Clinical Cardiology
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Cardiac Constriction vs. Cardiac Restriction
The five Mayo Clinic Doppler echocardiographic criteria for the diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis (CP) were tested in a group of surgically confirmed CP compared to a group of cardiac biopsy proven amyloid restrictive cardiomyopathy. Interventricular septal bounce and an elevated mitral annular medial e’ were found to be the most accurate criteria, especially if used together.
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Value of PET Scans in Infective Endocarditis
18F-FDG PET/CT imaging in a consecutive series of patients with proven infective endocarditis was of diagnostic value in those with prosthetic value endocarditis and of prognostic value in all cases.
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Dapagliflozin Treatment Improves Life Quality for Systolic Heart Failure Patients
Treatment with dapagliflozin for 12 weeks resulted in improved health status, either a reduction in NT-proBNP or improvement in quality of life measures, in systolic heart failure patients with or without type 2 diabetes mellitus.
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Cardiac Arrest in Takotsubo Syndrome
Investigators sought to determine whether secondary prevention interventions could reduce the mortality rate of takotsubo patients with cardiac arrest.
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Safety of Carvedilol for Cocaine Users
The use of beta-blockers in cocaine users is controversial, and there are few data on their use in cocaine-associated heart failure. This prospective, observational, registry study of cocaine-associated heart failure patients showed that carvedilol is safe and effective in such patients.
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Planning Therapy for Severe Tricuspid Regurgitation
A retrospective study of moderate to severe secondary tricuspid valve regurgitation showed that right ventricular systolic dysfunction (but not dilatation alone) is predictive of all-cause mortality.
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Predicting Chemotherapy Cardiotoxicity
Administering trastuzumab after a course of anthracycline therapy for breast cancer can result in cardiac toxicity. Serial echocardiograms in this study showed that a lower initial left ventricular ejection fraction before anthracycline therapy and the amount of decrease in ejection fraction after the anthracycline course are predictive of subsequent trastuzumab cardiac toxicity.
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When and How to Stop Dual Antiplatelet Therapy After PCI
Among patients with high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention who had completed three months of dual antiplatelet therapy with ticagrelor, patients who were randomized to ticagrelor alone experienced similar ischemic outcomes and a lower risk of bleeding at one year compared with those maintained on ticagrelor and aspirin.
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Size Matters Regarding Left Heart Valve Vegetations
An international registry study of left-sided valvular infective endocarditis patients revealed that large vegetations (> 10 mm) are associated with increased mortality at six months, but not if early surgery is performed.
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Blood Pressure Targets in the Elderly
The authors of a large population study found that reducing blood pressure to < 140/90 mmHg is associated with increased mortality, and mortality was highest in those with previous cardiovascular events and age > 80 years.