Year in Review in 2014

Advances in treating cardiac arrhythmias include autonomic manipulation, drugs, imaging, devices, and genetics. I have selected articles published in 2014 that further our knowledge in each area, and which are representative of other important articles that could not be cited. Highlighting five diverse areas emphasizes the complexity of treating arrhythmias.

Prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), particularly atherosclerosis, remains a priority on the global health agenda. A healthy lifestyle at both individual and population levels, combined with pharmacological treatment of CVD risk factors, is recommended. In this Year in Review article, we discuss the major advances in CVD prevention in 2014.

New findings published in 2013 strongly support the use of novel oral anticoagulants in the treatment of thromboembolic disorders. These drugs have been shown to have a more-favourable benefit-to-risk profile than older compounds, enabling their use from the start of treatment and in the whole spectrum of clinical presentations.

In 2013, advances in noninvasive imaging methods pushed traditional boundaries in the detection, diagnosis, and functional assessment of coronary artery disease, atherosclerotic plaque, and myocardial function. We highlight five important studies that demonstrate how these developments are allowing medicine to become increasingly evidence-based and personalized.

Catheter-based revascularization has emerged as the gold-standard therapy for most patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Optimizing outcomes in these patients requires appropriate adjunctive pharmacological therapy and percutaneous coronary intervention. Five studies published in 2013 are expected to have a major effect on treatment and prognosis of patients with ACS.