1-Though Systolic BP Seems More Important, Diastolic BP Should Not Be Disregarded Systolic hypertension is more often associated to cardiovascular events. However, diastolic blood pressure should not be disregarded, since it can also predict even worse outcomes. Read more HERE 2-After Much Toing and Froing, Gastrointestinal Protection Is Back to the Forefront Several clinical guidelines...
Most patients with atrial fibrillation require anticoagulation to reduce the risk of stroke or systemic embolization. Today, this is achieved with the new direct oral anticoagulants, which present lower intracranial bleeding risk compared against the old vitamin K antagonists. On the other hand, approximately between 5% to 10% of patients receiving PCI also present atrial...
Several clinical guidelines differ in their recommendation regarding the prescription of proton pump inhibitors to patients being treated with dual antiplatelet therapy after infarction. In 2015, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) recommended their use in patients with high bleeding risk; however, in the 2017 update that recommendation became general after the assumption that, for...
1- What to Do with Blood Pressure Levels Between 130/80 and 139/89 mmHg The decision to be made with a treatment-free patient with systolic blood pressure over 160 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure over 100 mmHg is an easy one. All guidelines agree: treatment should be started immediately alongside lifestyle changes. Read also HERE 2- Low-Risk...
What is the most appropriate antithrombotic strategy for a patient with atrial fibrillation and coronary artery disease, particularly when admitted with acute coronary syndrome or undergoing coronary angioplasty? This is a question whose answer is still in the works and that literature is addressing dynamically. Whatever we read yesterday may already be out of date...
This angiographic substudy supports the safety of drug-coated balloons in small vessels. Despite better angiographic outcomes, there were eight cases of stent thrombosis among drug-eluting stent (DES) patients, while there was none with drug-coated balloons. In patients with small vessels, using a drug-coated balloon appears safe and comparable to DES, with favorable angiographic outcomes at...
1- What to Do with Blood Pressure Levels Between 130/80 and 139/89 mmHg The decision to be made with a treatment-free patient with systolic blood pressure over 160 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure over 100 mmHg is an easy one. All guidelines agree: treatment should be started immediately alongside lifestyle changes. Read more 2-...
Courtesy of Dr. Carlos Fava. Carotid artery stenting (CAS) with a cerebral protection system has emerged as an alternative to surgery, particularly for patients with high surgical risk. Nowadays, there are a considerable number of cerebral protection systems, but these may sometimes fail due to anatomical issues, the diameter of embolized particles, or placement difficulties (among...
Eighty years did the trick for one the countries with more experience in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), which made it the new “standard of care” to treat elderly patients. Following in the footsteps of pioneer Alain Cribier, Germany has led the adoption of TAVR in Europe and the rest of the world. Since 2008,...
This work (presented during the same American College of Cardiology [ACC] 2019 Scientific Session as the STOPDAPT-2 trial) enrolled 2993 patients who underwent angioplasty with current-generation stents Xience, Promus, Synergy, or Orsiro at 33 Korean sites. Patients were randomized to 12 months of dual antiplatelet therapy or dropping aspirin at 3 months. There was no difference between the short-...