Coronary Vasospasm Presenting in a Catastrophic Way.

Coronary artery vasospasm is an under-recognized yet fatal condition that can manifest as sudden cardiac arrest. A 51-year-old man presented with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation during exercise. Coronary angiogram showed severe disease at ostial left main coronary artery and left anterior descending artery (LAD), that was not present anymore on repeated angiography and intravascular ultrasound assessment.

Aromatase Inhibitor Therapy Increases the Risk of New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With Breast Cancer.

Background: Previous studies suggest that aromatase inhibitors (AIs) increase the risk of adverse cardiovascular events and cardiac arrhythmias in patients with breast cancer, but it is unclear whether AIs also increase the risk of new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF).

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the use of AIs was associated with an increased risk of new-onset AF in patients with breast cancer.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis involving 5,707 patients with breast cancer (mean age 63.

Antiplatelet Therapy Aims and Strategies in Asian Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome or Stable Coronary Artery Disease.

Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) has been the mainstay treatment to reduce ischemic events, such as myocardial infarction or stroke, in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The development of potent P2Y inhibitors (ticagrelor and prasugrel) has helped to further reduce ischemic events, particularly among high-risk patients. Meanwhile, the evolution of newer generations of drug-eluting stents are also improving outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention.

Multi-Omics Signatures Link to Ticagrelor Effects on Vascular Function in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Background: Long-term antiplatelet agents including the potent P2Y12 antagonist ticagrelor are indicated in patients with a previous history of acute coronary syndrome. We sought to compare the effect of ticagrelor with that of aspirin monotherapy on vascular endothelial function in patients with prior acute coronary syndrome.

Methods: This was a prospective, single center, parallel group, investigator-blinded randomized controlled trial.

Challenges in management of ST elevation myocardial infarction during COVID-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought unprecedented changes to our world and health-care system. Its high virulence and infectiousness directly infect people's respiratory system and indirectly disrupt our health-care infrastructure. In particular, ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is a clinical emergency emphasizes on the establishment of care system to minimize delay to reperfusion.

Clinical outcomes according to lesion complexity in high bleeding risk patients treated with 1-month dual antiplatelet therapy following PCI: Analysis from the Onyx ONE clear study.

Objectives: To compare clinical outcomes in high bleeding risk (HBR) patients with and without complex percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) treated with Resolute Onyx zotarolimus-eluting stents (ZES) after 1-month dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT).

Background: PCI with 1-month DAPT has been demonstrated to be safe in HBR patients treated with Resolute Onyx ZES. Whether these outcomes are consistent in patients with complex lesions is uncertain.

Impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak on outcome of myocardial infarction in Hong Kong, China.

Objective: To determine whether COVID-19 may adversely affect outcome of myocardial infarction (MI) patients in Hong Kong, China.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has infected thousands of people and placed enormous stress on healthcare system. Apart from being an infectious disease, it may affect human behavior and healthcare resource allocation which potentially cause treatment delay in MI.

Guideline-Based Critical Care Pathway Improves Long-Term Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Implementation of a critical care pathway (CCP) for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has been shown to improve early compliance to guideline-directed therapies and reduce early mortality. Nevertheless its long-term impact on the compliance with medications or clinical outcomes remains unknown. Between 2004 and 2015, 2023 consecutive patients were admitted to our coronary care unit with ACS.

Incidence of dual antiplatelet therapy interruption within 1 year after primary percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute ST elevation myocardial infarction.

Background: After primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) in patients with acute ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is recommended to continue for 1 year. Occasionally, DAPT interruption may be required due to bleeding issues or unplanned surgical procedures.

Objective: To systematically evaluate the incidence of DAPT interruption within 1 year after PPCI.

TIMI risk score for secondary prevention of recurrent cardiovascular events in a real-world cohort of post-non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients.

Background: Patients who survive non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) are at heightened risk of recurrent cardiovascular events. Data on long-term secondary atherothrombotic risk stratification are limited.

Objectives: To stratify post-NSTEMI patients for risk of recurrent cardiovascular events to maximise benefit from aggressive secondary prevention strategies using the TIMI Risk Score for Secondary Prevention (TRS 2°P) score in a real-world cohort of NSTEMI patients.

Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction Risk Score for Secondary Prevention of Recurrent Cardiovascular Events in a Real-World Cohort of Post-Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients.

Background: Patients who survive myocardial infarction (MI) are at risk of recurrent cardiovascular (CV) events. This study stratified post-MI patients for risk of recurrent CV events using the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) Risk Score for Secondary Prevention (TRS 2°P).

Methods and results: This was an observational study that applied TRS 2°P to a consecutive cohort of post-MI patients.

One-year clinical outcomes of patients implanted with a Resolute Onyx™ zotarolimus-eluting stent.

Objective To evaluate the 1-year clinical outcomes of patients who received the Resolute Onyx™ stent. Methods This was a single-centre, retrospective registry analysis that reviewed the clinical data from all patients who were implanted with a Resolute Onyx™ stent between March 2015 and February 2016. Clinical follow-up was performed at 1 year post-implantation.

Genotyping-guided approach versus the conventional approach in selection of oral P2Y12 receptor blockers in Chinese patients suffering from acute coronary syndrome.

Objective The CYP2C19 loss-of-function (LoF) allele is present in half of the East Asian population and is associated with high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HTPR). This study aimed to investigate whether a rapid genotyping-guided approach is feasible and efficacious for selecting P2Y12 receptor blockers in Chinese patients suffering from acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods This was a single-centre, prospective, randomized, open-label study.

Cardiac computed tomography assessment of the near term impact of percutaneous ventricular restoration therapy (parachute(®) ) on mitral valve geometry.

Objectives: The aim of current study is to assess the near term impact of percutaneous ventricular restoration therapy (PVR), Parachute(®) on mitral valve (MV) geometry by cardiac computed tomography (CCT).

Background: Recent data demonstrates the feasibility of PVR for treatment of post anterior myocardial infarction (MI) heart failure. Little is known, however, about the interaction of the device and left ventricular structures, particularly the MV apparatus.

Comparison of Outcomes of Transfemoral Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Using a Minimally Invasive Versus Conventional Strategy.

Some centers, mostly in Europe, have demonstrated the feasibility of a minimally invasive strategy (MIS; i.e., local anesthesia and conscious sedation, performed in the cath laboratory without transesophageal echocardiography guidance).

Transcatheter mitral valve-in-ring implantation in prohibitive surgical risk patients: Single center initial experience in the United States.

Surgical mitral annuloplasty ring failure can result in symptomatic mitral stenosis or regurgitation which carries significant morbidity and mortality. Reoperation carries high surgical risks and the feasibility of transcatheter mitral valve-in-ring implantation is suggested by several case reports and series. In this article, we report two MVIR procedures focusing on preprocedural planning issues and intraprocedural tips.

Long-term clinical outcomes after deployment of femoral vascular closure devices in coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention: an observational single-centre registry follow-up.

Objectives: There are few data evaluating the long-term effect of femoral vascular closure devices (FCDs) on patients' clinical outcome. We aim to evaluate the incidence of peripheral vascular disease (PVD) in patients who received FCD following its deployment in coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures.

Design And Setting: Observational study of a single-centre registry.