Recently evidence has emerged suggesting the prognostic value of CT coronary angiography (CTCA), however whether it can provide extra information over and above routine clinical workup – including exercise treadmill testing – remains uncertain. Dedic et al. determined to answer this question in patients with stable chest pain and suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). […]
Month: March 2012
Gender differences in myocardial infarction
In general, women present to hospital with symptoms and signs of coronary artery disease at a later age than males; furthermore, they often present with atypical symptoms. While a large amount of work has been directed towards examining sex differences in mortality, few studies have taken into account age difference when doing so. […]
No cardiac benefit of vitamin D in CKD
There is a renewed interest in the role of vitamin D in cardiovascular disease, largely due to observational studies suggesting a link between vitamin D deficiency and cardiovascular outcomes. Moreover, vitamin D receptors have been found on vascular smooth muscle, and endothelial cells. Given the vitamin D deficiency that commonly effects patients with chronic kidney […]
Intracoronary abciximab offers no extra benefit
Despite the introduction of primary angioplasty programmes for patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), up to 70% of patients have impaired myocardial tissue perfusion even after successful treatment. As intracoronary delivery of abciximab results in much higher concentrations within the coronary artery when compared to intravenous administration, it is logical to propose that this […]