The use of non-invasive imaging can identify or rule out subclinical atheromatosis and help reduce the number of elderly patients unnecessarily treated with statins without increasing the risk of cardiovascular events. Using calcium score and carotid ECG to find elderly patients without atheromatosis helps to safely avoid the use of statins with no clinical…
Prasugrel vs. Ticagrelor in Diabetics with Heart Disease
Diabetic patients are increased risk of thrombotic events, which is why an effective antiplatelet therapy is crucial for these patients. Both prasugrel and ticagrelor have shown to reduce thrombotic complications further than clopidogrel. Subgroup analyzes of the most important studies testing prasugrel and ticagrelor vs. clopidogrel have shown that diabetic patients receiving the new…
Procedural Complexity Affects Decision-Making Regarding DAPT Duration
Much of the speculation around the way of individualizing dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) duration after coronary angioplasty has focused on clinical parameters (e. g., diabetes), but a new study published by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) and presented at the last European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress warns about anatomical factors as…
Dual Antiplatelet Therapy in Men and Women: Are There Differences?
Courtesy of Dr. Agustín Vecchia. Currently, the duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after stent placement is one of the most highly debated topics in Cardiology. On the one hand, women are usually underrepresented in trials in our specialty; on the other, the fact that symptoms of coronary disease are different in women is well-known. The aim…
Anticoagulation and PCI: How Long Should Triple Therapy Last?
The aim of this study was to compare clinical outcomes in relation to the duration of triple antithrombotic therapy in patients with indications for oral anticoagulation undergoing coronary angioplasty. The optimal period for the prescription of these three drugs has not been studied. Between 2009 and 2013, 8772 consecutive patients undergoing coronary angioplasty were included…
Intracoronary Abciximab reduces events in diabetics during PPCI
Diabetic patients have an increased risk of future cardiovascular events after an ST elevation MI. Administration of an intracoronary abciximab bolus during primary PCI could be beneficial for this high risk subgroup of patients. This study reports one year clinical outcomes and CMR imaging of patients randomized to intracoronary vs. intravenous abciximab during primary…
Ticagrelor: Similar to Aspirin in Patients with Stroke or TIA
Ticagrelor might be a more effective antiplatelet therapy than aspirin for the prevention of recurrent stroke and cardiovascular events in patients admitted for acute cerebral ischemia. This double-blind, controlled trial randomized 13,199 patients from 33 countries. Subjects presented a non-severe stroke or a high-risk transient ischemic attack (TIA) (not considered as cardioembolic) and had not received…
Beta-Blockers for Revascularized Patients: To Prescribe or Not?
This study examines predictors and outcomes associated with the prescription of beta-blockers at discharge after a successful coronary angioplasty in patients with stable chronic angina WITHOUT prior history of acute myocardial infarction or heart failure. The benefit of beta-blockers in patients with acute myocardial infarction or systolic heart failure is well documented. However, their…
Peri-Procedural MI Reduction: Cangrelor or Clopidogrel?
Cangrelor is an intravenous P2Y12 inhibitor approved to reduce peri-procedural ischemic events in patients undergoing PCI that have not previously received any other P2Y12 inhibitor. The CHAMPION PHOENIX trial randomized a total of 11,145 patients to cangrelor vs. clopidogrel. The study sought to explore the effect of cangrelor on peri-procedural acute myocardial infarction…
Optimal Duration of DAPT: How to Predict Long-Term Events
Courtesy of Dr. Santiago F. Coroleu. Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with aspirin and clopidogrel after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) reduces the risk for coronary thrombotic events (CTEs) at the expense of increasing risk for major bleeding (MB). However, the lack of information to accurately predict the occurrence of each event in out-of-hospital patients under…
No Extra Benefit for Combined Use of Bivalirudin and Transradial Approach
The aim of this meta-analyzis was to study the relation between bivalirudin and access site in patients undergoing acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Both bivalirudin and the transradial access site are strategies aiming at reducing bleeding complication in patients with ACS undergoing invasive approaches. The interaction of both strategies and the potential benefits of their combined use…