Task Force Members: Piotr Ponikowski* (Chairperson) (Poland), Adriaan A. Voors* (Co-Chair person) (The Netherlands), Stefan D. Anker (Germany), Héctor Bueno (Spain), John G. F. Cleland (UK), Andrew J. S. Coats (UK)

13,400 citations

01 Jan 2014
TL;DR: These standards of care are intended to provide clinicians, patients, researchers, payors, and other interested individuals with the components of diabetes care, treatment goals, and tools to evaluate the quality of care.
Abstract: XI. STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING DIABETES CARE D iabetes is a chronic illness that requires continuing medical care and patient self-management education to prevent acute complications and to reduce the risk of long-term complications. Diabetes care is complex and requires that many issues, beyond glycemic control, be addressed. A large body of evidence exists that supports a range of interventions to improve diabetes outcomes. These standards of care are intended to provide clinicians, patients, researchers, payors, and other interested individuals with the components of diabetes care, treatment goals, and tools to evaluate the quality of care. While individual preferences, comorbidities, and other patient factors may require modification of goals, targets that are desirable for most patients with diabetes are provided. These standards are not intended to preclude more extensive evaluation and management of the patient by other specialists as needed. For more detailed information, refer to Bode (Ed.): Medical Management of Type 1 Diabetes (1), Burant (Ed): Medical Management of Type 2 Diabetes (2), and Klingensmith (Ed): Intensive Diabetes Management (3). The recommendations included are diagnostic and therapeutic actions that are known or believed to favorably affect health outcomes of patients with diabetes. A grading system (Table 1), developed by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and modeled after existing methods, was utilized to clarify and codify the evidence that forms the basis for the recommendations. The level of evidence that supports each recommendation is listed after each recommendation using the letters A, B, C, or E.

9,618 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: ACCF/AHAIAI: angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor as discussed by the authors, angio-catabolizing enzyme inhibitor inhibitor inhibitor (ACS inhibitor) is a drug that is used to prevent atrial fibrillation.
Abstract: ACC/AHA : American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association ACCF/AHA : American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association ACE : angiotensin-converting enzyme ACEI : angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor ACS : acute coronary syndrome AF : atrial fibrillation

7,489 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: WRITING GROUP MEMBERS Emelia J. Benjamin, MD, SCM, FAHA Michael J. Reeves, PhD Matthew Ritchey, PT, DPT, OCS, MPH Carlos J. Jiménez, ScD, SM Lori Chaffin Jordan,MD, PhD Suzanne E. Judd, PhD
Abstract: WRITING GROUP MEMBERS Emelia J. Benjamin, MD, SCM, FAHA Michael J. Blaha, MD, MPH Stephanie E. Chiuve, ScD Mary Cushman, MD, MSc, FAHA Sandeep R. Das, MD, MPH, FAHA Rajat Deo, MD, MTR Sarah D. de Ferranti, MD, MPH James Floyd, MD, MS Myriam Fornage, PhD, FAHA Cathleen Gillespie, MS Carmen R. Isasi, MD, PhD, FAHA Monik C. Jiménez, ScD, SM Lori Chaffin Jordan, MD, PhD Suzanne E. Judd, PhD Daniel Lackland, DrPH, FAHA Judith H. Lichtman, PhD, MPH, FAHA Lynda Lisabeth, PhD, MPH, FAHA Simin Liu, MD, ScD, FAHA Chris T. Longenecker, MD Rachel H. Mackey, PhD, MPH, FAHA Kunihiro Matsushita, MD, PhD, FAHA Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH, FAHA Michael E. Mussolino, PhD, FAHA Khurram Nasir, MD, MPH, FAHA Robert W. Neumar, MD, PhD, FAHA Latha Palaniappan, MD, MS, FAHA Dilip K. Pandey, MBBS, MS, PhD, FAHA Ravi R. Thiagarajan, MD, MPH Mathew J. Reeves, PhD Matthew Ritchey, PT, DPT, OCS, MPH Carlos J. Rodriguez, MD, MPH, FAHA Gregory A. Roth, MD, MPH Wayne D. Rosamond, PhD, FAHA Comilla Sasson, MD, PhD, FAHA Amytis Towfighi, MD Connie W. Tsao, MD, MPH Melanie B. Turner, MPH Salim S. Virani, MD, PhD, FAHA Jenifer H. Voeks, PhD Joshua Z. Willey, MD, MS John T. Wilkins, MD Jason HY. Wu, MSc, PhD, FAHA Heather M. Alger, PhD Sally S. Wong, PhD, RD, CDN, FAHA Paul Muntner, PhD, MHSc On behalf of the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2017 Update

7,190 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This document summarizes current research, plans, and recommendations for future research, as well as providing a history of the field and some of the techniques used, currently in use, at the National Institutes of Health.
Abstract: Jeffrey L. Anderson, MD, FACC, FAHA, Chair Jonathan L. Halperin, MD, FACC, FAHA, Chair-Elect Nancy M. Albert, PhD, RN, FAHA Biykem Bozkurt, MD, PhD, FACC, FAHA Ralph G. Brindis, MD, MPH, MACC Mark A. Creager, MD, FACC, FAHA[#][1] Lesley H. Curtis, PhD, FAHA David DeMets, PhD[#][1] Robert A

6,967 citations