Volume 9 Issue 2, February 2012

Major advances in the diagnosis of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) have occurred in 2011, but physicians treating ACS still walk the tightrope between efficacy and bleeding. Key publications have shed light on this delicate balance and heralded a new era of novel oral anticoagulants for the treatment of ACS.

In 2011, key trials with oral factor Xa inhibitors in patients with atrial fibrillation highlighted promising data on these novel anticoagulants. Patients with ≥1 stroke risk factors can be considered for oral anticoagulation. These novel, fixed-dose drugs are given without monitoring, so clinicians must learn to balance stroke and bleeding risks.

Studies published in 2011 in the field of heart failure have reinforced the benefit of cardiac resynchronization therapy in patients with mild symptoms and confirmed the value of left ventricular assist devices and CABG surgery in selected patients. Conversely, the efficacy of nesiritide in acute heart failure has been questioned.

The results of several hypertension studies published in 2011 have contributed to our knowledge on the risks of and treatment for this condition, including the effects of slow-wave sleep, nocturnal dosing of medication, variability in post-stroke blood-pressure reduction, and the impacts of a low-sodium diet.

In 2011, both the PARTNER-A trial, in high-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis, and EVEREST II, in patients with mitral insufficiency, showed noninferiority of transcatheter interventions compared with surgery for the chosen primary end points. However, both of the trials, and important registry data, identified limitations of transcatheter valve interventions.

In the second part of their Review on restenosis after PCI, Jukema and colleagues focus on the technological advances that have fueled revolutionary changes for optimizing outcomes of coronary stenting and the prevention and treatment of in-stent restenosis.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most-common form of monogenically inherited heart disease, and is associated with a high incidence of sudden cardiac death in young patients. The authors review the genetic mutations known to cause the disease, discuss potential pathological mechanisms that might lead to the clinical phenotype, and consider the implications for targeted therapies.

Congenital defects of the heart affect up to 10 in 1,000 neonates, but mortality has decreased with improved detection and treatment. Drs Roest and de Roos describe the various imaging modalities available to assess patients with congenital heart disease before intervention, and to evaluate systolic, diastolic, valvular, and vascular function during follow-up.

No worldwide consensus exists regarding the best way to manage patients with asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis (CAS). In this thought-provoking article, Professor A. Ross Naylor presents his argument against the use of a 'one size fits all' approach involving the costly widespread use of surgical or percutaneous interventions, a high percentage of which are unnecessary. Instead, he recommends that the medical community should increase efforts to identify those at particularly high risk for stroke, who are the only patients likely to really benefit from these interventions