01- ESC 2021 | Updated European Society of Cardiology Guidelines for the Management of Valvular Heart Disease Early intervention in asymptomatic valvular heart disease, age recommendations to decide between TAVR and surgery for aortic stenosis, and a push in favor of transcatheter repair in secondary mitral regurgitation are some of the new modifications to the European...
According to this study carried out in Israel, patients over 60 who had received two doses against COVID-19 at least 5 months ago will benefit from an additional dose in terms of a significant reduction of severe disease. In addition, patients who unfortunately got severely ill despite receiving a third shot, were more easily managed. ...
The novel technology of drug-eluting stent Supreme was designed to synchronize antiproliferative drug release and leave a base behind to promote healing. Accelerated endothelial healing after antiproliferative drug release may limit the long-term inflammatory response. This multicenter, single-blind study included 1600 patients who were randomized 2:1 to receive drug-eluting stent Supreme vs. a classic permanent-polymer everolimus-eluting...
European and American agencies (such as the Centers for Disease Control [CDC]) have begun evaluating reports on myocarditis in individuals who received one of the COVID-19 vaccines based on messenger RNA technology (Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna). This possible association has not been yet established and, even if confirmed in the future, it would not undermine the...
COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer/BioNTech had an excellent safety profile and remarkably high efficacy (100%) in teenagers. The original study included patients ≥16 years of age and further study was needed for an even younger population that needed to go back to school. Same as in December 2020, NEJM was the magazine chosen to publish...
According to this recent meta-analysis of randomized studies, ultrathin strut devices are associated with lower rates of target vessel failure vs. 2nd generation drug eluting stents (DES). This advantage was driven by fewer clinically justified reinterventions. This study was published in the European Heart Journal and simultaneously presented at EuroPCR 2021 Scientific Sessions. Ultrathin struts...
A new sirolimus-eluting bioresorbable scaffold with far thinner struts resulted non inferior to the Xience as to the end point of angiographic in-segment late loss (LL) powered for noninferiority testing. Even though this is a small study with angiographic end points, it might be the first step towards the return of bioresorbable scaffolds. Read also:...
The 1-month outcomes of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) followed by clopidogrel monotherapy were comparable to 12-month DAPT in patients with both simple and complex PCI. There was no significant interaction between DAPT period and procedure difficulty. This is a post hoc study of the STOPDAPT-2 that looked at the complex PCI patient subgroup. It is...
Yet another observational study has come to question the antiaggregation power of ticagrelor when it comes to death or MI reduction, pointing at its higher risk of bleeding vs. clopidogrel. This new analysis recently published in JAHA includes a large number of patients undergoing acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in the clinical practice. Ticagrelor has been...
Head-to-head comparison of current drug-eluting stents (DES) showed contradictory results that led us to believe, for years, that we had reached a plateau. This feeling was also fostered by the disappointment caused by Absorb and bioresorbable-polymer stents. However, this recent article featured in JACC Interventions shows a light at the end of the tunnel with...