Volume 15 Issue 6, June 2018

In this Review, Serruys and colleagues describe the pathophysiology of unprotected left main coronary artery disease, discuss novel diagnostic approaches in light of new imaging techniques, and describe risk stratification models to help in the decision-making process for determining the best revascularization strategy in these patients.

Hiramoto and colleagues examine the current status of interventions for peripheral artery disease, focusing on disease staging, treatment goals, and factors that influence outcomes. Persistent unmet needs and emerging approaches (including cell-based and gene-based therapies) are also highlighted.

This Review summarizes the growing body of evidence implicating cathepsin activities in the pathogenesis of several cardiovascular diseases, outlining the potential of cathepsins as biomarkers of disease progression and discussing clinical trials of cathepsin inhibitors in other diseases that highlight opportunities for developing novel therapies targeting cathepsins in cardiovascular diseases.

Reduction in salt consumption has long been recommended to lower blood pressure (BP) and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). A linear relationship between salt intake and CVD risk has recently been challenged in some cohort studies; however, methodological issues exist with these studies. In this Review, He and MacGregor discuss the relationship between salt intake, BP, and CVD risk, and describe the benefits and challenges of reducing the population intake of salt.