Clinical Cardiology Alert – May 1, 2016

May 1, 2016

• TAVR in Intermediate-risk Patients: How Low Can We Go?

  Transcatheter and surgical aortic valve replacement in an intermediate-risk population have similar rates of death and disabling stroke at two years.

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• CABG Improves Long-term Survival in Severe Left Ventricular Dysfunction

  In patients with coronary artery disease, heart failure, and left ventricular ejection fraction < 35%, coronary artery bypass grafting plus medical therapy was associated with improved survival compared to medical therapy alone.

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• Can CABG Really Improve Left Ventricular Function?

  In implantable cardioverter defibrillator candidates with an ejection fraction < 35% who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery, mean ejection fraction improved significantly, especially in those with baseline ejection fraction between 25-35%, obviating the need for an implantable cardioverter defibrillator in 58%.

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• Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation Management — You Can’t Go Wrong

  Rate control and rhythm control strategies for cardiac surgery patients with postoperative atrial fibrillation lead to similar hospital durations, similar complication rates, and similar very low rates of atrial fibrillation at 60-day follow-up.

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• Can Chemotherapy Damage Heart Valves?

  Long-term lymphoma survivors were noted to experience valvular regurgitation out of proportion to reductions in left ventricular function and degenerative valve stenosis. The most evidence appeared in those who received radiation therapy in addition to chemotherapy.

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