Eight weeks of treatment with evolocumab added to a regimen of high-intensity statins in patients with acute coronary syndrome reduced significantly LDL cholesterol levels and was safe, compared with statins + placebo, according to the EVOPACS study presented last Saturday at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2019 Scientific Sessions in Paris and simultaneously…
ESC 2019 | HOPE 4: Overcoming Obstacles to Treat Risk Factors in Developing Countries
Exhaustive intervention carried out by healthcare non-medical healthcare professionals with the support of community members resulted in a significant reduction of systolic blood pressure, LDL cholesterol levels and CAD risk in patients of Malaysia and Colombia, according to this study presented at ESC 2019 in Paris and simultaneously published in Lancet. This intervention translated into…
ESC 2019 | AFIRE: Monotherapy with Rivaroxaban in Atrial Fibrillation and Stable CAD
In patients with atrial fibrillation and stable coronary artery disease who have not had revascularization procedures in the last 12 months, monotherapy with rivaroxaban seems the best treatment strategy compared to rivaroxaban plus antiplatelet antiaggregation. This is what resulted from the AFIRE study, presented during the ESC 2019 in Paris and published in NEJM. Monotherapy…
ESC 2019 | DAPA-HF: Dapagliflozin Shows Benefit for All Subgroups
Dapagliflozin (a sodium glucose co-transporter 2 [SGLT2] inhibitor), when indicated concomitantly with standard therapy, reduces significantly the risk of worsening heart failure events and cardiovascular events, and improves symptoms in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction according to this new work presented during last Sunday’s scientific sessions at the European Society of Cardiology…
ESC 2019 | ISAR-REACT 5 | Which Is Better in ACS, Prasugrel or Ticagrelor?
Courtesy of Dr. Carlos Fava. The benefit of dual antiplatelet therapy in acute coronary syndromes (ACS) has been proven long ago, and both prasugrel and ticagrelor have offered best results than clopidogrel. However, nowadays, it is unclear which of them is superior in the long term, taking into account the fact that one starts to…
ESC 2019 | PARAGON-HF: Sacubitril/Valsartan Somewhat Disappointing, though a Few Would Benefit.
The combination Sacubitril/valsartan did not reduce the risk of rehospitalization for heart failure or cardiovascular death in patients with cardiac failure symptoms and preserved ejection fraction, according to the new study presented on Sunday at ESC 2019 scientific session in Paris and simultaneously published in NEJM. Despite the negative results, we remain hopeful that this…
ESC 2019 | THEMIS-PCI: Unlike in the Main Study, Here Ticagrelor Is Indeed Effective
This is a sub-study of the THEMIS presented during the ESC 2019 scientific sessions in Paris, and simultaneously published in Lancet. They were all diabetics with stable coronary artery disease, but in this sub-study patients also had prior PCI. It included over 11000 patients with prior PCI for whom the combination of ticagrelor and aspirin…
ESC 2019 | THEMIS: Ticagrelor in Diabetics with Stable Coronary Artery Disease
The use of ticagrelor in patients with stable coronary artery disease significantly reduces the rate of major cardiovascular events when compared against aspirin, according to this study presented on Sunday at ESC 2019 simultaneously published in NEJM, though the cost in terms of major bleeding seems unacceptable. Primary end point rate (composite of cardiovascular death,…
ESC 2019 | POPULAR AGE: Good Old Clopidogrel Still Valid
According to this study, presented during the ESC 2019 scientific sessions, non-ST acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) patients treated with ticagrelor presented a significantly higher risk of bleeding than patients treated with clopidogrel, with no counterbalance by higher benefit in thrombotic events. Researchers suggest clopidogrel might be the gold standard for this elderly NSTE-ACS population, though…