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). […]
Latest articles
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 […]
Statins inhibit thrombosis
Hypercholesterolemia is one of the primary risk factors for atherosclerotic coronary disease. Statins have revolutionised lipid management with their proven ability to reduce circulating cholesterol levels and have even demonstrated regression of coronary plaques. Interestingly, statins have also been shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombotic activities, with several studies having shown statin therapy to be […]
Titin implicated in DCM
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the most common form of non-ischemic cardiomyopathy. While clinical evaluation identifies 30 to 50% of DCM patients as having a relative who is affected or likely to be affected, indicating a possible genetic cause, pathogenic mutations are found in only 20 to 30% of patients. Therefore a large degree of uncertainty […]
CE-MARC shows strength of perfusion MRI
In recent years it has become clear that treatment of coronary artery disease – and in particular percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) – must be guided by imaging techniques that give some information on the extent of myocardial ischaemia. While nuclear medicine techniques such as SPECT (single-photon emission computed tomography) have become widespread, and have a […]
SCIPIO: Stem cells improve ischaemic cardiomyopathy
Ischaemic heart disease remains the leading cause of heart failure in the Western World, and its prevalence continues to rise. Despite marked advances in the treatment of heart failure, heart muscle death remains irreversible. However, over the last decade the concept of the heart as a terminally differentiated organ has been refuted, and this has […]
ADHD medications and cardiovascular events
Adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are often treated with stimulants such as mephyphenidates and amphetamines, and additionally with a newer non-stimulant agent, atomoxetine. Placebo-controlled studies have shown that all of these drugs are capable of increasing systolic and diastolic blood pressure in addition to heart rate. However, no clinical trial to date has been large […]
Long-term efficacy and safety of statins
Alth0ugh an overwhelming amount of evidence now points towards the beneficial effects of statins, most of the large statin studies have only had 5-year follow-up and there have been observational studies that have suggested a long-term increased risk of particular types of cancer, and of other non-vascular morbidity and mortality. […]