Feature Channels: Heart Disease

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For patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) that also require oral anticoagulation, treatment with a nanotechnology polymer-coated stent plus 14-day dual anti-platelet therapy (DAPT) did not reduce bleeding or establish non-inferior outcomes for thrombotic events compared with a drug-eluting stent (DES) and standard three or six-month DAPT therapy.

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A randomized clinical trial found that drug-eluting stents (DES) with durable polymers are non-inferior to DES with biodegradable polymers in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Findings were reported today at TCT Connect, the 32nd annual scientific symposium of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF). TCT is the world’s premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine.

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The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) is pleased to announce that OnSight Medical, an AI-based company specializing in cardiac ultrasound imaging, has won the TCT 2020 Shark Tank Innovation Competition which took place during the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT), the world’s premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine. The winner was also presented with the Jon DeHaan Foundation Award for Interventional Innovation.

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A new observational study of deferred lesions following combined fractional flow reserve (FFR) and coronary flow reserve (CFR) assessments found that untreated vessels with abnormal FFR but intact CFR do not have non-inferior outcomes compared to those with an FFR greater than 0.8 and a CFR greater than or equal to two when treated medically.

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Results from the randomized controlled TARGET FFR trial show that while a physiology-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) optimization strategy did not achieve a significant increase in the proportion of patients with final FFR ≥0.90, it reduced the proportion of patients with a residual FFR ≤0.80 following PCI.

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In the FORECAST randomized clinical trial, the use of fractional flow reserve management derived from computed tomography (FFRCT) did not significantly reduce costs but did reduce the use of invasive coronary angiography (ICA).

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The MITHRAS randomized clinical trial found that interventional closure of an iatrogenic atrial septal defect (iASD) driven by transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) was not superior to conservative medical treatment with regard to the primary endpoint of change in six-minute walking distance.

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The REFLECT II randomized clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of a device designed to reduce cerebral embolization and ischemic stroke, complications of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), found that the device met the primary safety endpoint compared to historical controls but did not demonstrate superiority of the device for the primary hierarchical efficacy endpoint.

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In a randomized clinical trial, SCOPE II, a new self-expanding bioprosthetic valve used in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) failed to demonstrate non-inferiority compared to an existing self-expanding valve.

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A team led by Penn scientists produced a detailed picture of fuel and nutrient use by the human heart. The study was the first of its kind, involving the simultaneous sampling of blood from different parts of the circulatory system in dozens of human participants, in order to record the levels of related molecules going into and coming out of the beating heart.

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Researchers have developed a technique that uses ultrasound to provide non-invasive assessments of pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary edema. The technique has been shown to both quantify lung scarring and detect lung fluid in rats. A study on pulmonary edema in humans is under way.

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A new review suggests “heat-not-burn” tobacco devices may threaten cardiovascular health. The review is published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology.

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An individual patient data pooled analysis comparing the use of bivalirudin versus heparin in heart attack patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) found that bivalirudin use was associated with similar overall rates of 30-day mortality across all heart attack patients, but lower rates of serious bleeding events. Moreover, mortality was reduced in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who were treated with a post-PCI bivalirudin infusion.

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Data from COMBINE (OCT-FFR) found that the use of FFR combined with OCT imaging can help improve the accuracy of high-risk lesion identification in patients with diabetes. Findings were reported today at TCT Connect, the 32nd annual scientific symposium of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF). TCT is the world’s premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine.

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New data from PROSPECT ABSORB, a pilot randomized trial of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of non-flow-limiting vulnerable plaques in native coronary arteries, found that PCI was safe, substantially enlarged follow-up lumen areas, and was associated with favorable long-term clinical outcomes.

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ew data from the PROSPECT II study shows that NIRS-IVUS intracoronary imaging can help identify angiographically non-obstructive lesions with high-risk characteristics for future adverse cardiac outcomes. Findings were reported today at TCT Connect, the 32nd annual scientific symposium of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF). TCT is the world’s premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine.

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Results of a retrospective analysis suggest that people born with a heart defect who developed COVID-19 symptoms had a low risk of moderate or severe COVID-19 infection, according to a new article published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access journal of the American Heart Association.

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The 100th report out of the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection details the experiences of 29 women who faced this rare life-threatening complication while pregnant.

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Rosemarie Barron isn’t alone. She is one of 69 patients who underwent heart transplants at Cedars-Sinai between March 1 and Sept. 30, 2020. In comparison, the Smidt Heart Institute performed 70 heart transplants during the same time period in 2019.

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With the support of a $3.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, an academic-industrial collaboration between General Electric Research, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Cleerly, and Weill Cornell Medicine will develop cutting-edge techniques for removing the appearance of blurry images — known as blooming artifacts — from cardiac CT scans to improve the accuracy of cardiac diagnosis and prevent patients from having to undergo costly and invasive procedures.

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More than half (56%) of LGBTQ adults and 70% of those who are transgender or gender non-conforming report experiencing some form of discrimination, including the use of harsh or abusive language, from a health care professional.

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The American Heart Association has recognized Comer Children’s Hospital with its top honor for resuscitation care of newborns and children, and University of Chicago Medicine with its top honor for stroke care. The awards reflect commitment to high-quality, advanced care for children and adults.

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Media invited to live Q&A on Oct 7th, 2pm EDT

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Reports that some young athletes testing positive for COVID-19 also had increased rates of heart swelling have concerned sports medicine physicians around the country, concerned about the possible impact of myocarditis, a potentially fatal heart condition.

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A study conducted at Wake Forest Baptist Health shows that on-scene use of a new protocol and advanced diagnostic equipment can help paramedics better identify patients at high risk for adverse cardiac events.

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Adding an “active choice” nudge to the electronic health record increased statin prescribing for patients with heart disease, but not for those “at-risk”

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The TCT Connect agenda is now available online. TCT, the annual scientific symposium of CRF and the world’s premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine, will take place online October 14-18. Every year, TCT features major medical research breakthroughs and gathers leading researchers and clinicians from around the globe to present and discuss the latest evidence-based research in the field.

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The Mayo Clinic heart transplant program in Arizona has been recognized as one of the top transplant programs in the U.S. based on quality and patient outcomes. The Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, a national medical database that evaluates solid organ transplantation in the U.S., has reported that the Mayo program has achieved the top long-term outcomes in the country.

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Researchers at King's College London have developed a new method for helping detect congenital heart disease of a baby in pregnant mothers using MRI.

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Researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania were awarded a $3.2 million grant from the NIH to enhance research for improving heart transplant outcomes for patients. The four-year grant will fund a project exploring the use of AI-driven analysis to determine the likelihood of cardiac patients accepting or rejecting a new heart.

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When it comes to surgery, minority children lag far behind white children, according to two analyses of large national databases being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2020 annual meeting.

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Drugs to lower blood pressure of the type ACE inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers reduce the mortality rate of influenza and pneumonia.

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Research from the University of Chicago Medicine finds people with prediabetes and obstructive sleep apnea can reduce their daytime resting heart rate and risk of cardiovascular disease by using a CPAP device.

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Study shows critically ill patients with the novel coronavirus have high rates of cardiac arrest and poor outcomes even after CPR, an effect most strongly seen in older patients.

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Research in pigs shows that using the exosomes naturally produced from a mix of heart muscle, endothelial and smooth muscle cells — all derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells — yields regenerative benefits equivalent to the injected human induced pluripotent stem cell-cardiac cells.

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Researchers at UC San Diego report that while Kawasaki disease occurs in clusters, the traits, and thus the triggers of the inflammatory disease vary among clusters.

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New findings about body fat help explain the differing health risks men and women face – and set the stage for better, more targeted treatments.

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From Weight Watchers to wearable tech – wherever we look, there are messages encouraging us to stay fit and healthy. But diets and training methods aside, when it comes to heart health, research from the University of South Australia shows that a far more personalised approach is needed…and it all starts with your genes.

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Surgeons at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center have improved the prognosis of several cardiac patients after emergency FDA approval of a diaphragm pacing device.

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Scientists have created a detailed cellular and molecular map of the healthy human heart to understand how this vital organ functions and to shed light on what goes awry in cardiovascular disease.

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Dr. Chandler Benjamin and his team are using material characterization and nonlinear models to help health care providers better identify the life threatening condition of aortic dissection.

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University of Wisconsin–Madison scientists discovered that many different genetic mutations result in surprisingly similar changes to heart muscle proteins in patients with the most severe manifestations of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

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A study out of University Hospitals found that removing the cost barrier for coronary artery calcium screening resulted in an immediate increase in utilization of the test.

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The Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre (University Health Network) are collaborating with Apple, Inc., to give heart failure patients even more control over their health, and usher in a new era of remote monitoring possibilities.

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September is National Atrial Fibrillation Month, and Stephen L. Winters, MD, director of the Cardiac Rhythm Management Program, Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute, Atlantic Health System’s Morristown Medical Center, wants the public to know some surprising facts about this increasingly common heart condition.

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The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) has announced over 30 late-breaking trial and science presentations that will be reported at TCT Connect. TCT, the annual scientific symposium of CRF and the world’s premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine, will take place online October 14-18.

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Azithromycin — a commonly-prescribed antibiotic — also is being investigated as a potential treatment for COVID-19. Researchers have found that azithromycin by itself is not associated with an increase in cardiac events; however, if the drug is taken with certain other drugs that affect the electrical functioning of the heart, then cardiac events increased.

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People with atrial fibrillation who are exposed to greater levels of pollution have a higher risk of stroke than their peers who live with less pollution.