Browse Cardiology General Articles by Topic

Catheter Ablation for Ischemic Ventricular Tachycardia

A multicenter, randomized trial of initial catheter ablation vs. antiarrhythmic drug therapy for ventricular tachycardia in ischemic cardiomyopathy patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator resulted in fewer subsequent ventricular tachycardia episodes with ablation.

Antiplatelet Therapy for Coronary Stent Patients Undergoing Noncardiac Surgery

A larger randomized controlled trial of aspirin monotherapy vs. no antiplatelet therapy in patients more than one year post-drug-eluting coronary stent placement failed to show a difference in ischemic outcomes or major bleeding, but minor bleeding was more common in the aspirin group.

Angiography-Based QFR Analysis Falls Short Compared with FFR

In this large, multicenter, randomized trial, use of the angiography-based quantitative flow ratio method to guide revascularization of intermediate coronary stenoses resulted in a higher incidence of major adverse cardiac events at one year compared with pressure wire-based fractional flow reserve.

Cardioprotective Therapy Initiation in Chemotherapy Patients

An international study of patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy or left chest radiation therapy showed that those who showed isolated reductions in echocardiography left ventricular global longitudinal strain but not ejection fraction during follow-up who were randomized to neurohormonal therapy vs. usual care showed better preservation of 12-month cardiac magnetic resonance-determined ejection fraction.

Prognostic Value of Stress Echocardiography

A UK National Health Service database study of stress echocardiography has shown the degree of ischemia accurately predicts the risk of future cardiovascular events over five years. The same study also showed that a negative test in patients without a history of cardiac disease identifies patients with no more than the expected background risk of an event for patients in this demographic for five years.

EARLY TAVR Study Reports a Win for TAVR in Asymptomatic Severe AS

In this multicenter, randomized trial comparing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with active surveillance in patients with asymptomatic severe aortic stenosis (AS), early TAVR showed an advantage regarding the composite endpoint of death, stroke, or unplanned hospitalization for cardiovascular causes. This result was driven primarily from the progression to severe symptomatic AS among the surveillance group, with no significant difference in mortality.

Cardiac and Paracardiac Structure in the SUMMIT Trial

A cardiac magnetic resonance imaging study in a subgroup of the patients in the SUMMIT trial of tirzepatide in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction has demonstrated that patients treated with tirzepatide had reduced left ventricular mass and paracardiac adipose tissue compared to placebo-treated patients, which may partially explain the reduction in heart failure events observed in the main SUMMIT trial.

A New Treatment for Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

A recent randomized, placebo-controlled trial of the long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist tirzepatide in patients with heart failure with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction who have obesity, diabetes, and one other weight-related comorbidity has shown that tirzepatide not only reduces the symptoms of heart failure, but reduces the incidence of worsening heart failure events.

Epilepsy and Cardiovascular Events

This large prospective cohort study found that older adults with a lifetime history of epilepsy were more likely to experience cardiovascular events (CVEs), and that enzyme-inducing antiseizure medications (EIASMs) may account for a significant portion of this risk. The findings suggest a potential causal link between epilepsy treated with EIASMs and CVE, highlighting the need for careful medication selection in epilepsy management.

DOACs Can Safely Be Started Early After Atrial Fibrillation-Associated Stroke

In ischemic stroke associated with atrial fibrillation, early restart of anticoagulation with apixaban one to three days after ischemic stroke, compared to late restart (seven to 14 days), resulted in no significant differences between the groups in the primary outcome — a composite endpoint including recurrent ischemic stroke, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, and systemic embolism.