EP Edge Journal Watch

In EP Edge® Journal Watch Issue 28, July 2026 , 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 pulsed field ablation , the NCDR AFib Ablation Registry , the VOLT-AF IDE balloon-in-basket PFA study , PFA-related intravascular hemolysis , and the evolving role of non...

In this episode of EP Edge® Journal Watch , 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. The episode be...

In this episode of EP Edge Journal Watch Issue 26, June 2026 , Dr. Sharma reviews high-impact studies shaping contemporary cardiac electrophysiology , with a focus on smarter ablation strategies, safer left atrial appendage closure, post-arrest and post-myocarditis risk stratification, and the cellular biology beneath cardiac rhythm. This episode covers pulsed field ablation beyond pulmonary vein...

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,...

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. ...

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, p...

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 ab...

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 a...

In this May 2026 episode of EP Edge™ Journal Watch , we review nine high-impact electrophysiology studies shaping contemporary EP practice. This issue covers AI-guided redo AF ablation, dual-energy lattice-tip ventricular arrhythmia ablation, pulsed field ablation safety in patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices, neuromodulation for PVC suppression, cannabis-associated atrial arrhyth...

In this special HRS 2026 edition of EP Edge™ Journal Watch , Dr. Niraj Sharma takes a deep, clinically focused look at the AVANT GUARD trial , published in The New England Journal of Medicine , evaluating pulsed field ablation as initial therapy for treatment-naïve persistent atrial fibrillation . AVANT GUARD delivered the headline many expected: first-line PFA reduced atrial arrhythmia recurrence...

In this episode of EP Edge™ Journal Watch Issue 20 , Dr. Sharma reviews some of the most clinically relevant new developments in cardiac electrophysiology, with a sharp focus on atrial fibrillation screening, pulsed field ablation expansion, device therapy trade-offs, and post-ablation anticoagulation strategy . This issue examines how Apple Watch–based atrial fibrillation detection performed in a...

In EP Edge™ Journal Watch Issue 19 , Dr. Sharma reviews the most important new studies in atrial fibrillation ablation, conduction system pacing, device therapy, and real-world arrhythmia risk . This episode covers a large multicenter analysis linking cannabis use with higher rates of atrial fibrillation, tachycardia, premature beats, and ventricular arrhythmias ; the LEAF study on liraglutide and...

In this special edition of EP Edge™ Journal Watch , Dr. Sharma takes a focused, critical look at the 2026 EHRA/ESC scientific statement on pulsed field ablation for atrial fibrillation . This episode goes beyond a surface summary to examine what the new EHRA PFA statement adds to the field, where it is most useful in day-to-day electrophysiology practice, and where important evidence gaps still re...

In EP Edge™ Journal Watch Issue 19 (April 2026) , Dr. Niraj Sharma takes a high-level look at the latest developments in cardiac electrophysiology , with a sharp focus on atrial fibrillation , pulsed field ablation , embolic risk , physiologic pacing , and ventricular arrhythmia rescue strategies . This episode moves beyond routine rhythm-control discussions and examines whether new-onset atrial f...

In this episode of EP Edge Journal Watch, Dr. Niraj Sharma reviews five clinically important studies spanning atrial fibrillation, structural heart intervention, heart failure pacing, and contemporary ablation safety. The episode opens with CLOSURE-AF, the randomized trial comparing left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) with physician-directed best medical therapy in older, high-risk patients with...

In this EP Edge™ Journal Watch Breaking News Special Edition , Dr. Niraj Sharma delivers an in-depth analysis of the CHAMPION-AF trial and places its findings in direct comparative context with PRAGUE-17 and CLOSURE-AF , three pivotal randomized studies shaping the modern debate around left atrial appendage closure (LAAC/LAAO) versus direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) for stroke prevention in atri...

In this episode of EP Edge Journal Watch , Dr. Sharma reviews 11 important new studies shaping modern cardiac electrophysiology, arrhythmia care, and cardiovascular risk management. This March 2026 issue covers intravenous amiodarone in preexcited atrial fibrillation , the NURSECAT-AF randomized trial of nurse-led care after AF ablation , left bundle branch area antitachycardia pacing vs right ven...

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 e...

In EP Edge Journal Watch Issue 14 (March 2026) , Dr. Niraj Sharma breaks down the most clinically “edge-case” decisions in contemporary electrophysiology—where ablation strategy, stroke prevention, and safety monitoring collide. This episode covers: AF ablation in octogenarians (REHEALTH AF): why the signal may be less about short-term hard outcomes and more about symptoms, function, and patient-c...

EP Edge Journal Watch — Issue 13 (March 2026) explores a core 2026 EP problem: signal detection (wearables, patches, ILRs) and energy delivery (next-gen PFA) are advancing faster than the clinical rules we use to interpret risk and outcomes .  In this episode, Dr. Niraj Sharma breaks down what’s clinically actionable, what’s methodologically fragile, and what should change practice now versus what...

 In this episode of EP Edge™ Journal Watch (Issue 12, February 2026) , Dr. Niraj Sharma breaks down a deceptively simple question in atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation: what does “success” actually mean—at 1 year, 4 years, and 20 years? We start with ADVENT-LTO , the long-term extension of the randomized ADVENT trial, examining 4-year outcomes of pulse field ablation (PFA) vs thermal ablation —and...

In this EP Edge™ Journal Watch Special Edition, we unpack the newly released 2026 HRS/EHRA Scientific Statement on Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) and translate “consensus language” into practical, lab-ready decision-making . This isn’t a surface summary—it’s a critical appraisal of how the statement was built (including the 11-voter model ), where the field is truly aligned, and where recommendations...

In this episode of EP Edge Journal Watch , we review several developments that directly impact modern electrophysiology practice — from pulsed field ablation safety to operator health. We begin with the real-world Varipulse experience, where early neurovascular events dropped dramatically after workflow modification and reduction of lesion stacking, highlighting that PFA success depends as much on...

EP Edge Journal Watch: Feb 2026 Issue 10 In this episode of EP Edge Journal Watch , we examine the latest developments shaping the future of cardiac electrophysiology , with a focus on pulsed field ablation durability, atrial fibrillation ablation outcomes, wearable AF detection, ventricular tachycardia ablation endpoints, autonomic modulation, and ICD patient outcomes . Pulsed field ablation has...

Pulsed field ablation (PFA) has rapidly reshaped atrial fibrillation ablation, but true clinical validation depends on durable one-year outcomes, not early feasibility or acute safety alone . In this EP Edge Journal Watch Special Edition , Dr. Niraj Sharma delivers a comprehensive, system-level analysis of the Abbott VOLT IDE one-year data , now completing the 12-month efficacy and safety landscap...