Table of contents
April 2008 Volume 5 No 4
Editorial
Viewpoint
Neglected diseases in cardiology: a call for urgent action
176A substantial proportion of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in developing countries is caused by cardiac complications of 'neglected diseases', such as Chagas disease, endomyocardial fibrosis, and rheumatic heart disease. Here, Yacoub et al. discuss management strategies for what they believe are potentially preventable diseases.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1129 | Full Text | PDF (101K)
Research Highlights
Mitral valve surgery with epicardial cryoablation efficaciously treats AF
178Unfit older adults have higher mortality risk than their fitter peers, regardless of obesity
178Hypertension could increase risk of developing nonamnestic mild cognitive impairment
178Coronary artery calcification raises CVD risk in women classified as low risk
179Rescue breathing provides little additive value to cardiac-only resuscitation in cardiac arrest
179Decline in CHD mortality is slowing in individuals under 55 years of age
180An increase in adult obesity-related CHD is predicted for overweight adolescents
180Low initial dose of aspirin is superior to a high dose after acute STEMI
181Implantable device enables left atrial pressure monitoring in ambulatory patients with HF
181Catheter ablation reduces the incidence of shocks from ICDs
182Study highlights poor adherence to cardiovascular treatment goals in primary care
182doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1143 | Full Text | PDF (145K)
Statin treatment shows overall benefit against the risk of recurrent stroke
183Practice Points
Is fondaparinux safer than enoxaparin for patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention?
184doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1151 | Full Text | PDF (101K)
Can a low-sodium, high-potassium salt substitute reduce blood pressure in rural Chinese people?
186doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1122 | Full Text | PDF (101K)
Are sirolimus-eluting stents superior to paclitaxel-eluting stents in patients with small-vessel disease?
188doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1120 | Full Text | PDF (103K)
Does DDD pacing with minimized ventricular stimulation prevent atrial fibrillation in sinus-node disease?
190doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1125 | Full Text | PDF (101K)
Are cardiac rehabilitation programs underutilized by patients with coronary heart disease?
192Can lowering blood pressure prevent vascular complications in patients with type 2 diabetes?
194doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1124 | Full Text | PDF (103K)
Reviews
Mechanisms of Disease: ion channel remodeling in the failing ventricle
196Elucidating arrhythmia mechanisms in heart failure at the basic ionic level will facilitate the design of novel therapeutic approaches. In this Review, Nass and colleagues examine some of the important changes in ventricular ion channels and calcium-handling proteins that underlie electrical remodeling.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1130 | Full Text | PDF (253K)
Mechanisms of Disease: detrimental adrenergic signaling in acute decompensated heart failure
208Little is known about the basic pathologic mechanisms in acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), despite ADHF being a large clinical problem. Here, David Feldman, Terry Elton, Benjamin Sun, Mickey Martin and Mark Ziolo focus on 
-adrenergic receptor signaling as one of the final common pathways that could directly contribute to ADHF.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1127 | Full Text | PDF (252K)
Technology Insight: in vivo coronary plaque classification by intravascular ultrasonography radiofrequency analysis
219Quantitative assessment of plaque composition has not been possible with grayscale IVUS analysis—until now. Here König and coworkers examine intravascular ultrasonography-derived virtual histology, a method which can provide detailed analysis of plaque morphology, providing more information on the vulnerability of coronary plaques and, in turn, the risk of acute clinical events.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1123 | Full Text | PDF (754K)
Case Study
Cardiac sarcoidosis concealed by arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy
231A definitive diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis relies on the results of endomyocardial biopsy. In this Case Study Greif et al. describe a patient whose biopsy was negative for sarcoidosis—leading to a diagnosis of arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy. Sarcoidosis was only revealed after the patient had progressed to end-stage heart failure and undergone cardiac transplantation several years later.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1146 | Full Text | PDF (336K)
