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Virtual reality is a fast-evolving technology that already has several promising applications in medicine. In this Clinical Outlook, we discuss the current evidence and the future challenges for virtual reality applications in cardiac interventions. The incorporation of virtual reality in daily practice will inevitably make clinical care more robust, patient-centred and safe.
A new study has identified a scavenger receptor-independent mechanism of atherosclerosis development by showing that LDL uptake through macropinocytosis contributes to macrophage foam cell formation and atherosclerosis development and that an FDA-approved drug that inhibits macropinocytosis inhibits atherosclerosis development in mice.
Coagulation factor XI, a liver-derived protein, has a cardioprotective role in the setting of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction that is distinct from its role in coagulation.
The addition of acetazolamide to loop diuretic therapy improves the success of decongestion in patients with acute decompensated heart failure and volume overload.
In this Review, the authors discuss the roles of non-canonical WNT signalling in cardiovascular disease. They provide an overview of non-canonical WNT signalling, describe its links to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, heart failure and arrhythmias, and explore the clinical potential of targeting individual components of non-canonical WNT signalling in cardiovascular disease.
The relationship between climate change and health outcomes is complex. In this Review, Rajagopalan and colleagues describe the environmental exposures associated with climate change and provide an overview of the consequences of climate change, including air pollution and extreme temperatures, on cardiovascular health and disease.
In this Review, Kluin and colleagues describe the historical milestones and lessons learned in the development of total artificial hearts (TAHs), discuss the current generation of TAHs and their working mechanisms, and highlight challenges and future perspectives for the field, including new technologies that will promote TAH development in the coming decade.
The evolution of stent design has reduced the incidence of stent thrombosis, meaning that the duration of dual antiplatelet therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) might be shortened. In this Review, the authors describe the current evidence base and ongoing clinical trials into the use of P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy after PCI.
