Table of contents
March 2008 Volume 5 No 3
Editorial
Viewpoint
Corticosteroid therapy for pericarditis: a double-edged sword
118The management of patients with corticosteroid-dependent recurrent pericarditis is problematic. In this opinion piece, Imazio et al. assert that corticosteroids are over-prescribed, particularly in cases where the disease etiology is unknown. The authors discuss the weak evidence-base for the use of corticosteroids in pericarditis, and propose a treatment strategy for the minority of cases where these agents are indicated.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1094 | Full Text | PDF (177K)
Research Highlights
Pedometer use improves physical activity levels, BMI and blood pressure
120Atrial natriuretic peptide reduces infarct size following AMI
120AZD6140: a promising new treatment for patients with acute coronary syndromes
120Could changes in intestinal function and morphology underlie chronic heart failure?
121ILLUMINATE: use of torcetrapib increases risk of cardiovascular disease
122Reperfusion times in STEMI improved by statewide coordination system
122Cardiac resynchronization therapy: no benefit in heart failure with narrow QRS intervals
122Blunted heart rate dip while sleeping may aid prediction of mortality
123Study shows an association between obesity and abdominal aortic aneurysm
123Fatal intracardiac thrombosis risk raised in patients with cardiac amyloidosis
124Association between patent foramen ovale and cryptogenic stroke in older individuals
124Childhood BMI is associated with adult risk of heart disease
125Practice Points
Are nursing-home residents at high risk of warfarin-related complications?
126doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1092 | Full Text | PDF (172K)
Screening for familial hypercholesterolemia: what is the most effective strategy?
130doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1084 | Full Text | PDF (174K)
Multislice CT coronary angiography: a new gold-standard for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease?
132doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1061 | Full Text | PDF (171K)
Pay for performance in myocardial infarction: are we reaping the rewards?
134doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1069 | Full Text | PDF (175K)
Is dronedarone effective for the prevention of recurrent atrial fibrillation?
136doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1089 | Full Text | PDF (175K)
What is the best method of detecting atrial fibrillation in people aged 65 years and older?
138doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1063 | Full Text | PDF (175K)
Reviews
Surgery Insight: percutaneous treatment of prosthetic paravalvular leaks
140Surgical valve repair or replacement is currently the 'gold standard' treatment for prosthetic paravalvular leaks, despite the fact that the risks of reoperation frequently prohibit surgery in elderly patients with comorbidities. Bhindi and colleagues review the emerging field of percutaneous leak closure—an attractive, less-invasive alternative for the treatment of paravalvular leaks in high-risk patients.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1112 | Full Text | PDF (508K)
Technology Insight: magnetic navigation in coronary interventions
148Magnetically guided navigation of a wire or device in vivo could increase the accuracy of angiographic intervention significantly, especially in tortuous or chronic occluded arteries. In this Technology Insight, Ramcharitar and colleagues examine this novel technology and provide an up-to-date analysis of what is currently possible and an insight to what the future holds.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1095 | Full Text | PDF (566K)
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: the genetic determinants of clinical disease expression
158Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most common inherited cardiac disorder. In this Review the authors summarize current knowledge on the genetics, disease mechanisms, and correlations between phenotype and genotype in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and discuss the implications of genetic testing in routine clinical practice.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1110 | Full Text | PDF (527K)
Case Study
Tubercular myocarditis presenting with ventricular tachycardia
169Myocardial involvement is a rare complication of tuberculosis. Here, Khurana et al. report a case involving a 30-year-old man who presented with ventricular tachycardia. He was successfully treated with antiarrhythmic, antituberculous and steroid pharmacotherapy followed by implantation of a cardioverter-defibrillator.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1111 | Full Text | PDF (568K)
