{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"EP Edge Journal Watch","title":"EP Edge™ Journal Watch Issue 15: PFA Recurrence, Bayesian AF Ablation, Non-PV Triggers, Diltiazem-DOAC Risk, and Stroke Prevention After AF Ablation","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1221,"description":"In EP Edge™ Journal Watch Issue 15, Dr. Niraj Sharma reviews some of the most important new studies in electrophysiology and atrial fibrillation management from March 2026. This episode explores whether early recurrence after pulsed field ablation (PFA) should still be viewed as part of a traditional blanking period or whether it may represent an early marker of later treatment failure. It also examines a Bayesian meta-analysis comparing PFA with thermal ablation, with practical discussion on what Bayesian statistics actually mean for clinicians and how probability-based interpretation may differ from standard p-value thinking.The episode also takes a closer look at the significance of non-pulmonary vein triggers in first-time AF ablation, especially the clinical consequences of identifying reproducible triggers that are not ultimately ablated. Additional featured studies include a provocative reassessment of Class Ic antiarrhythmic therapy after PCI, a clinically important report on rapid battery depletion and CIED generator-related defects, and early performance data on the next-generation Amulet 360 left atrial appendage occlusion device.Other key topics include the procedural implications of performing PFA near metallic LAAO devices, why activated clotting time (ACT) values may not be interchangeable across different testing platforms, and what new data tell us about athlete bradycardia, including the possible interplay between endurance training, physiologic remodeling, and genetic predisposition. The episode also reviews the growing evidence that diltiazem combined with factor Xa inhibitors such as apixaban or rivaroxaban may increase bleeding risk, an issue with direct day-to-day prescribing relevance.Finally, this issue closes with a broader synthesis of OCEAN, ALONE AF, and OPTION, exploring what these studies may mean for the future of stroke prevention after AF ablation and whether post-ablation anticoagulation decisions are moving toward a more...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/C7iPWVsHlGRm13syn3X4eXGLcqOXyzcuH5XmVutqgHc/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9jMzFi/ZTYxOTI1M2U4NGRj/OGZmZjBhMDFlMjFm/NDQwMC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}