While loop diuretics are an acknowledged component of therapy for patients with acute decompensated heart failure, as they were introduced into clinical practice prior to the era of large randomised controlled trials there are few prospective data to guide their use. […]
Latest articles
ARB not found to benefit AF
Whilst reducing blood pressure reduces the risk of heart failure and stroke this relationship has thus far not been demonstrated in patients with atrial fibrillation. This is despite the fact that recent mechanistic work and retrospective analyses have suggested that both ACE inhibitors and ARBs have specific properties that alter atrial mechanical and electrical remodelling […]
No benefit from platelet testing post PCI
Clopidogrel is a prodrug that needs to be converted into an active metabolite in order to be active, however wide interindividual variability has been noted both in the concentration of active metabolite and also platelet responsiveness. The GRAVITAS (Gauging Responsiveness with A VerifyNow assay – Impact on Thrombosis and Safety) aimed to investigate the effect […]
2-year RESOLUTE data emphasise need for secondary prevention
The RESOLUTE All Comers trial showed that the Resolute zotarolimus-eluting stent was non-inferior to the Xience V everolimus eluting stent in terms of target lesion failure (revascularisation, myocardial infarction, or cardiac death). However, long-term follow-up data from drug-eluting stent trials are generally scarce. Silber et al. report the 2-year clinical outcomes from the original RESOLUTE […]
Does physical activity trigger cardiac events?
Physical activity conveys many health benefits including a reduction in the chances of developing cardiovascular disease. However, it has also been suggested that physical activity, as well as others acute exposures such as sexual activity and psychological stress, can actually trigger acute cardiac events. […]
Novel diagnostic pathway improves chest pain assessment
Although 75-85% of patients presenting to the emergency department with chest pain ultimately do not receive a diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome, a lengthy assessment process is still mandatory as patients with a missed diagnosis of myocardial infarction are at increased risk for a cardiovascular event. Than et al. prospectively validated the safety of a […]
High-sensitivity troponin assay improves patient outcomes
In recent years clinical troponin assays have become increasingly sensitive, however whether this translates into improved clinical outcomes for patients with suspected acute coronary syndromes (ACS) has not previously been examined. Mills et al. investigated whether the introduction a new, high-sensitivity, troponin assay led to an improvement in patient outcomes. […]
Molecular Imaging of Atherosclerosis using MRI
Using invasive imaging techniques such as intra-vascular ultrasound, the burden of atherosclerotic plaque disease in any given individual has previously been shown to correlate with the likelihood of future cardivascular events . Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has the advantage of being non-invasive and, compared to other currently available molecular imaging modalities, it has good spatial […]
Apixaban shows promise
Warfarin has been the primary treatment to mitigate the increased risk of stroke associated with atrial fibrillation for more than 40 years. However, up to 30% of patients are not suitable candidates for or are unwilling to receive warfarin therapy despite having a high risk of stroke. A host of new oral agents are now […]
9p21 link to coronary disease clarified
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are examining the human genome in ever-greater depth in the hope of finding common variants that explain the heritability associated with common diseases such as coronary artery disease. Despite the ever increasing scale of these big-science ‘super-projects’ with literally tens of thousands of cases and controls, only a small proportion of […]