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<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2019/07/02/the-most-read-articles-in-interventional-cardiology-in-solaci/" title="Read more" >...</a>
According to this recent Excel analysis, mortality seems to rise when the SYNTAX II score is not taken into account when defining the revascularization strategy. The difference does not reach statistical significance and further studies are required, but the message is clear: the left main coronary artery is not the only thing that matters; other<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2019/06/24/what-happens-when-we-are-blinded-by-left-main-disease-and-ignore-all-other-lesions/" title="Read more" >...</a>
Degenerated surgical bioprostheses can be safely treated with CoreValve or CoreValve Evolut using the valve-in-valve procedure. Excellent 1-year clinical and hemodynamic outcomes were achieved in a non-selected regular population, i.e., “real-world” patients. The VIVA (Valve in Valve) registry, conducted at 23 sites, was a prospective study designed to systematically collect data from patients with degenerated<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2019/06/18/valve-in-valve-with-self-expanding-prosthesis-what-happens-with-gradients-at-one-year/" title="Read more" >...</a>
Aspirin is the standard treatment when it comes to optimal medical treatment in the context of secondary prevention of coronary artery disease, in patients with diagnosed, established atherosclerosis. Even though bleeding risk is rather small in the short period an acute event takes place, it increases substantially over time. However, the evidence clearly supports the<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2019/06/14/aspirin-in-primary-prevention-another-trendy-topic-in-publications/" title="Read more" >...</a>
Non-adherence to dual antiplatelet therapy varies with age and patients older than 75 years old are those who discontinue treatment most frequently. However, this characteristic in elderly patients was not associated with more cardiovascular events. Treatment compliance protected patients younger than 75 years old from events, while there was increased cardiovascular risk among this population<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2019/06/12/cardiovascular-risk-dual-antiplatelet-therapy-and-age-what-should-we-know/" title="Read more" >...</a>
1- Surprising EXCEL Outcomes in Diabetics with Main Left Stenosis This study especially designed to compare PCI vs. CABG in patients with left main coronary artery disease and low to intermediate Syntax score showed that 30-day and 3 -year outcomes of PCI with everolimus eluting stents vs CABG were consistent both in diabetic and non-diabetic<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2019/06/06/the-most-read-articles-of-may-in-interventional-cardiology/" title="Read more" >...</a>
5 years ago, several prospective randomized studies confirmed paclitaxel coated balloons were safe and effective in femoropopliteal territory. However, a recently published meta-analysis of heterogeneous studies including both paclitaxel coated balloons and drug eluting stents has linked these devices to mortality. In addition, higher doses were associated to higher mortality, both at 2 and 5<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2019/06/05/mortality-and-paclitaxel-devices-data-are-aligning/" title="Read more" >...</a>
In this new era, the paradigm to treat the whole spectrum of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) patients has started to shift beyond risk. However, broadening the spectrum raises the question of durability, which is why any long-term TAVR outcomes in any context are welcome. This specific study studied TAVR durability in the treatment of<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2019/06/03/good-news-at-3-years-for-valve-in-valve/" title="Read more" >...</a>
A small number of highly selected patients presents good outcomes with new bioresorbable scaffold MeRes, but much more evidence is necessary to bring back the concept. The MeRes-1 study tested the newest generation of the Meril Life Sciences bioresorbable scaffold, a device featuring thinner struts compared with Absorb (from 150 µm in Absorb to only<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2019/05/30/europcr-2019-meres-1-bioresorbable-scaffolds-return-with-renewed-strength/" title="Read more" >...</a>
Paclitaxel coated balloons in peripheral territory have been under the spotlight for alleged increased mortality, which even though not observed in this study, experts insist, calls for new studies with enough statistical power. Compared against plain balloon angioplasty, paclitaxel coated balloons resulted in improved patency and less revascularization at 24 months in superficial or popliteal<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2019/05/29/europcr-2019-effpac-new-peripheral-paclitaxel-coated-balloons-efficacy-with-no-sign-of-mortality/" title="Read more" >...</a>