Patients with STEMI presenting to the hospital in the middle of the night or on the weekend fare just as well as those treated during regular working hours, according to results from a large French hospital. At this high-volume center, there was no difference in the median time from first medical contact (FMC) to sheath insertion between STEMI patients presenting off-hours versus those who presented during regular working hours, nor was there any difference in the risk of death in the hospital or at 1 year. Our analysis demonstrates that a well-organized urban STEMI network allows [us] to bridge the gap between on-hours and off-hours management and provide the same quality of care whatever time of admission, report Benoit Lattuca, MD (Sorbonne University/Hpital Universitaire Piti-Salptrire, Paris, France), and colleagues online October 30, 2019, in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Continue reading →

This transcript has been edited for clarity. Abraham Verghese, MD: Hello. Continue reading →

In the setting of elective PCI, postprocedural increases in cardiac troponin T detected by high-sensitivity assays are associated with greater complexity and extent of underlying coronary disease, new data show. Continue reading →

MEDIA CONTACT Available for logged-in reporters only Newswise CLEVELAND Health care statistics for men are bleak: less than 50 percent have a primary care provider, their life expectancy is seven years less than women, fewer than half the men suffering from depression seek treatment and men have higher death rates than women in 14 of the top 15 leading causes of death. Continue reading →

(UPDATED) The risk of death following catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation is higher than rates observed in randomized controlled trials, with the majority of deaths occurring not during the procedure but rather in the 30 days after discharge, according to a large analysis of real-world data. Continue reading →