Current Role of the CardioMEMS Device for Management of Patients with Heart Failure.

Purpose Of Review: Heart failure (HF) remains a significant burden to our healthcare system and a leading cause of hospitalizations. Current reactive strategies to treat and manage HF have failed to reduce hospitalizations and improve survival. The CardioMEMS device has recently been demonstrated to improve quality of life in HF and reduce HF-related hospitalizations.

When should fractional flow reserve be performed to assess the significance of borderline coronary artery lesions: Derivation of a simplified scoring system.

Objectives: To derive a simplified scoring system (SSS) that can assist in selecting patients who would benefit from the application of fractional flow reserve (FFR).

Background: Angiographers base decisions to perform FFR on their interpretation of % diameter stenosis (DS), which is subject to variability. Recent studies have shown that the amount of myocardium at jeopardy is an important factor in determining the degree of hemodynamic compromise.

Real World Application of Stenting of Unprotected Left Main Coronary Stenosis: A Single-Center Experience.

Background: The aim of this study was to summarize our single-center real-world experience with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) stenting of unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA). PCI-stenting of the ULMCA, while controversial, is emerging as an alternative to coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery in select patients and clinical situations.

Methods: Between January 2005 and December 2008, PCI-stenting was performed on 125 patients with ULMCA lesions at our institution.

Prevalence and risk factors of pulmonary hypertension in patients with elevated pulmonary venous pressure and preserved ejection fraction.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a well-recognized complication of left-sided heart failure with preserved left ventricular systolic function that portends a worse prognosis. The identification of risk factors may provide insight into possible mechanisms for the development of PH in this population. Targeting these risk factors could possibly attenuate the development of PH.

The impact of hematocrit drop on long-term survival after cardiac catheterization: insights from the Dartmouth Dynamic Registry.

Background: The long-term prognostic implication of post-procedural hematocrit drops in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization outside the clinical trial setting is not well defined.

Methods: Data was prospectively collected from 12,661 patients undergoing diagnostic or interventional cardiac catheterization between July 1998 and July 2006. Patients were divided into three cohorts based upon the degree of hematocrit change: drop greater than 6, drop between 3 and 6, and drop less than 3.