Table of contents
January 2006 Volume 3 No 1
Editorial
Viewpoints
Adult congenital heart disease: education, education, education
2The complexity of the anatomy and physiology with which patients with congenital heart disease present in adulthood often exceed the expertise of physicians not trained specifically in congenital heart disease. In this viewpoint, Michael A Gatzoulis argues that education is the key to improving care of the growing population of adults with congenital heart disease.
Sex-related differences in response to aspirin in cardiovascular disease: an untested hypothesis
4The Women's Health Study seemed to contradict evidence from randomized trials of aspirin by identifying a sex-related difference in response to aspirin in cardiovascular disease. In this Viewpoint Hennekens et al. discuss the findings and argue that concluding that there are sex-related differences in response to aspirin could be premature.
Research Highlights
Depression upon hospitalization for coronary events is predictive of mortality
6A meta-analysis of plasma fibrinogen levels and risk of cardiovascular disease
6Use of automated external defibrillators by lay people
664-slice CT angiography for the detection of coronary artery stenoses
7Impaired lipoprotein catabolism in hemodialysis patients
7Radiotherapy of left-sided breast cancer does not increase cardiac morbidity
8Unmasking unexplained cardiac arrest: use of epinephrine and procainamide infusions
8Unexplained cardiac arrest (UCA) in the absence of underlying structural heart disease might be associated with a broad range of differential clinical diagnoses or genetic conditions. Correct diagnosis of the underlying etiology is important not only to determine optimal management, but also for directing genetic testing and possible prophylactic intervention in family members. Although electrocardiography alone may be useful in some patients, long-term monitoring or provocative testing might be required to diagnose latent primary electrical disease.
Improved myocardial perfusion in transplanted hearts after apheresis treatment
8Intravascular MRI for the characterization of deep-vessel atherosclerotic plaques
9Bezafibrate decreases the incidence and delays the onset of type 2 diabetes
9Potential of skeletal myoblast transplantation for ischemic heart disease
10Safety and feasibility of edge-to-edge mitral valve repair: the EVEREST trial
10Pulmonary artery catheter use in advanced heart failure: the ESCAPE trial
11Practice Points
Do patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention benefit from clopidogrel pretreatment?
12Should home blood pressure measurement be used in clinical practice?
14Is mechanical embolectomy a safe and efficacious treatment strategy in patients with acute ischemic stroke?
16Should all patients receive prophylactic amiodarone therapy before cardiac surgery?
18Is aggressive or moderate lipid lowering more effective in slowing vascular calcification in postmenopausal women?
20Reviews
Cardiac biomarkers: a contemporary status report
24Disease markers for cardiovascular disease have radically altered thinking about diagnosis and monitoring of disease course. Although a substantial amount of information seems available already, new data are emerging all the time. This review provides a snapshot of the current status of biomarkers in heart failure and acute coronary syndromes.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio0405 | Full Text | PDF (325K)
Therapy Insight: adipocytokines in metabolic syndrome and related cardiovascular disease
35The relationship between cardiovascular disease and the metabolic syndrome is now well known but is not yet fully elucidated. In this review, Yuji Matsuzawa discusses the role of intra-abdominal visceral fat accumulation and the release of bioactive substances termed adipocytokines in the development of disorders contributing to the metabolic syndrome.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio0380 | Full Text | PDF (260K)
Mechanisms of Disease: ryanodine receptor defects in heart failure and fatal arrhythmia
43Several gene mutations in ryanodine receptors, affecting channel gating, have been associated with certain arrhythmias and cardiomyopathy. In this review, the authors highlight the role of the ryanodine receptor, a Ca2+-release channel, in the pathogenesis of fatal arrhythmia and heart failure. They discuss also the possibility of this receptor as a new therapeutic target.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio0419 | Full Text | PDF (636K)
Case Study
A case of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy mimicking an acute coronary syndrome
53doi:10.1038/ncpcardio0414 | Full Text | PDF (193K)
