Table of contents
August 2007 Volume 4 No 8
Editorial
Viewpoint
Familial hypercholesterolemia: a missed opportunity in preventive medicine
404Although familial hypercholesterolemia is eminently treatable, the majority of cases go undetected, and this disorder remains a major challenge for preventive medicine. In this timely Viewpoint, Gerald Watts, Barry Lewis, and David Sullivan discuss how new genetic screening initiatives, together with a co-operative approach to treatment, could result in a quantum leap for coronary disease prevention.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio0941 | Full Text | PDF (134K)
Research Highlights
Intervention increases adherence to guidelines for coronary heart disease prevention
406Short-term benefits of tolvaptan in hospital treatment of heart failure
406Prosthetic valve endocarditis: current perspectives
406Risk of renal complications in PCI reduced by prophylactic intravenous hydration
407The BARI trial—PTCA and CABG surgery produce equivalent long-term results in CAD
407Biomarker study validates link between trans fat consumption and coronary heart disease risk
408Rosuvastatin slows intima–media thickening in individuals with subclinical atherosclerosis
408Effects of reconstituted HDL cholesterol infusions on measurements of atherosclerosis
409Practice Points
The COURAGE trial: is there still a role for PCI in stable coronary artery disease?
410doi:10.1038/ncpcardio0939 | Full Text | PDF (136K)
Is weekend hospital admission associated with increased mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction?
412doi:10.1038/ncpcardio0931 | Full Text | PDF (136K)
Can a new algorithm improve diagnostic accuracy in wide QRS complex tachycardia?
414doi:10.1038/ncpcardio0936 | Full Text | PDF (133K)
Does aprotinin increase the long-term risk of mortality in patients undergoing CABG surgery?
416doi:10.1038/ncpcardio0934 | Full Text | PDF (137K)
Reviews
Etiology, pathogenesis and management of thoracic aortic aneurysm
418Diagnosis and medical care of most aortic pathologies is frequently the responsibility of cardiologists. With the emergence of endovascular interventions, it is, therefore, increasingly important for cardiologists to gain confidence in managing at least the most-frequent presentations of aortic disease. Here, Hüseyin Ince and Christoph Nienaber review the etiology, pathophysiology and clinical management of patients with thoracic aortic aneurysm, in the context of the most recent literature.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio0937 | Full Text | PDF (549K)
Left atrial appendage closure for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation: state of the art and current challenges
428The majority of strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are caused by formation of thrombi in the left atrial appendage (LAA). Surgical closure the LAA orifice has emerged as a promising therapy for patients with AF at high risk of stroke, particularly those who are unable to tolerate oral anticoagulants. Here Tariqshah Syed and Jonathan Halperin discuss minimally invasive approaches to LAA occlusion and the future of these procedures in stroke prevention.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio0933 | Full Text | PDF (576K)
Obesity cardiomyopathy: pathogenesis and pathophysiology
436Myocardial changes associated with the obese state are increasingly recognized and, notably, are independent of hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea and coronary artery disease. In the first part of this two-part Review, Chiew Wong and Thomas Marwick examine the range of evidence supporting the existence of cardiomyopathy of obesity, and discuss the possible mechanisms.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio0943 | Full Text | PDF (290K)
Mechanisms of Disease: Toll-like receptors in cardiovascular disease
444Toll-like receptors are the primary innate immune receptors and could, therefore, be a key link between cardiovascular disease development and the immune system. Here, Stefan Frantz, Georg Ertl and Johann Bauersachs review this exciting field of research, and explore the evidence supporting a role for toll-like receptors in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio0938 | Full Text | PDF (1,085K)
Case Study
Percutaneous closure of a patent foramen ovale in left-sided carcinoid heart disease
455doi:10.1038/ncpcardio0944 | Full Text | PDF (347K)
