Despite robust information supporting the use of intravascular imaging during coronary angioplasty, its use in clinical practice remains low. This paper proposes using an algorithm for decision-making throughout the procedure to promote increased intravascular imaging use. Regardless of the many technologies that have been incorporated into strut design struts and polymer type, the rate of...
Saturated Fats: Dietary Angels or Demons?
In order to reduce cardiovascular events, dietary guidelines recommend restricting saturated fatty acids—without taking into account differences among them—to <10% of the daily caloric intake. It should be noted that there are many different saturated fatty acids, each with its own biological effect. Moreover, said biological effect could be modified by the food matrix and...
Suboptimal Recanalization Results Worse than Procedural Failure
This large cohort of patients undergoing PCI for chronic total occlusion has shown suboptimal recanalization is associated with cardiac death and myocardial infarction at long term compared against procedural failure. The link between acute outcomes and long-term events in recanalizations has been overlooked. Mainly when it comes to suboptimal results, is doing something more trouble...
The Most Read Articles in Structural Heart Disease of 2020
In this selection, we summarize for you the most important scientific news of 2020 in the field of structural heart disease. 01- Virtual ACC 2020 | COAPT: Better Quality of Life Translates into Harder End-Points After transcatheter mitral valve repair with MitraClip, the COAPT patients saw improved quality of life, better survival rate and fewer hospitalizations...
Aortic Aneurysms Treated with Endologix AFX Require Special Followup
An FDA document recently published reminds doctors and patients of the need of annual follow up of abdominal aortic aneurysm patients receiving Endologix AFX endoprostheses, with imaging, and for life. The reason behind this recommendation is the risk of type III leaks. In 2019, the FDA had alerted us against this issue after finding a...
Balloon-Expandable Valve Outdoes Itself
The objective of this paper recently published in J Am Coll Cardiol Intv was to compare the outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with the new Sapien 3 Ultra vs. Sapien 3. Successful implantation was extremely high with both balloon-expandable devices, which also had a very low adverse event rates. However, Sapien Ultra was significantly better...
Low-Carb Diet and Coronary Artery Calcium Progression
People on low carb diets since a young age present increased risk of coronary artery calcium progression, particularly when carbs are replaced by animal protein and fat. This study included CARDIA participants (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) receiving a CT scan between the years 2000 and 2001 for calcium scoring, who also completed...
AHA 2020 | Clopidogrel Resists as the Best Option in Elective Patients
High risk patients undergoing elective PCI treated with a more potent antiplatelet scheme (ticagrelor) vs. the classic clopidogrel do not see a benefit in protection against periprocedural events and instead see increased costs and minor bleeding rate. These are the outcomes of the ALPHEUS study presented at AHA 2020 simultaneously published in the Lancet. Ticagrelor...
AHA 2020 | In Most Cases, Imaging Can Determine What Causes MINOCA
Intravascular imaging with coronary optical coherence tomography (OCT) and magnetic resonance imaging allow for the identification of the cause of heart attack in 85% of women without coronary obstructions in angiography. Myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) affects women disproportionately and we have considered these events as “false positives” for far too long. The...
The Most Read Scientific Articles in Interventional Cardiology
01- How To De-Escalate Prasugrel After Acute Coronary Syndrome? Patients who undergo coronary angioplasty after acute coronary syndrome could de-escalate dual antiplatelet therapy with prasugrel to maintain the protection against ischemic events while lowering their hemorrhagic risk. Read more HERE 02- Not All Coronary Spasms Are the Same: Benefits of Acetylcholine Patients with documented spasm...