Cardiology
RSSArticles
-
Hot Trials from the European Society of Cardiology Annual Congress
Below are some highlights from four key studies presented in Barcelona, Spain, between Aug. 26 and Aug. 29, 2022, along with Dr. Crawford’s personal commentary on each.
-
Appropriate Management of Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms
Among patients with arch and descending thoracic aorta aneurysms followed over a mean of 20 months, aneurysm-related mortality was predicted by the size and growth rate of the aneurysms, along with age and sex.
-
Predicting the Tolerability of Sacubitril/Valsartan in Advanced Heart Failure
An analysis of the sacubitril/valsartan run-in period for chronic, advanced heart failure patients showed 18% could not tolerate the lowest dose, usually because of hypotension or renal dysfunction. Investigators identified six predictors of non-tolerance, which may help clinicians choose the best candidates.
-
Those Anterior T Waves
The ECG in the figure was obtained from a man in his 60s who was seen in the field for new chest pain. How might one interpret this tracing?
-
Measure Stroke Risk with Asymptomatic Severe Carotid Artery Stenosis
A community-based, retrospective, observational study of patients with asymptomatic severe carotid artery stenoses showed the crude stroke risk over five years was about 5%. Patients whose stenoses progress to high grade or start at that severity were at the highest risk for stroke.
-
Are SGLT2 Inhibitors Effective for HFpEF Patients Without Diabetes?
After comparing empagliflozin to placebo for patients with heart failure and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction, researchers found no differences in the significant reduction of the primary outcome of cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalization over 36 months based on whether patients were diabetic.
-
Device Could Detect When Patient’s Condition Is Deteriorating
Researchers developed the Analytic for Hemodynamic Instability, an artificial intelligence-driven device that can provide continuous monitoring. This way, clinicians can pick up signs of patient deterioration promptly and deploy appropriate resources early.
-
COVID-19 Infection More Likely to Inflame Heart Than Vaccine
Researchers noted patients were much more likely to be afflicted with myocarditis after a SARS-CoV-2 infection than after receiving a vaccine.
-
Rivaroxaban Monotherapy for Atrial Fibrillation in Coronary Artery Disease Patients
For patients with atrial fibrillation and stable coronary artery disease, rivaroxaban monotherapy was superior to dual therapy for preventing thrombotic and bleeding events and was associated with a lower mortality rate.
-
The Value of Stress Testing in Patients with Known Coronary Artery Disease
A comparison of adenosine stress single-photon emission CT, PET, and MRI in stable patients with known coronary artery disease (CAD) showed PET to be more sensitive for detecting invasive fractional flow reserve-identified ischemic lesions. However, the sensitivity was disappointing. Patients with known CAD and new symptoms should be referred directly to invasive coronary angiography.