Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a rare but devastating event among children and young adults. SCD in which no obvious cause is apparent despite comprehensive toxicological and histological autopsy analysis is particularly vexing. The role of genetic testing in unexplained SCD is studied in this prospective analysis of Australians and New Zealanders 1 to 35 […]
Latest articles
Long-term survival benefit for coronary artery bypass grafting surgery in ischemic cardiomyopathy
The Surgical Treatment for Ischemic Heart Failure (STICH) trial asked the important question whether coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG) in patients with severe ischemic cardiomyopathy would provide a survival advantage over contemporary medical therapy alone. Reporting 5-year data in 2011, the study reported no significant difference but did demonstrate a tantalizing divergence in survival […]
Ablation superior to drugs in recurrent ventricular tachycardia
Nearly 100, 000 implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICDs) are implanted every year in N. America to treat patients at risk of ventricular tachycardia (VT) following myocardial infarction. ICD activation for VT is relatively common and associated with recurrent hospitalizations, reductions in quality of life and mortality. It is therefore important to understand the best course of […]
Cholesterol Lowering in Intermediate-risk Persons without Cardiovascular Disease.
Implementation of statin therapy in practice for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease is controversial due to concerns over costs and side-effects with broader use and uncertainty regarding LDL goals in the primary prevention population. Previous primary prevention trials suggest a reduction in cardiovascular outcomes in largely white patients with significant risk factors for coronary disease. […]
Genetic variant protects against coronary disease
The links between cholesterol and coronary artery disease are well established and incontrovertible, with modification of serum LDL cholesterol levels repeatedly shown to reduce risk of myocardial infarction and cardiovascular death. But total non-HDL cholesterol levels, encompassing multiple other lipid fractions including Lp(a) and chylomicrons, have the strongest overall association with the risk of incipient […]
Diabetes drug Liraglutide reduces cardiovascular events and mortality
Type II diabetes, an epidemic fuelled by an unrelenting rise in obesity and sedentary behaviors, is a major risk factor for both micro- and macrovascular disease. An array of new treatments have recently come to trial with the aim of improving glycemic control and reducing disease complications. But lingering doubts remain regarding the cardiovascular implications […]
Long-term survival benefit for CABG in ischemic cardiomyopathy
The STICH trial asked the important question whether CABG in patients with severe ischemic cardiomyopathy would provide a survival advantage over contemporary medical therapy alone. Reporting 5-year data in 2011, the study reported no significant difference but did demonstrate a tantalizing divergence in survival graphs between 2 and 5 years, which appeared to be increasing […]
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation in intermediate risk patients
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has had a major impact on both morbidity and mortality in high-risk and inoperable patients with severe aortic stenosis. Robust evidence has supported widespread adoption in this patient group but uncertainty exists as to whether TAVI may also achieve clinical equipoise with surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) in lower risk […]
Pre-operative aspirin does not influence CABG outcomes.
Aspirin is a common therapy for risk reduction among patients with coronary artery disease. However, among patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery, the benefits of aspirin on the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke may be outweighed by perioperative bleeding risk. To address this question, the ATACAS trial randomized 2100 patients to either receive 100 […]
Mailing Nicotine Patches Improves Smoking Abstinence
Although clinical trials of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) have consistently demonstrated higher rates of smoking cessation, the effectiveness of NRT may be lower in real-world settings, especially in the absence of behavioral support. Accordingly, there is a need for randomized clinical trials to evaluate the effectiveness of NRT alone. Cunningham et al conducted a randomized […]