Short QT syndrome (SQT) is a very rare genetic disease of the electrical system of the heart, and is associated with an increased risk of abnormal heart rhythms and sudden cardiac death. The syndrome gets its name from a characteristic feature seen on an electrocardiogram (ECG) – a shortening of the QT interval. It is caused by mutations in genes encoding ion channels that shorten the cardiac action potential, and appears to be inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern. The condition is diagnosed using a 12-lead ECG. Short QT syndrome can be treated using an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator or medications including quinidine. Short QT syndrome was first described in 2000, and the first genetic mutation associated with the condition was identified in 2004.
Torsades de pointes, torsade de pointes or torsades des pointes (TdP) is a specific type of abnormal heart rhythm that can lead to sudden cardiac death. It is a polymorphic ventricular tachycardia that exhibits distinct characteristics on the electrocardiogram (ECG). It was described by French physician François Dessertenne in 1966. Prolongation of the QT interval can increase a person's risk of developing this abnormal heart rhythm, occurring in between 1% and 10% of patients who receive QT-prolonging antiarrhythmic drugs.
An accessory pathway is an additional electrical connection between two parts of the heart. These pathways can lead to abnormal heart rhythms or arrhythmias associated with symptoms of palpitations. Some pathways may activate a region of ventricular muscle earlier than would normally occur, referred to as pre-excitation, and this may be seen on an electrocardiogram. The combination of an accessory pathway that causes pre-excitation with arrhythmias is known as Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.
The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) is a non-profit knowledge-based professional association that facilitates the improvement and harmonisation of standards of diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. The ESC produces, organises and supports many scientific and educational activities and products aimed at cardiology professionals wishing to increase their knowledge and update their skills.
Michel Haïssaguerre is a French cardiologist and electrophysiologist. His investigations have been the basis for development of new markers and therapies for atrial and ventricular fibrillation.
The British Journal of Aesthetics is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal covering philosophical aesthetics and the philosophy of art. It was established in 1960 and is published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society of Aesthetics. The first issue was edited by Harold Osborne in November 1960. The journal was originally published by Routledge and then by Thames & Hudson, before switching to its current publisher in 1975.
Heart Rhythm is a peer-reviewed medical journal published by Elsevier that covers the study and management of cardiac arrhythmia. It is the official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society, the Cardiac Electrophysiology Society, and the Pediatric & Congenital Electrophysiology Society. Its major focus is research and therapy of heart rhythm disorders, including mechanisms and electrophysiology, clinical and experimental, genetics, ablation, devices, drugs, and surgery. Other sections include contemporary reviews, unique case reports, viewpoints, Hands On, images, creative concepts, EP news, Josephson and Wellens ECGs, and editorial commentaries.
The Journal of the American College of Cardiology is a peer-reviewed medical journal covering all aspects of cardiovascular disease, including original clinical studies, translational investigations with clear clinical relevance, state-of-the-art papers, review articles, and editorials interpreting and commenting on the research presented, published by the American College of Cardiology.
An idioventricular rhythm is a cardiac rhythm characterized by a rate of <50 beats per minute (bpm), absence of P waves and widening of the QRS complex. In cases where the heart rate is between 50 and 110 bpm, it is known as accelerated idioventricular rhythm and ventricular tachycardia if the rate exceeds 120 bpm. Causes of idioventricular rhythms are varied and can include drugs or a heart defect at birth. It is typically benign and not life-threatening.
Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Therapeutics is a quarterly peer-reviewed medical journal that covers cardiology. The editor-in-chief is Karin Przyklenk and the founding editor is Bramah N. Singh. It was established in 1996 and is published by Sage Publications.
Budiodarone (ATI-2042) is an antiarrhythmic agent and chemical analog of amiodarone that is currently being studied in clinical trials. Amiodarone is considered the most effective antiarrhythmic drug available, but its adverse side effects, including hepatic, pulmonary and thyroid toxicity as well as multiple drug interactions, are discouraging its use. Budiodarone only differs in structure from amiodarone through the presence of a sec-butyl acetate side chain at position 2 of the benzofuran moiety. This side chain allows for budiodarone to have a shorter half-life in the body than amiodarone which allows it to have a faster onset of action and metabolism while still maintaining similar electrophysiological activity. The faster metabolism of budiodarone allows for fewer adverse side effects than amiodarone principally due to decreased levels of toxicity in the body.
Vladimir Goldner was a Croatian physician, academic and professor at the School of Medicine, University of Zagreb.
The Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal covering molecular and cellular aspects of cardiology. The journal was established in 1970 by Richard Bing and Lionel Opie and is published by Elsevier. It is the official journal of The International Society for Heart Research. The editor-in-chief is Rong Tian. Previous editors-in-chief include:
Charles Antzelevitch is an American cardiovascular research scientist in the fields of cardiac electrophysiology and cardiac arrhythmia syndromes.
Barbara Casadei is British Heart Foundation (BHF) Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Oxford, based in the Radcliffe Department of Medicine.
The European Heart Journal: Cardiovascular Imaging is a peer-reviewed medical journal published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. The first issue was published in March 2000 with the former name of European Journal of Echocardiography. The journal adopted the current name European Heart Journal: Cardiovascular Imaging in 2012, and is part of the European Heart Journal series of journals.
David Alfred Eisner, FRCP (Hon), FMedSci, is British Heart Foundation Professor of Cardiac Physiology at the University of Manchester and editor-in-chief of The Journal of General Physiology (JGP).
The European Heart Rhythm Association score of atrial fibrillation is a classification system for the extent of atrial fibrillation. It places patients in one of four categories based on how much they are limited during physical activity; the limitations/symptoms are in regard to normal breathing and varying degrees in shortness of breath and/or angina.
Cardiovascular Research is a medical journal published monthly by the Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. The journal publishes original and review articles from all areas of basic, translational, and clinical cardiovascular disease.
Béla Merkely is a Hungarian interventional cardiologist and sport cardiologist, a university professor, director of Semmelweis University’s Heart and Vascular Centre and the current rector of Semmelweis University since 1 July 2018.
