Clinical Cardiology
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TAVR Without On-site Cardiac Surgical Backup: Fringe Procedure, or Wave of the Future?
Data from transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedures performed at German hospitals without on-site cardiac surgery shows relatively low rates of major complications and mortality similar to hospitals with full surgical programs.
Management of Mixed Aortic Valve Disease
Asymptomatic patients suffering from moderate aortic stenosis and regurgitation with preserved left ventricular function have the same prognosis as asymptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis and normal left ventricular function and should be followed closely for the development of symptoms.
Predictive Accuracy of the New Risk Equation
An evaluation of the predictive accuracy of the new pooled Cohort Risk Equation in > 300,000 subjects without heart disease or diabetes and a low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level between 70-189 mg/dL followed for five years showed that the new equation markedly overestimated the observed risk of cardiovascular events.
Noninvasive Diagnosis of Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy
A testing strategy combining bone scintigraphy and laboratory testing allows accurate diagnosis of transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy without the need for a biopsy.
Can MRI Diagnose Myocarditis?
New quantitative MRI technique performs better than the older Lake Louise criteria for diagnosing myocarditis as compared to the standard of endomyocardial biopsy.
Atrial Fibrillation Ablation in Heart Failure Patients May Be Particularly Beneficial
Atrial fibrillation ablation leads to better outcomes in heart failure patients compared to amiodarone.
Rivaroxaban in the Real World
A large Phase IV registry study shows that rivaroxaban is associated with a very low incidence of major bleeding, death, or stroke. Also, adherence to therapy was much higher than observed in other studies with vitamin K antagonists.
New Analysis of COGENT Data Supports Proton Pump Inhibitor Benefit
It shows comparable risks of gastrointestinal and cardiovascular events between low- and high-dose aspirin.
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.
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.