Cardiologia

The terms used to describe different states of myocardial health and disease are poorly defined. Imprecision and inconsistency in nomenclature can lead to difficulty in interpreting and applying trial outcomes to clinical practice. In particular, the terms 'viable' and 'hibernating' are commonly applied interchangeably and incorrectly to myocardium that exhibits chronic contractile dysfunction in patients with ischaemic heart disease. The range of inherent differences amongst imaging modalities used to define myocardial health and disease add further challenges to consistent definitions...

BACKGROUND: Recurrent ventricular tachycardia among survivors of myocardial infarction with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is frequent despite antiarrhythmic drug therapy. The most effective approach to management of this problem is uncertain. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial involving patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and an ICD who had ventricular tachycardia despite the use of antiarrhythmic drugs. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either catheter ablation (ablation group) with continuation of baseline antiarrhythmic medications or escalated antiarrhythmic drug therapy (escalated-therapy group)...

Compared with traditional chemotherapy, targeted cancer therapy is a novel strategy in which key molecules in signaling pathways involved in carcinogenesis and tumor spread are inhibited. Targeted cancer therapy has fewer adverse effects on normal cells and is considered to be the future of chemotherapy. However, targeted cancer therapy-induced cardiovascular toxicities are occasionally critical issues in patients who receive novel anticancer agents, such as trastuzumab, bevacizumab, sunitinib and imatinib...

BACKGROUND: The Occluded Artery Trial (OAT) showed no difference in outcomes between percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) versus optimal medical therapy (MED) in patients with persistent total occlusion of the infarct-related artery 3 to 28 days post-myocardial infarction. Whether PCI may benefit a subset of patients with preservation of infarct zone (IZ) viability is unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: The OAT nuclear ancillary study hypothesized that (1) IZ viability influences left ventricular (LV) remodeling and that (2) PCI as compared with MED attenuates adverse remodeling in post-myocardial infarction patients with preserved viability...

Patients with myocardial bridging are often asymptomatic, but this anomaly may be associated with exertional angina, acute coronary syndromes, cardiac arrhythmias, syncope, or even sudden cardiac death. This review presents our understanding of the pathophysiology of myocardial bridging and describes prevailing diagnostic modalities and therapeutic options for this challenging clinical entity.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Although patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (HF-PEF) represent nearly half of the population with chronic heart failure, few evidence-based medical therapies are available. The neutral overall results of the TOPCAT trial of spironolactone in HF-PEF leave clinicians who treat heart failure with an ongoing clinical dilemma. In this review, we outline an approach to the clinical management of the patient with HF-PEF synthesizing data from available clinical trials and expert consensus.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: The most appropriate targets for systolic blood pressure to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality among persons without diabetes remain uncertain. METHODS: We randomly assigned 9361 persons with a systolic blood pressure of 130 mm Hg or higher and an increased cardiovascular risk, but without diabetes, to a systolic blood-pressure target of less than 120 mm Hg (intensive treatment) or a target of less than 140 mm Hg (standard treatment). The primary composite outcome was myocardial infarction, other acute coronary syndromes, stroke, heart failure, or death from cardiovascular causes...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

HYPOTHESIS: Neither the ADAM nor the UK Small Aneurysm trials showed an advantage for early open surgical repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) smaller than 5.5 cm in diameter. The rigorous exclusion criteria of these studies, however, limited surgery to low-risk patients. We tested the hypothesis that endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) has been successfully used for higher-risk patients, thus questioning the utility of the ADAM and UK Small Aneurysm trials exclusion criteria in EVAR patient selection...

BACKGROUND: Oral anticoagulation in addition to antiplatelet treatment after an acute coronary syndrome might reduce ischaemic events but increase bleeding risk. We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of adding direct thrombin or factor-Xa inhibition by any of the novel oral anticoagulants (apixaban, dabigatran, darexaban, rivaroxaban, and ximelagatran) to single (aspirin) or dual (aspirin and clopidogrel) antiplatelet therapy in this setting. METHODS AND RESULTS: All seven published randomized, placebo-controlled phase II and III studies of novel oral anticoagulants in acute coronary syndromes were included...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with the SAPIEN 3 valve demonstrates good 30 day clinical outcomes in patients with severe aortic stenosis who are at intermediate risk of surgical mortality. Here we report longer-term data in intermediate-risk patients given SAPIEN 3 TAVR and compare outcomes to those of intermediate-risk patients given surgical aortic valve replacement. METHODS: In the SAPIEN 3 observational study, 1077 intermediate-risk patients at 51 sites in the USA and Canada were assigned to receive TAVR with the SAPIEN 3 valve [952 [88%] via transfemoral access) between Feb 17, 2014, and Sept 3, 2014...

The assessment and management of tricuspid valve disease have evolved substantially during the past several years. Whereas tricuspid stenosis is uncommon, tricuspid regurgitation is frequently encountered and is most often secondary in nature and caused by annular dilatation and leaflet tethering from adverse right ventricular remodelling in response to any of several disease processes. Non-invasive assessment of tricuspid regurgitation must define its cause and severity; advanced three-dimensional echocardiography, MRI, and CT are gaining in clinical application...

BACKGROUND: Current guidelines recommend pulmonary-vein isolation by means of catheter ablation as treatment for drug-refractory paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Radiofrequency ablation is the most common method, and cryoballoon ablation is the second most frequently used technology. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, randomized trial to determine whether cryoballoon ablation was noninferior to radiofrequency ablation in symptomatic patients with drug-refractory paroxysmal atrial fibrillation...

BACKGROUND: Whether catheter ablation (CA) is superior to amiodarone (AMIO) for the treatment of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with heart failure is unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: This was an open-label, randomized, parallel-group, multicenter study. Patients with persistent AF, dual-chamber implantable cardioverter defibrillator or cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator, New York Heart Association II to III, and left ventricular ejection fraction <40% within the past 6 months were randomly assigned (1:1 ratio) to undergo CA for AF (group 1, n=102) or receive AMIO (group 2, n=101)...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease remain major global health problems. Although strategies for primary and secondary prevention are well established, their worldwide implementation is suboptimum. In patients with advanced valvular heart disease, mechanical approaches (both percutaneous and surgical) are well described and can, for selected patients, greatly improve outcomes; however, access to centres with experienced staff is very restricted in regions that have the highest prevalence of disease...