Cardiovascular therapeutics
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Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) may complicate an episode of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC), potentially leading to cardiogenic shock. Beta-blockers are considered the most suitable treatment for such complication. ⋯ Esmolol infusion was temporally associated with reduction in intraventricular gradient and systemic blood pressure in patients with TTC and LVOTO. Further controlled studies are warranted to confirm these preliminary findings.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Real polymer-free sirolimus- and probucol-eluting versus biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stents for obstructive coronary artery disease: DKPLUS-Wave 1, a multicenter, randomized, prospective trial.
Polymer-free sirolimus- and probucol-eluting stents (Real Dual drug-eluting stents [DES]) is as effective as first-generation DES in treating coronary artery stenosis. It is unknown whether sirolimus-eluting stents containing biodegradable polymer (Excel) would be superior to real Dual DES. This study aimed to investigate the difference in target vessel revascularization (TVR) at 12 months in patients with coronary artery disease treated by the implantation of Dual DES or Excel stents. ⋯ The Excel stent was statistically superior to the Dual DES in terms of restenosis, late loss, and TVR for long lesions.
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Rapid transition from inhaled iloprost to inhaled treprostinil in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Inhaled treprostinil is a prostacyclin analog approved for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) that may provide a more convenient treatment option for patients receiving inhaled iloprost while maintaining the clinical benefit of inhaled prostacyclin therapy. ⋯ Pulmonary arterial hypertension patients can be safely transitioned from inhaled iloprost to inhaled treprostinil while maintaining clinical status.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
ARIES-3: ambrisentan therapy in a diverse population of patients with pulmonary hypertension.
Ambrisentan is an oral, once daily, endothelin receptor antagonist approved for treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Previous studies of ambrisentan were limited to patients with Group 1 PAH and often excluded patients receiving other pulmonary hypertension (PH) therapies. ⋯ This study reconfirms the results of previous placebo-controlled studies, which demonstrate that ambrisentan is well tolerated and provides benefit in patients with PAH. Definitive conclusions regarding the safety and efficacy of ambrisentan in specific non-Group 1 PH etiologies cannot be determined and larger, controlled studies will be necessary to determine the efficacy and safety of ambrisentan in these populations.