Clinical Cardiology Alert – March 1, 2025

POPular PAUSE TAVI Trial Supports Interrupting Oral Anticoagulation Before TAVR in Patients with Afib

In this investigator-initiated, open-label trial, continuing oral anticoagulation leading up to a transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedure led to more bleeding and no reduction in thromboembolic events compared with interrupting anticoagulation.

Indications for Bioprosthetic vs. Mechanical Aortic Valve Replacement

A large U.S. database study comparing mechanical vs. bioprostheses for surgical aortic valve replacement in patients 40 to 75 years of age has shown that all-cause mortality is reduced with a mechanical valve in those age 60 years or younger.

Cardiovascular Risk with mRNA COVID Vaccines

A large, nationwide population study in Sweden of the risk of adverse cardiovascular events after messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccinations has shown that, except for rare cases of myopericarditis, severe cardiovascular events, such as myocardial infarction, heart failure, and stroke, are reduced, probably because of the prevention of COVID infection.

Combustible vs. Electronic Cigarettes Post-PCI

A large, nationwide South Korean study of smokers undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has shown that electronic cigarette use and smoking cessation resulted in similarly lower subsequent major adverse cardiac events compared to continued smoking.

Wine Consumption and Cardiovascular Health

A case-cohort subgroup of the PREDIMED study of older Mediterranean subjects at high cardiovascular disease risk, which used urinary tartaric acid to quantitate wine consumption, has shown over an almost five-year follow-up that light to moderate wine consumption was associated with a significant reduction in cardiovascular disease events.