Table of contents
July 2007 Volume 4 No 7
Stents in focus – FREE!
In this month's issue Michael Farkouh, Sameer Bansilal and Valentin Fuster discuss how the recent intensification of the controversy surrounding drug-eluting stents (DESs) has polarized opinion on how best to manage patients referred for percutaneous coronary intervention. In light of six major stent trials highlighted in this issue, they advocate a strategy of profiling patients to determine their suitability for DES implantation, based on their individual risk of developing late-stent thrombosis or bleeding associated with prolonged antiplatelet therapy.
Editorial
Viewpoint
Risk profiling patients for selective use of drug-eluting stents is warranted
346Recent intensification of the controversy surrounding drug-eluting stents (DESs) has polarized opinion on how best to manage patients referred for percutaneous coronary intervention. In this Viewpoint, Farkouh et al. advocate a strategy of profiling patients to determine their suitability for DES implantation, based on their individual risk of developing late-stent thrombosis or bleeding associated with prolonged antiplatelet therapy.
Research Highlights
Drug-eluting stents not associated with worse long-term outcome than bare-metal stents
348Large long-term studies of sirolimus-eluting and paclitaxel-eluting stents are inconclusive
348Drug-eluting versus bare-metal stents: long-term outcomes in Sweden
349Multivessel PCI reduces combined MI, revascularization and mortality in NSTE-ACS
350Low NT-proBNP levels can rule out ventricular dysfunction in patients with CHD
350Recipient—not donor—CMV infection predicts vasculopathy after pediatric heart transplant
350CABG surgery, but not PCI, is a cost-effective treatment for coronary disease
351No benefit with early invasive strategy in patients with NSTE-ACS and elevated troponin T
351Financial burden of care relates to worse outcome after AMI—even among the insured
352Multiple disease locations increase risk of cardiovascular events in atherothrombosis
352Practice Points
Does adherence to medical therapy improve long-term survival after myocardial infarction?
354Is alteplase safe and effective in routine clinical practice for patients with ischemic stroke?
356Statins for aortic stenosis? Still waiting for answers
358Can adults at high-risk of cardiovascular disease be identified by screening their children for risk factors?
360Should all patients with suspected stroke have brain MRI instead of CT?
362The implantable cardioverter-defibrillator: patient care and quality of life
364Reviews
Drug Insight: aldosterone-receptor antagonists in heart failure—the journey continues
368The RALES and EPHESUS trials have provided data demonstrating survival benefits with spironolactone and eplerenone in chronic and postinfarction heart failure, leading to more frequent and sometimes unbridled use of these drugs. Here Kalidindi et al. describe the likely mechanisms of action of aldosterone-receptor antagonists, discuss the evidence supporting their use, and provide practical advice.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio0914 | Full Text | PDF (337K)
Technology Insight: brain MRI and cardiac surgery—detection of postoperative brain ischemia
379The differentiation between acute ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage following cardiac surgery is critical in making appropriate treatment decisions. In this Technology Insight, Leary and Caplan examine the role of multimodal brain MRI in identifying and delineating the size and location of acute ischemic strokes and intracerebral hemorrhages.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio0915 | Full Text | PDF (376K)
Technology Insight: the evolution of tissue-engineered vascular grafts—from research to clinical practice
389Suitable vein or artery tissue is not always available for revascularization procedures. A small-diameter conduit with patency equivalent to that of native tissue is, therefore, the holy grail of vascular surgery. In this Technology Insight, L'Heureux et al. examine the evolution of tissue-engineered vascular grafts and the key challenges we face in the transition from innovation to widespread clinical use.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio0930 | Full Text | PDF (386K)
Case Study
On the paradox of exercise: coronary atherosclerosis in an apparently healthy marathon runner
396doi:10.1038/ncpcardio0926 | Full Text | PDF (377K)
