Journal of the American College of Cardiology
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Apr 2015
ReviewEvolving therapies for myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury.
The damage inflicted on the myocardium during acute myocardial infarction is the result of 2 processes: ischemia and subsequent reperfusion (ischemia/reperfusion injury). During the last 3 decades, therapies to reduce ischemic injury (mainly reperfusion strategies) have been widely incorporated into clinical practice. ⋯ After the great success of therapies to reduce ischemic injury, the time has come to focus efforts on therapies to reduce reperfusion injury, but in the recent few years, few interventions have successfully passed the proof-of-concept stage. In this review, we examine the past, present, and future therapies to reduce ischemia/reperfusion injury.
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Apr 2015
Review Meta AnalysisDuration of dual antiplatelet therapy after drug-eluting stent implantation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
The optimal duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation is unclear, and its risks and benefits may vary according to DES generation. ⋯ S-DAPT had overall lower rates of bleeding yet higher rates of stent thrombosis compared with L-DAPT; the latter effect was significantly attenuated with the use of second-generation DES, although the analysis may have been limited by the varying DAPT durations among studies. All-cause mortality was numerically higher with L-DAPT without reaching statistical significance. Prolonging DAPT requires careful assessment of the trade-off between ischemic and bleeding complications.
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Apr 2015
ReviewPractical management of anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation.
Anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation has become more complex due to the introduction of new anticoagulant agents, the number and kinds of patients requiring therapy, and the interactions of those patients in the matrix of care. The management of anticoagulation has become a "team sport" involving multiple specialties in multiple sites of care. The American College of Cardiology, through the College's Anticoagulation Initiative, convened a roundtable of experts from multiple specialties to discuss topics important to the management of patients requiring anticoagulation and to make expert recommendations on issues such as the initiation and interruption of anticoagulation, quality of anticoagulation care, management of major and minor bleeding, and treatment of special populations. The attendees continued to work toward consensus on these topics, and present the key findings of this roundtable in a state-of- the-art review focusing on the practical aspects of anticoagulation care for the patient with atrial fibrillation.