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Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is now accepted as a disease-modifying therapy in patients with heart failure, left ventricular dysfunction, and intraventricular conduction defects. In this paper, Sipahi and colleagues review the data on the benefits of CRT in relationship to baseline QRS duration.
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High-dose loop diuretics are often necessary to reduce elevated filling pressures in patients with heart failure. However, they are known to activate neurohormonal mechanisms that may be harmful.
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In patients with severe valvular aortic stenosis (AS), ascending aortic dilatation is common, and is thought to be due to the alterations in flow caused by the stenotic valve.
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In this study, the authors attempt to develop a risk stratification score to predict bleeding in patients treated with warfarin oral anticoagulation.
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Computed tomography (CT) imaging has progressed substantially in recent years, and we are now able to non-invasively image coronary artery disease in many patients.
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The echocardiographic assessment of diastolic function of the left ventricle (LV) involves five measurements derived from two-dimensional imaging, pulsed Doppler, Color M-mode, and tissue Doppler. Not only is it complicated, but sometimes the measurements are discordant.
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Thoracic aortic dissection is notoriously difficult to diagnose. Since the presenting symptoms are protean, it is not feasible to image everyone with symptoms that could be due to dissection.
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Several studies have shown lower rates of arterial access site complications when performing cardiac catheterization via the radial artery compared to the femoral artery, but these have largely been retrospective studies or registries.
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RE-LY randomized 18,113 patients to one of its three arms. In the entire study group, dabigatran 110 mg twice per day compared with warfarin was associated with lower risks of major bleeding (2.87% vs 3.57 %), intracranial bleeding (0.23% vs 0.76%), and life-threatening bleeding (1.24% vs 1.85%).
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In this paper, Haines and his coauthors propose a scoring system to predict risks associated with implantable cardioverterdefibrillator (ICD) implant procedures.
