A Novel Thrombolytic Regimen for Mechanical Prosthetic Valve Thrombosis in a Patient With Antiphospholipid Syndrome.

Management of mechanical prosthetic valve thrombosis (PVT) includes medical and surgical options. Standard medical treatment involves thrombolytic therapy with repeated slow infusions of low-dose IV tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA). The evidence for managing mechanical PVT that does not respond to the standard t-PA dosing is limited in the setting of an exacerbating hypercoagulable condition.

Managing stage 1 hypertension: Consider the risks, stop the progression.

The 2017 American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines on the treatment of hypertension recommended lifestyle modification and monitoring every 3 to 6 months for patients with stage 1 hypertension. However, the guidelines did not include recommendations for patients whose blood pressure is unresponsive to lifestyle therapy. The authors review the updated AHA position statement, which is meant to help clinicians manage patients with stage 1 hypertension and a low 10-year risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.