Browse Clinical Cardiology Articles by Topic

Postoperative Antibiotics After Cesarean Delivery to Reduce SSI

This randomized, double-blind clinical trial including 321 women with a pre-pregnancy body mass index > 30 kg/m² demonstrated no difference in surgical site infection composite between participants receiving oral cephalexin and metronidazole for 48 hours after cesarean delivery compared to placebo (5.6% vs. 6.8%; odds ratio, 0.80; 95% confidence interval, 0.33-2.22; P = 0.64).

Contemporary Cardiovascular Disease Deaths in Asian Americans

An analysis of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention database has shown the cardiovascular disease mortality rate is higher in Asian Americans than in non-Asian Americans and that this excess mortality is particularly prevalent in Filipino Americans.

Surgery or Fibrinolysis for Thrombosed Mechanical Valves

A randomized trial of urgent surgery vs. thrombolytic therapy for symptomatic left-sided mechanical valve thrombosis has shown that surgery completely restores valve function in all patients compared to three-quarters of patients with thrombolytic therapy, but at a cost of higher in-hospital complications and mortality.

Left Ventricular Size and Outcomes in Aortic Regurgitation

A multinational, retrospective, observational registry study of patients with significant aortic valve regurgitation has shown that left ventricular end-systolic dimension and volume measurements are valuable for risk-stratifying such patients and should be incorporated into the guidelines for when to intervene.

SGLT2 Inhibitor Plus Aldosterone Antagonist for HFpEF: Safe? Efficacious?

A prospective, open-label, blinded outcome crossover trial of dapagliflozin plus spironolactone vs. dapagliflozin alone in patients with heart failure with preserved or mildly reduced left ventricular ejection fraction resulted in a greater reduction in natriuretic peptides, which was accompanied by a greater decline in kidney function and a rise in serum potassium.

ApoB vs. Lp(a): Which Is More Important for CAD Risk?

In UK Biobank participants without known atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or diabetes or taking lipid-lowering therapy, the risk of developing coronary artery disease is best determined by apolipoprotein B particle number, but elevated lipoprotein(a) adds significant risk, so both should be considered.

Does an Elevated Troponin Level Post-Exercise Indicate Occult Coronary Atherosclerosis?

In middle-aged competitive recreational athletes, increases in cardiac troponin levels with exercise competitions were not infrequent. In a subgroup, coronary artery calcium by computed tomography was found in almost two-thirds, but the prevalence and magnitude of calcium was not associated with the exercise troponin response.

Does Lipoprotein(a) Improve the Risk Calculation of the PREVENT Equation?

A pooled cohort from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis and the United Kingdom Biobank study has shown that, overall, the American Heart Association PREVENT risk scores performed well at predicting atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk even in those with high lipoprotein(a) levels, but considering lipoprotein(a) in those with low PREVENT scores may help make therapeutic decisions in these individuals.

Benefits of Nudging in Severe Aortic Stenosis

A single health system study of electronic provider notifications when severe aortic stenosis was discovered on echocardiography showed that referrals for aortic valve replacement significantly increased, especially in women and those > 80 years of age.

Balloon Angioplasty for Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension

A multinational, prospective registry of balloon pulmonary angioplasty has shown that significant improvement in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension can be accomplished with few complications and no periprocedural mortality.