Performing balloon predilation or valvuloplasty before a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) may increase the incidence and magnitude of myocardial injury with new-generation balloon-expandable valves. Some papers argue in favor or against direct implantation, others remain neutral, but this research is the first one to express a different point of view. Historically, the biggest fear…
Last Bastion of Bare Metal Stents Finally Falls
Multiple studies have shown the safety and efficacy of drug eluting stents (DES) in patients with high risk of bleeding. Only one last bastion of bare metal stents (BMS) was left standing: vein grafts. With controversial evidence and different physiopathology, many still argued against DES in saphenous vein grafts. This multicenter study randomized patients with…
Asymptomatic Patients: The Key to Understand the Prevalence of the COVID-19 Pandemic
This study recently published in JAMA showed that asymptomatic individuals infected with COVID-19 account for more than half of all instances of disease transmission. This finding is key to direct resources in the right direction to manage the pandemic until safe and effective vaccines are available and widely used. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2…
03/03 | SOLACI Webinar – Left Main PCI and Bifurcations: LATAM Bif Registry
We invite you to participate in the first free SOLACI virtual event of 2021. It is carried out with the support of Abbott, Boston Scientific, Medtronic and Terumo Interventional Systems and will have the participation of prestigious hemodynamicists from Latin America and the world. The title of the event is: “Left Main PCI and Bifurcations:…
Regression of High-Risk Plaque with Lifestyle Changes
Diet and lifestyle intervention in addition to optimal medical therapy can slow down plaque building and even reduce plaque volume compared against optimal medical treatment (OTM) alone. Diet and lifestyle intervention are amongst the most important strategies to manage coronary artery disease. However, its direct impact on atherosclerosis remains unclear. Atherosclerosis plaque building is associated…
Might Alcohol Consumption Reduce Stroke?
A J shaped curve illustrating the link between alcohol consumption and ischemic stroke has been reported, suggesting that a certain amount of alcohol would be beneficial compared against absolute abstinence and excessive consumption. In order to shed some light on this matter, this study looked at alcohol consumption patterns and their effect on stroke in…
Aspiration Thrombectomy vs. Stent Retriever Thrombectomy: Is the Site of Stroke the Key to Make a Choice?
Thrombectomy with stent retriever and direct aspiration have been considered equally effective in the treatment of anterior circulation acute ischemic stroke. But are they really? This study recently published in Stroke compares the safety and efficacy of both techniques per occlusion segment. This study analyzed data from the MR CLEAN registry at every endovascular therapy…
Screening for Intracranial Aneurysm in Patients with Coarctation: Is It Cost-Effective?
Patients with a history of coarctation of the aorta have a higher prevalence of intracranial aneurysm and frequently suffer subarachnoid hemorrhage at younger ages than the general population. Read also: FREEDOM with FFR: Different Outcomes? Adding a screening stage at age 30—instead of just at ages 10 and 20—is cost-effective. Known data about the prognosis…
Reducing Chronic Inflammation in Atherosclerosis with an Old Drug
Inflammation plays a crucial role in atherosclerosis progression. Recently, the COLCOT study has shown the benefits of colchicine in cardiovascular events. This good old drug has an inflammatory effect which attenuates the NLRP3 cascade. This explains its effect on uric acid crystals in gout, which might be the same on atherosclerosis cholesterol crystals. This study…