Tag Archives: acute coronary syndrome

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That CMR is the gold standard for heart size and function, and for congenital and inherited heart disease is little disputed. The additional benefit of CMR for tissue characterisation has gained widespread acceptance, particularly now with convincing prognostic data across a wide variety of disorders,1 and the large EuroCMR registry (27,000 patients, 15 countries),2 showing that CMR entirely changed diagnosis in nearly 10% of subjects. CMR adoption as a ‘workhorse’ for ischaemia and viability testing has, however, been slower, with continued calls for cost-effectiveness and head-to-head comparison data with other modalities. These data ar

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Introduction Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in England and Wales (124,000 deaths in 2005) and for every fatality, there are at least two people who have a major non-fatal CVD event.1 Myocardial infarction (MI) is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. There is a high risk of recurrence after the initial event. Recommendations on the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease for patients in primary and secondary care have been published in guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in England.1,2 In the May 2008 CG67 guideline, high-intensity dosage of statin

PARTNER: transcatheter valves just as good as surgery for high risk aortic stenosis Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is just as effective at reducing mortality as surgery for severe aortic stenosis in elderly patients whose age and overall health posed high risks for conventional surgery, according to the results of the PARTNER (Placement of AoRTic TraNscathetER Valve trial). However, stroke rates were higher in the trancatheter group. The transcatheter approach involves delivering a bioprosthetic valve to its target location with a catheter using either transfemoral access or trans-apical access (through the ribs) if peripheral

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Introduction The low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) enoxaparin is recommended by the European Society of Cardiology as an antithrombotic agent for the treatment of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) (class I level A indication in the treatment of acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction [MI] along with thrombolytic therapy and class IIa level B recommendation in the treatment of ACS without ST elevation).1,2 A dosing strategy of 1 mg/kg twice daily is recommended as higher doses have been shown to result in increased bleeding without further clinical benefit.3 Weight-adjusted dose reduction is advised in patients >75 years and in those with

NHA joins with BHS The Nurses Hypertension Association (NHA) has become part of the British Hypertension Society (BHS) after the BHS decided to invite nurses working in the field of hypertension and cardiovascular disease to be full members of the society. “This acknowledges the shift of care towards specialist nurses, particularly in primary care,” said Naomi Stetson, former head of the NHA. “In the current economic climate, it also made good business sense to have one united organisation.” All members of the NHA are now full BHS members and so the NHA has disbanded. “There is a strong Nurses Working Party within the society, which

Highlights of this year’s European Society of Cardiology Congress, held in Stockholm, Sweden, from August 28th to September 1st included a new drug which benefits heart failure by slowing heart rate, and more exciting results from oral compounds that could replace warfarin in various indications. Highlights of this year’s European Society of Cardiology Congress, held in Stockholm, Sweden, from August 28th to September 1st included a new drug which benefits heart failure by slowing heart rate, and more exciting results from oral compounds that could replace warfarin in various indications. SHIFT: ivabradine shows benefit in heart failure

Introduction Developments along the way have included better patient selection, improved peri-procedural management of patients and, with newer-generation drugs and devices, better results. Recent hurdles have been confronted, including left main stem disease, complex bifurcation lesions and total chronic occlusions. Similarly, primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has become the treatment of choice in acute myocardial infarction. Challenges remain, however, including restenosis. The fine balance between thrombosis and haemostasis demands that we provide more effective and predictable antiplatelet strategies to optimise risk reduct