Interventional Cardiology
EAGLES- A Randomized Clinical Trial Showing No Evidence of Smoking Cessation Treatments Association with MACE
EAGLES (Evaluating Adverse Events in a Global Smoking Cessation Study), a randomized clinical trial, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, provides evidence that smoking cessation medications do not increase the risk of serious cardiovascular events in the general population of smokers. Continue reading
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.
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
Do Procedure and Coronary Lesion Characteristics Impact Clinical Outcomes in Atrial Fibrillation Patients Undergoing PCI?
According to a post-hoc analysis of the PIONEER AF-PCI trial that was recently published in the Journal of American College of Cardiology, there was no impact of complex coronary lesions, stent characteristics, or vascular approach on efficacy or safety outcomes among stented atrial fibrillation (AF) patients who received either rivaroxaban or Vitamin K Antagonists (VKA)-based dual or triple therapy. Continue reading
SWAP 4 trial: De-escalation of P2Y12 Inhibitors
In a recent article published in The Circulation, it has been found that the use of a loading dose while switching between P2Y12 inhibitors in patients with coronary artery disease is associated with mitigation of the reactivity of platelets. The study has also emphasized that timing of administration of loading dose has no impact on platelet reactivity.
Frailty and Conventional Risk Scores in Patients Undergoing TAVR
The usage of combined risk models of frailty and conventional risk scores significantly enhances prediction of one-year mortality in patients undergoing TAVR, according to a recent publication in the Journal of American College of Cardiology.
Is Sodium Bicarbonate or N-Acetyl-Cysteine Effective in Preventing Contrast-Induced Nephropathy?
In a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, it was found that amongst patients undergoing angiography, sodium bicarbonate is not better than sodium chloride and neither is acetylcysteine better than oral placebo in the prevention of a composite outcome of death, need for dialysis, or persistent kidney injury. The treatment was also ineffective in reducing the risk of contrast-associated acute kidney injury.
CABG Versus PCI in Multivessel Disease
In a recent study published in The Lancet, it was found that there is a mortality benefit for patients with multivessel disease undergoing CABG compared to PCI. However, the reduction in mortality was not statistically significant in patients with only left main artery disease. With recent advancements in stenting techniques, the benefit of using CABG over PCI has been debatable. Prior to this , no study was powered to compare the mortality benefits between these interventions.
Gender Differences in Outcomes With TAVR Women Undergoing TAVR are at a Decreased Risk of Long-term Mortality
In a recent meta-analysis published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, it was found that postoperative complications of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) were different between males and females. While females were at increased risk of short-term complications (within 30 days) such as bleeding, stroke, and vascular complications, they had a lower incidence all-cause mortality within one year of the procedure. Continue reading
