Podcast thumbnail for EP Edge Journal Watch

EP Edge Journal Watch

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by Niraj Sharma MD FACC FHRS

36 episodes
Updated Daily
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Podcast Overview

Welcome to EP Edge Journal Watch — where cardiac electrophysiology meets evidence, precision, and perspective. Hosted by Dr. Niraj Sharma, this bi-weekly podcast distills high-impact cardiovascular and EP research into clear, clinically meaningful insights. Each episode goes beyond headlines and abstracts to uncover what new studies actually mean for patient care, decision-making, and the future of electrophysiology. What EP Edge Journal Watch stands for: Evidence-based practice Precision electrophysiology A forward-thinking, edge-driven approach to how we interpret and apply data in real-world clinical settings. Whether you’re an electrophysiologist, cardiologist, researcher, trainee, or allied health professional, EP Edge Journal Watch brings you the signal — not the noise. Expect sharp summaries, thoughtful commentary, and practical takeaways designed for the busy clinician who wants to stay ahead of the curve

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Publishing Since

10/30/2025

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Recent Episodes

Episode thumbnail for EP Edge × HRS Podcast: CT-Guided VT Ablation & LAA Closure Without AF: InEurHeart and OPINION, Caveolae, Alcohol and AFib, Pulse check and Afib Diagnosis

July 13, 2026

EP Edge × HRS Podcast: CT-Guided VT Ablation & LAA Closure Without AF: InEurHeart and OPINION, Caveolae, Alcohol and AFib, Pulse check and Afib Diagnosis

<p>In this July 2026 episode of <strong>EP Edge Journal Watch</strong>, produced in collaboration with the <strong>Heart Rhythm Society (HRS)</strong>, Mike Lloyd and Dr. Niraj Sharma review five studies with direct implications for contemporary cardiac electrophysiology practice.</p><p>The anchor trials are <strong>InEurHeart</strong>, a randomized comparison of computed tomography-guided versus conventional catheter ablation for post–myocardial infarction ventricular tachycardia, and <strong>OPINION</strong>, which evaluates prophylactic surgical left atrial appendage occlusion during valvular heart surgery in patients without known pre-existing atrial fibrillation. Using the workflow gains seen with pulsed field ablation in AF as context, the discussion asks whether preprocedural cardiac CT can make ischemic VT ablation more efficient while preserving the essential role of functional mapping and why future AF risk should not automatically lead to surgical LAA closure.</p><p>Rapid-fire analyses cover the relationship between <strong>alcohol consumption and incident atrial fibrillation</strong>, pulse self-examination as a simple strategy to improve AF detection, and emerging mechanistic research on <strong>caveolae, pacemaker signaling, sinus node dysfunction, and heart failure</strong>.</p><p>The episode translates randomized trials, meta-analysis, screening research, and translational science into practical implications for the EP lab, clinic, patient counseling, and shared decision-making. Essential listening for electrophysiologists, cardiologists, fellows, advanced practice clinicians, and cardiac rhythm-management teams</p>

Episode thumbnail for EP Edge® Journal Watch Issue 28, July 2026: Pulsed Field Ablation Goes Mainstream, LAAO vs DOACs, Non-PV Triggers, and LBBAP Lead Position

July 6, 2026

EP Edge® Journal Watch Issue 28, July 2026: Pulsed Field Ablation Goes Mainstream, LAAO vs DOACs, Non-PV Triggers, and LBBAP Lead Position

<p>In <strong>EP Edge® Journal Watch Issue 28, July 2026</strong>, Dr. Sharma reviews a major month in cardiac electrophysiology, where new technology is being tested against real-world evidence. This episode covers the rapid commercial adoption of <strong>pulsed field ablation</strong>, the <strong>NCDR AFib Ablation Registry</strong>, the <strong>VOLT-AF IDE balloon-in-basket PFA study</strong>, PFA-related <strong>intravascular hemolysis</strong>, and the evolving role of <strong>non-pulmonary vein triggers</strong> in first-time AF ablation.</p><p>The issue also explores low-cost <strong>atrial fibrillation screening</strong> with pulse self-exam, next-generation <strong>left atrial appendage occlusion</strong> with the <strong>VERITAS Amulet 360 study</strong>, MAUDE registry safety signals for pericardial effusion after Watchman and Amulet, WATCHMAN peridevice leak anatomy by TEE and CT, the randomized evidence comparing <strong>LAAC vs DOACs</strong>, and whether <strong>left bundle branch area pacing lead position</strong> matters after conduction system capture.</p><p>The central question across the issue: how should electrophysiologists match technology to mechanism, anatomy, substrate, and patient phenotype? The newsletter groups the papers into PFA scale and safety, AF beyond the pulmonary veins, LAAO in the evidence era, and conduction system pacing. </p><p>For full references, graphics, and the written newsletter, visit <strong>EP Edge Journal Watch</strong> on LinkedIn and Substack.</p><p><br></p><p>EP Edge® Journal Watch Issue 28 reviews pulsed field ablation, LAAO vs DOACs, non-PV triggers, AF screening, WATCHMAN leaks, Amulet 360, and LBBAP.</p><p><br> EP Edge Journal Watch, EP Edge podcast, cardiac electrophysiology, electrophysiology podcast, atrial fibrillation, AF ablation, pulsed field ablation, PFA, left atrial appendage occlusion, LAAO, conduction system pacing</p><p><strong>Trials</strong><br> NCDR AFib Ablation Registry, PFA commercial release, VOLT-AF IDE, balloon-in-basket PFA, PFA hemolysis, intravascular hemolysis, non-PV triggers, first-time AF ablation, pulse self-exam, AF screening, VERITAS study, Amulet 360, MAUDE registry, Watchman pericardial effusion, Amulet pericardial effusion, WATCHMAN peridevice leak, LAAC vs DOACs, LBBAP lead position, left bundle branch area pacing, myocardial work, Burri Jastrzębski, Tapia Martínez</p><p><strong>Clinical topic keywords:</strong><br> pulmonary vein isolation, PVI, persistent atrial fibrillation, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, AF recurrence, AF stroke prevention, device-related thrombus, peridevice leak, TEE, cardiac CT, ischemic stroke, bleeding risk, DOAC therapy, physiologic pacing, left bundle branch pacing, electrophysiology research, Heart Rhythm Society</p><p><strong>Show Notes Links</strong></p><p>Substack<br> <a href="https://lnkd.in/e6b2ZrbZ">https://lnkd.in/e6b2ZrbZ</a></p><p>EP Edge Journal Watch Weekly Newsletter<br> <a href="https://lnkd.in/e-Wa4diC">https://lnkd.in/e-Wa4diC</a></p><p>EP Edge Newsletter In-Depth Monthly Issues<br> <a href="https://lnkd.in/ep3NdZUz">https://lnkd.in/ep3NdZUz</a></p><p>EP Edge Podcast<br> Apple: <a href="https://lnkd.in/e5KfepBZ">https://lnkd.in/e5KfepBZ</a><br> Spotify: <a href="https://lnkd.in/egb6HzPc">https://lnkd.in/egb6HzPc</a><br> Amazon: <a href="https://lnkd.in/e2q-xJi6">https://lnkd.in/e2q-xJi6</a><br> YouTube: <a href="https://lnkd.in/ePSUJCP2">https://lnkd.in/ePSUJCP2</a></p>

Episode thumbnail for EP Edge® Journal Watch, Issue 27, June 2026: CT-Guided VT Ablation, PFA Safety, Posterior Wall Isolation, and AF Substrate Precision

June 29, 2026

EP Edge® Journal Watch, Issue 27, June 2026: CT-Guided VT Ablation, PFA Safety, Posterior Wall Isolation, and AF Substrate Precision

<p>In this episode of <strong>EP Edge® Journal Watch</strong>, Dr. Sharma reviews the June 2026 Issue 27 newsletter, focusing on a central question in modern cardiac electrophysiology: how do we better match mechanism to intervention? This issue explores smarter procedural targeting, safer energy delivery, functional substrate assessment, and the evolving biology of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias.</p><p>The episode begins with the <strong>InEurHeart trial</strong>, a randomized study of <strong>CT-guided ventricular tachycardia ablation</strong> in ischemic cardiomyopathy. Dr. Sharma explains why preprocedural cardiac CT may help identify scar-related VT isthmuses, shorten procedure time, and create a more reproducible workflow, while also discussing why anatomy alone cannot fully replace functional electroanatomic mapping.</p><p>The discussion then moves to <strong>posterior wall isolation in persistent atrial fibrillation</strong>, including a study of very high-output pace-capture testing. The key clinical question is whether more aggressive confirmation of posterior wall inexcitability improves outcomes. The results challenge the assumption that more lesions, more energy, and stricter capture endpoints necessarily produce better rhythm control.</p><p>Next, the episode examines <strong>CTI DEEP mapping</strong>, or decrement evoked potentials, as a functional electrophysiology marker for atrial flutter susceptibility in patients undergoing AF ablation. Dr. Sharma explains what DEEP is, how it is measured using extrastimulus pacing from the lateral tricuspid annulus and proximal coronary sinus, and why functional conduction delay may be more informative than CTI anatomy alone.</p><p>The procedural safety conversation continues with a mechanistic study of <strong>left bundle branch area pacing</strong> showing that sheath withdrawal may be a vulnerable phase for septal perforation. This section highlights why a pacing lead that appears stable after deployment may still be mechanically vulnerable during early sheath withdrawal, especially in constrained right atrial anatomy.</p><p>The episode then turns to <strong>pulsed field ablation safety</strong>, reviewing the HEMO-PFA study and a renal biomarker study after PFA. These papers explore hemolysis, myocardial injury, acute kidney injury, application burden, delayed creatinine changes, and why PFA safety should be considered patient-specific, lesion-set-specific, and system-specific rather than generic.</p><p>In the atrial fibrillation substrate section, Dr. Sharma reviews the <strong>VISION Cardiac Surgery cohort</strong> on postoperative atrial fibrillation and its association with recurrent clinical AF, mortality, and heterogeneous stroke risk. The episode also reviews a state-of-the-art paper on <strong>inflammatory pathways in AF</strong>, including cytokines, NLRP3 inflammasome activation, oxidative stress, autonomic imbalance, epicardial adipose tissue, fibrosis, ion-channel remodeling, and why risk-factor modification should be viewed as substrate therapy.</p><p>The final section covers modifiable exposure risk, including an experimental study of <strong>vaping coolants</strong> and ventricular arrhythmogenicity, followed by a nuanced discussion of <strong>alcohol intake and incident atrial fibrillation</strong>. Dr. Sharma emphasizes that the alcohol meta-analysis does not prove alcohol prevents AF; rather, it shows a nonlinear observational association, with very high intake clearly associated with increased AF risk.</p><p>This episode is designed for electrophysiologists, cardiologists, EP fellows, advanced practice providers, cardiovascular researchers, and clinicians interested in atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, catheter ablation, pulsed field ablation, physiologic pacing, arrhythmia mechanisms, and evidence-based EP practice.</p><p>For full references, figures, graphics, and detailed statistical interpretation, visit the <strong>EP Edge Journal Watch</strong> newsletter on LinkedIn and Substack at <strong>epedge.substack.com</strong>. Questions, suggestions, or concerns can be sent to <strong>epedge.cast@gmail.com</strong>.</p>

36 total episodes available

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What is EP Edge Journal Watch?

Welcome to EP Edge Journal Watch — where cardiac electrophysiology meets evidence, precision, and perspective.

Hosted by Dr. Niraj Sharma, this bi-weekly podcast distills high-impact cardiovascular and EP research into clear, clinically meaningful insights. Each episode goes beyond headlines and abstracts to uncover what new studies actually mean for patient care, decision-making, and the future of electrophysiology.

What EP Edge Journal Watch stands for: Evidence-based practice Precision electrophysiology A forward-thinking, edge-driven approach to how we interpret and apply data in real-world clinical settings. Whether you’re an electrophysiologist, cardiologist, researcher, trainee, or allied health professional, EP Edge Journal Watch brings you the signal — not the noise. Expect sharp summaries, thoughtful commentary, and practical takeaways designed for the busy clinician who wants to stay ahead of the curve

How often does this podcast release new episodes?

This podcast updates daily.

Where can I listen to this podcast?

This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.

Does this podcast accept guests?

Information about guest appearances is not available.

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