Cardiology
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What Kind of Bundle Branch Block?
Assuming QRS widening in a supraventricular rhythm is not the result of hyperkalemia or other toxicity, and assuming the patient has not been diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, classification of 12-lead ECG conduction disturbances can be simplified into one of three basic categories. The tracing in the figure illustrates this concept.
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Reconsidering Aspirin Therapy for Elderly Patients
A post-hoc analysis of the ASPREE trial revealed that in presumably healthy elderly subjects, taking low-dose aspirin daily over three years was associated with a significant drop in hemoglobin and ferritin levels vs. placebo, even when patients with major bleeding events were excluded.
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Can Physical Activity Thwart the Negative Cardiometabolic Effects of Obesity?
Compared to normal-weight workers, overweight or obese employees in Spain exhibited a higher prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease, which can be partially mitigated by regular exercise.
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Alcohol: Double-Edged Sword, or Hatchet?
Researchers reported consuming two to 14 alcoholic drinks per week was associated with fewer major adverse cardiovascular events, which the authors noted could be explained in part by less stress-related neural activity demonstrated on PET and CT scans.
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The Value of the GRACE Risk Score for Triaging Non-ST-Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients
A prospective, pragmatic, cluster, randomized clinical study of using the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) risk score and standard care for the management of non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes failed to demonstrate more use of guideline-recommended care or better outcomes.
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Angiographic Fractional Flow Reserve Is Useful, But Not Ready for Prime Time
Using a blinded, independent core laboratory, researchers compared five commercially available angiographic fractional flow reserve (FFR) methods to the pressure wire-based FFR technique. The authors found the diagnostic accuracy of these software techniques surpassed that of two-dimensional quantitative coronary angiography, but fell short of what has been reported in validation trials run by individual vendors.
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New Advances in Cardiac Arrest Treatment
Cardiac arrest requires emergent medical intervention, with the goal of perfusing the brain and other major organs while attempting to reverse the underlying etiology causing the arrest.
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Colchicine Tablets (Lodoco)
The FDA has approved the first anti-inflammatory drug to lower the risk of cardiovascular events occurring in adults with established atherosclerotic disease or with multiple risk factors.
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The Role of Influenza Vaccination in Cardiovascular Event Prevention
Researchers studied English patients with an acute cardiovascular event who received an influenza vaccine in the same 12-month period and compared that to the 120-day period after vaccination and the rest of the year. They observed those vaccinated were less likely to experience an acute cardiovascular event for 120 days after vaccine vs. the rest of the year.
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Complications of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators in the Emergency Department Setting
It is critical for providers in emergency department settings to be aware of the risks associated with implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) placement and management of ICD malfunctions and complications.