Archives of cardiovascular diseases
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Arch Cardiovasc Dis · Mar 2017
Review Case ReportsAnatomical features of acute mitral valve repair dysfunction: Additional value of three-dimensional echocardiography.
Recurrence of mitral regurgitation after mitral valve repair is correlated with unfavourable left ventricular remodelling and poor outcome. This pictorial review describes the echocardiographic features of three types of acute mitral valve repair dysfunction, and the additional value of three-dimensional echocardiography.
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Arch Cardiovasc Dis · Mar 2017
ReviewBrugada syndrome: Diagnosis, risk stratification and management.
Brugada syndrome is a rare inherited arrhythmia syndrome leading to an increased risk of sudden cardiac death, despite a structurally normal heart. Diagnosis is based on a specific electrocardiogram pattern, observed either spontaneously or during a sodium channel blocker test. ⋯ Aside from the two main predictors of arrhythmia (symptoms and spontaneous electrocardiogram pattern), many risk factors have been recently suggested for stratifying risk of sudden cardiac death in Brugada syndrome. We have reviewed these data and discuss current guidelines in light of recent progress in this complex field.
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Arch Cardiovasc Dis · Mar 2016
ReviewStatins and prevention of venous thromboembolism: Myth or reality?
The pleiotropic effects of statins, beyond their cholesterol-lowering properties, are much debated. In primary prevention, several observational cohort and case-control studies appear to show that statins reduce the incidence of venous thromboembolism by about 30%. In a single randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial (JUPITER), which included 17,000 patients, rosuvastatin 20mg/day reduced the risk of venous thromboembolism by 43%. ⋯ The mechanism through which statins might prevent venous thrombosis is thought to involve their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects or perhaps a more specific action, by blocking the degradation of antithrombotic proteins. A mechanism involving the action of statins on interactions between risk factors for atherosclerosis and venous thromboembolism is supported by some studies, but not all. In the absence of firm evidence, statins cannot currently be recommended for primary or secondary prevention of venous thromboembolism.
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Arch Cardiovasc Dis · Nov 2015
ReviewNew insights into symptomatic or silent atrial fibrillation complicating acute myocardial infarction.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent heart rhythm disorder in the general population and contributes not only to a major deterioration in quality of life but also to an increase in cardiovascular morbimortality. The onset of AF in the acute phase of myocardial infarction (MI) is a major event that can jeopardize the prognosis of patients in the short-, medium- and long-term, and is a powerful predictor of a poor prognosis after MI. The suspected mechanism underlying the excess mortality is the drop in coronary flow linked to the acceleration and arrhythmic nature of the left ventricular contractions, which reduce the left ventricular ejection fraction. ⋯ The frequency and seriousness of silent AF in the short- and long-term, which were until recently rarely studied, raises the question of systematically screening for it in the acute phase of MI. Consequently, the use of continuous ECG monitoring could be a simple, effective and inexpensive solution to improve screening for AF, even though studies are still necessary to validate this strategy. Finally, complementary studies also effect of oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction, which seem to play a major role in triggering this rhythm disorder.
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Arch Cardiovasc Dis · Nov 2015
Review Meta Analysis Comparative StudyTransradial versus transfemoral approach for percutaneous coronary intervention in cardiogenic shock: A radial-first centre experience and meta-analysis of published studies.
The transradial approach for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with a better outcome in myocardial infarction (MI), but patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) were excluded from most trials. ⋯ The transradial approach in the setting of PCI for ischaemic CS is associated with a dramatic reduction in mortality, ischaemic and bleeding events, and should be preferred to the transfemoral approach in radial expert centres.