Cardiology General
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Cardiovascular Nutrition Demystified
The authors of this review of key nutritional studies compiled evidence-based information on foods and dietary patterns that support cardiovascular health and demystified those that have incorrectly been identified as beneficial to cardiovascular health.
Intravenous Iron Shows Long-term Benefit in Patients with Heart Failure and Iron Deficiency
Iron deficiency (ID) is common in patients with heart failure (HF), and its presence is associated with reductions in functional capacity, quality of life, and survival. Several clinical trials have shown improved outcomes in patients with HF and ID who are treated with IV iron. However, these trials only administered IV iron for short periods of time, and the long-term effects of IV iron in these patients are not well understood.
Paravalvular Leaks and TAVR Outcomes
Moderate or severe paravalvular regurgitation (PVR) has been reported in up to one-quarter of patients following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and has been associated with a higher 1-year mortality. Whether PVR is the cause of increased mortality or is simply associated with mortality is unclear.
Blood Transfusion After Cardiac Surgery
Due to the cost of blood transfusions and the lack of data supporting liberal transfusion policies, newer guidelines recommend more restrictive transfusion thresholds (e.g., hemoglobin < 7 g/dL). However, many believe cardiac surgery is an exception due to the myocardium’s high oxygen requirement.
Unintended Consequences of Public Reporting of Procedure Outcomes
Public reporting of clinical outcomes associated with cardiovascular care has been touted as a means to improve health care delivery and patient outcomes.
Atrial Fibrillation Risk Scores and Anticoagulation Treatment
Several guidelines recommend using the CHA2DS2-VASc score for determining the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), but the treatment recommendations are not the same in all guidelines.
Utility of the New Cholesterol Guidelines
The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) released new guidelines for the use of statin drugs to prevent atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) in 2013.
Delays in Transfer For Primary PCI in STEMI
Most patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) present to hospitals that are not capable of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Rapid transfer to PCI-capable facilities for primary PCI may result in earlier reperfusion of the infarct artery and better clinical outcomes. However, delays in transfer may diminish the mortality benefit achieved with primary PCI in STEMI.Assessment of Functional Severity of Coronary Lesions by CT Angiography — FFRCT
Anatomic definition of coronary artery lesions by invasive coronary angiography (ICA) or computed tomography coronary angiography (CCTA) has limitations.BNP in Chronic Aortic Regurgitation
The most appropriate time to intervene in asymptomatic patients with chronic severe aortic regurgitation is controversial. Since brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is released by the heart in response to increased wall stress, it has been proposed as a biomarker of the time to intervene in chronic valvular regurgitation patients.