Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to present the official peer-reviewed highlights of EHRA EUROPACE-CARDIOSTIM 2015, held in Milan, Italy, June 21–24, 2015. The articles in this issue of EHRA EUROPACE-CARDIOSTIM 2015 in Review are relevant to a broad array of practitioners and have the potential to influence clinical practice.

Among the clinical trial highlights presented at EHRA EUROPACE-CARDIOSTIM 2015 are 2 studies of the leadless Micra Transcatheter Pacing System. The Micra Transcatheter Pacing studies found that the device, which is 1/10th the size of conventional pacemakers, was safe and effective in patients who required ventricular pacing, with excellent battery longevity. Moreover, the use of a 0.24 milliseconds vs 0.4 milliseconds pulse width increased the projected battery longevity by almost 1 year.

Two registry studies examined the use of non–vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant use in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA). The first determined that AF patients can safely undergo RFA while continuing apixaban or rivaroxaban therapy without the need for prior transesophageal echocardiography. A second study provided complementary information that uninterrupted apixaban used in the periprocedural setting of RFA in patients with AF does not increase bleeding risk compared with uninterrupted warfarin and that uninterrupted periprocedural apixaban is effective in preventing thromboembolism.

The prospective CARDIO–FIT study elegantly showed that a structured exercise program that achieves gains in cardiorespiratory fitness significantly improves freedom from AF and arrhythmia-free survival among obese patients with AF. Additionally, weight loss with or without improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness improves freedom from AF and arrhythmia-free survival.

In addition to learning about clinical trial results, you will find new information in selected areas of cardiovascular medicine, including newer syncope protocols that can improve diagnostic accuracy, risk stratification and management of patients presenting with syncope, innovations in the management of AF, and investigational devices for heart failure.

We hope that you find the information and practical perspectives in this issue of EHRA EUROPACE-CARDIOSTIM 2015 in Review helpful in integrating this new information into your clinical practice. For more information, please visit mdce.sagepub.com.