Month: April 2018
Video Augmented Information Delivery to Patients Undergoing Elective PCI Enhances Patient Awareness and Satisfaction
A new multi-center prospective randomized trial published in the American Heart Journal was able to show that a video presentation may be better at helping patients to understand the procedure and risks associated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared to standard patient education pamphlets. Continue reading
Delayed Coronary Obstruction: a post-TAVR Complication
A recently published study in the Journal of American College of Cardiology concluded that delayed coronary obstruction (DCO) occurring after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is an infrequent complication, associated with a high in-hospital mortality. Continue reading
High Sensitivity Troponin I and Stable Coronary Artery Disease
A recent study published in the Journal of American College of Cardiology found an association between elevated concentrations of high sensitivity troponin I (hsTnI) with increasing prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) in stable patients, who were suspected of coronary artery disease and underwent non-emergent coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA).
Tafamidis, A Real Hope for People with Transthyretin Cardiomyopathy?
On Thursday, March 29th, Pfizer announced positive topline results from ATTR-ACT trial of tafamidis in patients with transthyretin cardiomyopathy. According to Pfizer, “Tafamidis met its primary endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant reduction in the composite of all-cause mortality and frequency of cardiovascular-related hospitalizations compared to placebo at 30 months. The preliminary safety data showed that tafamidis was generally well tolerated in this population and no new safety signals were identified”. Continue reading
Predictors of Device Related Thrombosis After Transcatheter Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion
In a recent study published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions, Pracon et al. suggested that the incidence of device related thrombosis (DRT) among patients undergoing percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion is related to patient (history of thromboembolic events and lower left ventricular ejection fraction) and procedural (deep implantation and larger occluder size) characteristics.
Assessment of Long-term Outcomes in Patients Undergoing SAVR
A contemporary cohort study recently published in Journal of the American College of Cardiology highlighted the clinical significance of age and other associated comorbidities in determining the clinical outcome in patients undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). The 10-year mortality rate was found to be considerably high in elderly SAVR recipients of a bioprosthetic valve and almost one-third of the population exhibited subclinical structural valve degeneration (SVD). Continue reading
Does Operator PCI Volume Influence Mortality?
The number of procedures performed by the operator of a Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) in the previous year has no impact on the 30-day mortality, according to a recent UK study published in the European Heart Journal. Continue reading
