Browse Cardiology General Articles by Topic

Impella Scores a Big Win in Infarct-Related Cardiogenic Shock, but with Big Caveats

In this randomized controlled trial of patients presenting with ST-elevation myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock, use of the Impella microaxial flow pump resulted in improved survival but also higher adverse safety events compared with standard care.

Do We Need to Stop Renin-Angiotensin Inhibition Before Non-Cardiac Surgery?

A randomized study of stopping vs. continuing renin-angiotensin system inhibitors prior to elective non-cardiac surgery in older patients did not decrease the incidence of myocardial injury and may have increased the incidence of hypertensive adverse events.

Are Beta-Blockers Post-MI Still Necessary?

A large, multicenter, international, randomized clinical trial of long-term beta-blocker therapy vs. no such therapy in contemporary acute myocardial infarction patients who had coronary artery angiography-guided therapy and left ventricular ejection fractions ≥ 50% found no differences in the primary endpoint of all-cause mortality and recurrent myocardial infarction.

Is Weight Loss the Key to Heart Health?

The second trial of semaglutide in obese patients with heart failure and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction, this one in people with type 2 diabetes, also has shown significant improvements in symptoms and exercise function with significantly fewer adverse effects than placebo-treated patients.

Transcatheter Myotomy for Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction

Initial experience with a new transcutaneous transcatheter electrosurgery device using intramyocardial guidewires to create left ventricular upper septum myotomies to enlarge the outflow tract in symptomatic patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and potentially to enhance transcatheter left heart valve replacement when outflow tract obstruction compromises the procedure, is described in this report from a single center.

Can Coronary Stenting in Stable Atherosclerotic Coronary Disease Prevent Future Adverse Events?

In this randomized, open-label trial of patients with primarily stable atherosclerotic coronary disease, stenting compared with medical therapy of nonobstructive lesions with imaging markers of plaque vulnerability resulted in a lower incidence of the composite endpoint of cardiac death, target-vessel myocardial infarction, ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization, or hospitalization for unstable or progressive angina at two years.

San Diego County EPs Making Sure Life-Saving Technique Is Available to Cardiac Arrest Patients

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that every year more than 365,000 people in the United States will experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. However, even in cases where quick-thinking bystanders skillfully administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation before paramedics arrive to take over, the odds of surviving a cardiac arrest are bleak. But what if there was a way to improve the odds of survival in such cases?

Examining the Effects of Cannabis on the Heart

A nationwide Danish study of new prescriptions for medical cannabis for chronic pain compared to control patients has found that the 180-day incidence of atrial fibrillation/flutter is two-fold higher, but the absolute number of arrhythmias is small.

Is Artificial Intelligence Coming for Your Job?

A retrospective analysis of plain chest X-ray images in the medical record using deep learning in patients suitable for risk assessment for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) has shown similar results as the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association ASCVD risk calculator for determining who is at sufficient risk to consider statin therapy.

Can Pulmonary Artery Pressure Help in the Decision to Operate in Chronic Aortic Regurgitation?

A large tertiary center retrospective observational study of patients with moderate to severe aortic regurgitation showed that 14% had significant pulmonary hypertension (PH) and that it was associated with symptoms and higher mortality. Aortic valve replacement abrogated PH in most patients by hospital discharge and improved survival regardless of the presence of PH.