Clinical Cardiology
RSSArticles
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Optimizing Outcomes for Invasive Treatment of Long-standing, Persistent Atrial Fibrillation
In patients with long-standing, persistent atrial fibrillation, outcomes with an electrophysiologically guided thoracoscopic surgical ablation procedure were superior to a standard catheter approach.
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Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Identifies High-risk Patients With Acute Myocarditis and Preserved Ejection Fraction
In patients with acute myocarditis and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance, the presence of late gadolinium enhancement involving the midwall layer of the anteroseptum was associated with a worse prognosis.
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Value of Liver Function Tests in Cardiogenic Shock
A prospective, multicentered, observational study of patients admitted with cardiogenic shock showed that a > 20% rise in alanine aminotransferase in the first 24 hours is associated highly and independently with 90-day mortality.
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Risk of Major Bleeding With Concurrent Medications in Atrial Fibrillation Patients Taking New Oral Anticoagulants
A large nationwide comprehensive clinical database showed that concomitant use of the new oral anticoagulants with amiodarone, fluconazole, rifampin, and phenytoin increases the risk of major bleeding.
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ORBITA: Learning the Right Lessons From a Sham-controlled Trial of Angioplasty
In this sham-controlled trial of 200 patients with single-vessel coronary artery disease and stable angina, percutaneous coronary intervention did not increase exercise time significantly compared to a placebo procedure.
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Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement as an Alternative to Other Surgical Options
A large registry study of transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) in patients with degenerated mitral valve bioprostheses or failed mitral annuloplasty repairs who were at high risk for repeat surgery showed that TMVR can be performed successfully. However, the initial and long-term results are better in the degenerated bioprothesis group.
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Can Medical Therapy Improve Functional Mitral Regurgitation?
Among patients who presented with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and severe functional mitral regurgitation, mitral regurgitation improved in 38% of patients with medical management. Improvement in mitral regurgitation was associated with increased survival.
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Patent Foramen Ovale Intervention Rises to Occasion in Cryptogenic Stroke
After years of uncertainty, three large randomized trials have shown a benefit to patent foramen ovale closure in reducing recurrence after cryptogenic stroke in the right patients.
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Late-breaking Clinical Trials From the European Society of Cardiology Congress, August 2017
Recent findings of several important clinical trials in atrial fibrillation management were presented as part of the “Hot Line” sessions at this year’s European Society of Cardiology Congress in Barcelona, Spain. A selection particularly relevant to the general cardiology community is presented here.
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Anomalous Coronary Arteries Discovered in Middle-aged Individuals
Anomalous origin of coronary arteries from the opposite sinus are encountered more frequently in middle-aged subjects evaluated for coronary artery disease using CT angiography.