EP Edge™ Journal Watch Issue 19: Atrial Fibrillation Ablation, Conduction System Pacing, GLP-1 Therapy and Arrhythmia Risk

EP Edge Journal Watch Issue 25 June 2026: AF Ablation, Left Atrial Appendage Closure, PFA Workflow, ICD Battery Longevity & Device Tradeoffs

In EP Edge Journal Watch Issue 25, June 2026, Dr. Sharma reviews the most clinically relevant new studies in cardiac electrophysiology, with a focus on atrial fibrillation, stroke prevention, pulsed field ablation, ICD therapy, CRT strategy, and EP lab decision-making. This episode is built around the theme “Beyond the Binary” — moving past simple endpoints like recurrence versus no recurrence, PFA versus RF, EF below 35%, or lead versus no lead. The data in this issue challenge how electrophysiologists think about ablation success, anticoagulation strategy, left atrial appendage closure, device selection, ICD longevity, and arrhythmia risk. Topics covered include: LAAC after AF ablation and the OPTION bleeding-risk substudy: whether left atrial appendage closure after catheter ablation should be considered beyond traditionally high HAS-BLED patients, and how LAAC compares with long-term oral anticoagulation for bleeding reduction and stroke prevention. Female sex and AF stroke risk: a large TriNetX analysis asking whether female sex is truly a uniform stroke-risk factor in atrial fibrillation or better understood as an age- and comorbidity-dependent risk modifier. PFA versus radiofrequency ablation for early recurrence: why pulsed field ablation may reduce symptomatic early recurrence after pulmonary vein isolation, but why early recurrence after PFA still strongly predicts later atrial arrhythmia recurrence. AF burden after ablation: a 4-year continuous-monitoring study showing why binary recurrence endpoints may underestimate meaningful clinical benefit, and why AF burden reduction may be a more patient-centered ablation outcome. Timing of recurrence after paroxysmal AF ablation — pooled trial data suggesting that most post-ablation recurrences are front-loaded, raising important questions about optimal follow-up duration in AF ablation trials. Left atrial size in persistent AF ablation: CAPLA substudy data showing that left atrial volume index may not predict binary recurrence, but may predict recurrence burden and persistent recurrence phenotype. PFA thrombo-inflammation and hemolysis: a detailed look at systemic biological effects after pentaspline PFA, including hemolysis, nitric oxide reduction, renal safety, inflammation, platelet activation, and practical implications for pulse discipline. Optimized pentaspline PFA workflow: systematic remapping data showing that procedural workflow refinement can dramatically improve PVI durability, suggesting that pulmonary vein reconnection may often be a workflow problem rather than a waveform problem. S-ICD therapy in prior monomorphic VT: registry data exploring whether prior monomorphic ventricular tachycardia should automatically exclude patients from subcutaneous ICD therapy, especially when ablation is part of the strategy. CRT-DX versus conventional CRT-D: a randomized noninferiority trial asking whether selected CRT candidates without sinus node dysfunction truly need a dedicated atrial lead. ICD battery longevity by manufacturer, lead burden, and programming: a major device-management study showing clinically meaningful differences in battery longevity across ICD types and manufacturers, including how lead count, programmed output, and pulse width may affect generator replacement risk and lifetime cost. Competing risk in primary prevention ICD therapy: pooled MADIT and RAID data showing that very low LVEF is associated with both higher VT/VF risk and higher competing mortality, refining how clinicians should discuss ICD benefit in advanced heart failure. The nearly zero VA-interval trap: an EP lab pearl on slow-slow AVNRT with prolonged lower common pathway conduction, and why a near-zero VA interval can mimic typical AVNRT. Listen for a practical, clinically focused discussion of how these studies may influence AF ablation follow-up, LAAC selection, PFA workflow, ICD and CRT device choice, sudden death prevention, and EP lab diagnosis. EP Edge Journal Watch is also available as a LinkedIn newsletter and on Substack at epedge.substack.com. References, graphics, and links to the full newsletter are available there. Questions, suggestions, or concerns: epedge.cast@gmail.com Keywords: cardiac electrophysiology, EP Edge Journal Watch, atrial fibrillation, AF ablation, pulsed field ablation, PFA, radiofrequency ablation, pulmonary vein isolation, PVI, left atrial appendage closure, LAAC, OPTION trial, WATCHMAN FLX, AF burden, ICD battery longevity, implantable cardioverter defibrillator, S-ICD, CRT-DX, cardiac resynchronization therapy, ventricular tachycardia, sudden cardiac death, AVNRT, Heart Rhythm, electrophysiology podcast, cardiology podcast.

EP Edge Journal Watch Issue 24 June 2026: AF Ablation in Heart Failure, VT Pulsed Field Ablation, Subcutaneous-ICD Shocks, Wearable Expansion, CABG AF, Genetics and GLP-1 Agonists

In this episode of EP Edge Journal Watch, Dr. Sharma reviews major electrophysiology and cardiology studies from Issue 24: Substrate, Sensing, Wearables, Surgery, and the Precision Turn. The central theme is precision EP: selecting the right patient, targeting the right substrate, interpreting the right signal, choosing the right antithrombotic strategy, and designing the right follow-up plan.  This episode begins with a randomized trial of persistent atrial fibrillation ablation in patients with heart failure, comparing anatomic-guided ablation, electrogram-guided ablation, and an extensive electrogram-anatomic strategy. The discussion focuses on why pulmonary vein isolation alone may be insufficient in selected patients with persistent AF, atrial myopathy, and heart failure, and how meaningful AF burden reduction may translate into fewer heart-failure hospitalizations and better functional outcomes. Next, Dr. Sharma reviews early experience with high-voltage pulsed field ablation for redo ventricular tachycardia in nonischemic cardiomyopathy. This paper highlights the promise of deeper lesion formation for intramural VT substrate, while also emphasizing major operational challenges, including electromagnetic interference with ICDs, CRT-Ds, and electroanatomic mapping systems. The device EP section covers quantitative vector screening for subcutaneous ICD implantation. Instead of asking only whether an S-ICD vector “passes,” this study asks whether the patient has enough sensing reserve to reduce inappropriate shocks over time. The episode explains how stronger pre-implant vector selection may reduce inappropriate shocks, but also exclude some patients from S-ICD candidacy. The wearable technology discussion reviews a European Heart Journal state-of-the-art paper on smartwatch ECGs, PPG alerts, step counts, heart-failure monitoring, cuffless blood pressure, and AI-enabled cardiovascular data interpretation. Dr. Sharma separates actionable wearable ECG data from screening alerts that require confirmation, longitudinal trends that need context, and consumer metrics that should not drive major treatment decisions without clinical validation. The surgical EP section reviews the OPINION trial, which tested prophylactic surgical left atrial appendage occlusion in patients undergoing valvular surgery without known atrial fibrillation. The episode explains why routine appendage closure in non-AF surgical patients did not significantly reduce ischemic stroke, TIA, or cardiovascular death at one year, and why future AF risk should not be confused with established appendage-mediated thromboembolism. The antithrombotic section focuses on the ESC/EACTS clinical consensus statement on antithrombotic therapy after CABG, with special attention to postoperative AF, established AF, oral anticoagulation timing, DOACs versus VKAs, aspirin, DAPT, graft patency, bleeding risk, and avoidance of routine triple therapy. The key practical message: postoperative AF should not be ignored, but every brief episode should not automatically become lifelong anticoagulation. Finally, the EP Edge Off-track segment examines genetic predictors of GLP-1 receptor agonist weight loss and gastrointestinal side effects, including tirzepatide. Although not an EP trial, this topic matters because obesity, diabetes, sleep apnea, HFpEF, atrial remodeling, AF progression, and ablation durability are all part of the same cardiometabolic substrate. This episode is designed for electrophysiologists, cardiologists, fellows, advanced practice clinicians, researchers, and anyone following modern arrhythmia care, AF ablation, VT ablation, device therapy, wearable monitoring, cardiac surgery, anticoagulation, and cardiometabolic risk modification. Keywords: electrophysiology, atrial fibrillation, AF ablation, persistent AF, heart failure, VT ablation, pulsed field ablation, nonischemic cardiomyopathy, subcutaneous ICD, inappropriate shocks, wearable ECG, smartwatch AF detection, left atrial appendage occlusion, OPINION trial, CABG, postoperative AF, anticoagulation, DOAC, antiplatelet therapy, GLP-1, tirzepatide, EP Edge Journal Watch.

Inaugural EP EdgeTM Journal Watch with Heart Rhythm Society: AVANT GUARD, LAA Closure, OCEAN, and the ALONE-AF Cognitive Substudy

The inaugural EP Edge Journal Watch and Heart Rhythm Society collaboration is here. In this first episode, Dr. Michael Lloyd from the Heart Rhythm Society Digital Education Committee joins Dr. Niraj Sharma, creator of EP Edge, to launch a new monthly format focused on the most clinically relevant literature in cardiac electrophysiology. This is not a routine article summary. It is a practical, physician-led discussion of the studies that matter in the EP lab, in clinic, and at the bedside. Electrophysiology literature is moving quickly. Important trials now appear across major journals, late-breaking sessions, society meetings, and digital platforms. Algorithms can identify highly cited papers. Search tools can rank articles. But clinical relevance still requires judgment. EP Edge Journal Watch was created to help close that gap. The goal is simple: identify the papers that deserve attention, place them in clinical context, and ask what they mean for real patients. In this inaugural episode, Dr. Lloyd and Dr. Sharma begin with AVANT GUARD, a major trial evaluating first-line pulsed field ablation in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation. The discussion goes beyond the headline. They examine patient selection, drug-naive persistent AF, procedural safety, the stroke signal, modified enrollment criteria, anticoagulation requirements, endpoint design, and the difference between symptom reduction and true AF burden reduction. The episode then turns to one of the most active areas in atrial fibrillation care: left atrial appendage closure. Dr. Lloyd and Dr. Sharma discuss CLOSURE AF and CHAMPION AF, two trials that asked similar questions but studied very different patient populations. The discussion focuses on stroke risk, bleeding risk, frailty, procedural complications, endpoint construction, and how these trials should influence shared decision-making. The key clinical question is direct: should left atrial appendage closure be offered broadly as an alternative to anticoagulation, or should it remain focused on patients with a clear problem taking long-term oral anticoagulation? The final section focuses on anticoagulation after apparently successful AF ablation. Dr. Lloyd and Dr. Sharma discuss OCEAN and ALONE-AF, with attention to stroke risk, bleeding risk, patient selection, rhythm monitoring, and the limits of intermittent surveillance. For selected low-risk patients without recurrent atrial arrhythmia, stopping anticoagulation may be reasonable. But the decision is not automatic. It depends on the patient, the risk profile, the quality of rhythm follow-up, and the shared decision-making conversation. The episode also highlights the ALONE-AF cognitive substudy, one of the most interesting parts of the discussion. This substudy moves the conversation beyond stroke and bleeding. It asks whether stopping oral anticoagulation after successful AF ablation affects cognitive function. The key point is nuanced. In selected patients without recurrent atrial arrhythmia, stopping anticoagulation did not appear to produce a cognitive penalty. But the more provocative signal may be rhythm itself. Patients who maintained sinus rhythm appeared to have better cognitive trajectories than those with recurrence. That raises an important clinical question for the field: after AF ablation, is the long-term cognitive story less about the anticoagulant and more about durable rhythm control? This first episode sets the tone for the EP Edge Journal Watch and HRS collaboration. The format is concise, practical, and clinically grounded. It is built for busy electrophysiologists, cardiologists, fellows, advanced practice providers, and clinicians who care for patients with atrial fibrillation. The purpose is not just to summarize trials. It is to interpret them. Which patients were studied? Which endpoints matter? Which findings should change a clinic conversation? Which results should make us pause before changing practice? That is the mission of EP Edge Journal Watch with HRS.

EP Edge™ Journal Watch Issue 23 May 2026: PFA Durability, Posterior Wall Ablation, Outflow Tract PVCs, and Fitness as Substrate Modification

In EP Edge™ Journal Watch Issue 23, May 2026, Dr. Sharma reviews the latest high-impact electrophysiology and cardiology literature with a new focused format: four deep-dive studies and a rapid-fire review of the remaining trials. This episode explores whether pulsed field ablation platform design affects pulmonary vein isolation durability, how balloon-in-basket PFA may change posterior wall ablation, and whether focal PFA is ready for outflow tract PVC ablation. The episode also includes an EP-Edge™ Off-track deep dive on midlife cardiorespiratory fitness and healthy aging, highlighting fitness as upstream cardiovascular substrate modification. Rapid-fire discussions cover residual tiny pulmonary vein potentials after PFA, dronedarone versus amiodarone after AF ablation, AI versus electrophysiologist rhythm adjudication, quantitative Brugada risk stratification, smartwatch detection of Type I Brugada pattern, AV nodal left inferior extension mapping, IV lidocaine safety in AF patients treated for ventricular arrhythmias, and HEPARIN-STEMI. Topics include atrial fibrillation ablation, pulsed field ablation, posterior wall isolation, pulmonary vein durability, PVC ablation, Brugada syndrome, wearable ECG, artificial intelligence in electrophysiology, ventricular arrhythmias, STEMI systems of care, and cardiorespiratory fitness. Full references, graphics, and detailed trial analysis are available in the EP-Edge™ Journal Watch LinkedIn newsletter and on Substack at epedge.substack.com.

EP Edge Journal Watch Issue 22: PFA Safety, Lesion Durability, LAAO, Subcutaneous-ICD Testing & AF Ablation Success

In this episode of EP Edge® Journal Watch, Dr. Sharma reviews Issue 22, May 2026, focused on the next phase of electrophysiology: pulsed field ablation safety, lesion durability, long-term AF recurrence, one-stop AF procedures, device simplification, PAC suppression, and the evolving definition of ablation success. This issue begins with the Ferro EHRA 2026 real-world comparison of pulsed field ablation versus radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation, highlighting why PFA safety should be interpreted by endpoint, workflow, platform, and lesion strategy rather than as a single global claim. The episode then examines NAVIGATE-PF Phase 2, a systematic remapping study of a second-generation, mapping-integrated pentaspline PFA catheter, and what early lesion durability tells us about the future of anatomically accountable PFA. Dr. Sharma also discusses long-term recurrence after pentaspline PFA, including predictors of AF recurrence and what redo procedures reveal about pulmonary vein reconnection among patients with recurrent arrhythmia. Additional studies include concomitant PFA plus left atrial appendage occlusion, exploring whether a one-stop AF strategy may improve procedural efficiency and reduce peridevice leak; PRAETORIAN-DFT, evaluating whether routine defibrillation testing can be omitted after S-ICD implantation when implant position is favorable; and a CT-based risk score for predicting difficult leadless pacemaker implantation. The episode also covers a provocative phase 2 randomized trial of memantine for premature atrial contractions, introducing NMDA receptor antagonism as a potential nontraditional pathway for atrial ectopy suppression. Finally, this issue closes with a critical look at how we define success after AF ablation. Is the traditional 30-second atrial arrhythmia recurrence endpoint still enough in the PFA era, or should future trials prioritize AF burden, symptoms, repeat procedures, antiarrhythmic drug use, quality of life, healthcare utilization, and safety by domain? This episode is designed for electrophysiologists, cardiologists, EP fellows, APPs, device specialists, and clinicians who want concise, clinically grounded interpretation of the latest EP literature. Full references and graphics are available in EP Edge Journal Watch on LinkedIn and Substack: epedge.substack.com. Questions, concerns and suggestions: epedgecast@gmail.com