Interventional cardiology: Drug-eluting stents are superior to bare-metal stents in elderly patients | PDF (141 KB)
p439 | doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2009.82
Table of contents
July 2009 Vol 6 No 7
Research Highlights
Heart Failure: HF potentially preventable in the elderly | PDF (118 KB)
p440 | doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2009.90
Hypertension: ECG strain predicts cardiovascular risk | PDF (72 KB)
p440 | doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2009.91
Intramyocardial injections are safe | PDF (45 KB)
p441 | doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2009.87
Interventional cardiology: Guidance for carotid stenting | PDF (671 KB)
p442 | doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2009.84
Blood pressure predicts AF in women | PDF (50 KB)
p442 | doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2009.86
Cardiomyopathies: Syncope is a risk factor for death in HCM | PDF (47 KB)
p443 | doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2009.83
Atrial fibrillation: Physician specialty and ICD implant outcome | PDF (48 KB)
p443 | doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2009.85
Drug therapy does not match guidelines | PDF (49 KB)
p443 | doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2009.92
Infection: Infections related to outpatient health care cause native endocarditis | PDF (137 KB)
p444 | doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2009.100
Acute coronary syndromes: Early versus late intervention in NSTEMI | PDF (108 KB)
p444 | doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2009.101
Echo versus ECG for suspected CAD | PDF (47 KB)
p445 | doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2009.93
Interventional cardiology: New polymer-free dual-drug-eluting stent | PDF (79 KB)
p446 | doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2009.88
Genetics: Identification of genes associated with stroke risk | PDF (96 KB)
p446 | doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2009.89
News and Views
Heart failure: Support for exercise training in CHF
Andrew J. S. Coats
p447 | doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2009.96
The results of HF-ACTION—the largest ever intervention trial of a nonpharmacological treatment for chronic heart failure—have been reported. The investigators randomly allocated participants to either a structured exercise program or to usual care. Although the primary end point was not reached at the prespecified significance level, the background evidence and data from previous trials and other prespecified analyses compel me to conclude that exercise training should be recommended for patients with stable chronic heart failure.
Stroke: Atrial fibrillation, stroke prevention therapy and aging
J. David Spence
p448 | doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2009.98
Stroke risk in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation increases markedly with age. Although anticoagulation is more effective than antiplatelet therapy in atrial fibrillation, it tends to be underutilized in the elderly. A study by van Walraven et al. examines the influence of age on stroke prevention therapy in atrial fibrillation.
Cardiomyopathies: New test for arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
J. Peter van Tintelen & Richard N. W. Hauer
p450 | doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2009.97
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) is challenging to diagnose because of nonspecific findings, particularly in the early phases of the disease. Clinical diagnosis is made on the basis of several criteria, but these lack sensitivity. Asimaki et al. suggest that immunohistochemical analysis of myocardial desmosomal proteins is a highly sensitive and specific diagnostic test for ARVD/C.
Diabetes: Does screening for inducible ischemia improve outcomes?
Prediman K. Shah
p452 | doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2009.95
The DIAD trial investigators have demonstrated that screening for inducible myocardial ischemia did not improve overall clinical outcome in a contemporary cohort of patients with asymptomatic type 2 diabetes, most of whom were receiving excellent medical management and few of whom underwent revascularization. Future studies should be designed to evaluate the clinical value and cost effectiveness of unconditional treatment versus screening using techniques to detect atherosclerotic and ischemic burden, coupled with therapeutic interventions, risk-factor management, and selective use of revascularization in high-risk patients.
Atrial Fibrillation: Predicting the efficacy of pulmonary vein isolation with CMR
Mario J. Garcia
p453 | doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2009.99
Pulmonary vein antrum isolation is an accepted alternative to antiarrhythmic therapy for restoring normal sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation. The procedure has a high initial success rate, but many patients subsequently experience recurrence of the arrhythmia. Cardiac magnetic resonance might offer a means of identifying patients who are more likely to experience successful long-term results from pulmonary vein antrum isolation.
Reviews
Update on strategies to increase HDL quantity and function
Danielle Duffy & Daniel J. Rader
p455 | doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2009.94
Low levels of HDL-cholesterol are associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Rader and Duffy discuss new strategies that are currently in development to improve HDL levels and/or function.
Biomarkers of AAA progression. Part 1: extracellular matrix degeneration
Femke A. M. V. I. Hellenthal, Willem A. Buurman, Will K. W. H. Wodzig & Geert Willem H. Schurink
p464 | doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2009.80
In the first part of their Review on circulating biomarkers of abdominal aortic aneurysm, Hellenthal et al. focus on the constituents and active enzymes of the extracellular matrix and their possible roles in the development and progression of this disease.
Article series: Molecular Imaging
Molecular imaging of cardiovascular disease with contrast-enhanced ultrasonography
Jonathan R. Lindner
p475 | doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2009.77
In the second article of our Molecular Imaging series, Dr. Lindner focuses on molecular imaging of cardiovascular diseases using contrast-enhanced ultrasound. The basics of targeted ultrasound contrast agents, the progress that has been made in imaging key events in cardiovascular medicine, and other potential clinical applications of targeted microbubbles are discussed.
Case Study
Mechanical bridge to recovery in pheochromocytoma myocarditis
Stephen Westaby, Ashwin Shahir, Gregory Sadler, Fidelma Flynn & Oliver Ormerod
p482 | doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2009.58
Professor Stephen Westaby and colleagues describe the case of a patient who presented with cardiogenic shock that swiftly deteriorated to severe heart failure. CT revealed a large adrenal tumor that was subsequently indentified as pheochromocytoma. After the tumor was removed, the patient underwent left ventricular assist device implantation as a bridge to left ventricular recovery.
Perspectives
Opinion
Preventing CVD in resource-poor areas: perspectives from the 'real-world'
Simon Stewart & Karen Sliwa
p489 | doi:10.1038/nrcardio.2009.79
