0000000000657271
AUTHOR
David O. Arnar
Genome-wide association meta-analysis of PR interval identifies 47 novel loci associated with atrial and atrioventricular electrical activity
ABSTRACTElectrocardiographic PR interval measures atrial and atrioventricular depolarization and conduction, and abnormal PR interval is a risk factor for atrial fibrillation and heart block. We performed a genome-wide association study in over 92,000 individuals of European descent and identified 44 loci associated with PR interval (34 novel). Examination of the 44 loci revealed known and novel biological processes involved in cardiac atrial electrical activity, and genes in these loci were highly over-represented in several cardiac disease processes. Nearly half of the 61 independent index variants in the 44 loci were associated with atrial or blood transcript expression levels, or were i…
Innovation in cardiovascular disease in Europe with focus on arrhythmias: current status, opportunities, roadblocks, and the role of multiple stakeholders
The European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) held an Innovation Forum in February 2016, to consider issues around innovation. The objective of the forum was to extend the innovation debate outside of the narrow world of arrhythmia specialists and cardiology in general, and seek input from all stakeholders including regulators, strategists, technologists, industry, academia, health providers, medical societies, payers, and patients. Innovation is indispensable for a continuing improvement in health care, preferably at higher efficacy and lower costs. It requires people who have been trained in a good scientific environment, high-quality research for achieving ground breaking inventions and t…