Category Archives: Clinical Cardiology

NATIONAL HARBOR, MDA small study assessing the feasibility of TAVR in low-risk patients with bicuspid aortic valve stenosis suggests the procedure can be safely performed in these younger patients, with investigators reporting there is no early risk of death or disabling stroke as well as a very low risk of major bleeding or vascular complications. The results, reported at CRT 2020 earlier this week and published in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions, come just as new numbers from Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology TVT Registry were published in Circulation addressing outcomes among patients with bicuspid aortic stenosis treated with current-generation TAVR devices. TAVR in bicuspid aortic valves is considered to be a more complex procedure because these valves tend to be more calcified, lead investigator Ron Waksman, MD (MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute, Washington, DC), told TCTMD. Continue reading →

Dr. Continue reading →

Aspirin was not found to be superior to other anticoagulants in preventing venous thromboembolism (VTE) after total hip (THR) or knee replacement (TKR), according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. This was a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in which the efficacy and safety of aspirin were examined for VTE prophylaxis after THR or TKR and compared with those of other anticoagulants. A total of 13 trials with 6060 adult participants were included. Continue reading →

Its long been known that endurance athletes have larger hearts on average than the rest of the population and that cardiac enlargement is a healthy adaptation to exercise. But what wasnt known until now was whether the aorta the main artery leaving the heart and supplying the body with oxygenated blood followed suit, and if it did, whether that might pose problems as athletes aged Continue reading →

Metabolic syndrome and inflammation account for one-third of the association between depression and arterial stiffness (AS), according to findings published in JAMA Psychiatry as part of a population-based retrospective cohort study. Continue reading →

NATIONAL HARBOR, MDThe incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) after TAVR is on the decline, and patients who do develop it tend to have relatively mild renal insufficiency, data from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology TVT Registry show. New findings presented here at CRT 2020 indicate that procedural and patient-specific characteristics linked to greater risk of stage 3 renal failure include conversion to open surgery, anemia, general anesthesia, and diabetes Continue reading →

Apple and Johnson & Johnson have begun enrolling patients in a study that will investigate whether the Apple Watches could be used to detect early signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib). Continue reading →

Implementation of routine vs selective cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging was not found to improve etiological classification of heart failure (HF) in patients with nonischemic HF, according to a study published in Circulation. Continue reading →

Greater variability in systolic blood pressure (SBP) measurements across visits in young adults may be associated with elevated risks for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality in midlife, according to a study published in JAMA Cardiology. Although BP variability from visit to visit is observed, little is known about the clinical relevance or prognostic implications of specific BP patterns in early adulthood. In this subanalysis of the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study in which black and white individuals aged 18 to 30 years were enrolled between 1985 and 1986 and followed for 30 years, the data of 3394 participants with complete BP information were examined. Continue reading →

Six innovators are heading to Googles campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to compete in a live pitch-off as finalists of the Boston Scientific Connected Patient Challenge. Continue reading →