Increase in BNP in Response to Endothelin-Receptor Antagonist Atrasentan Is Associated With Incident Heart Failure.

Background: The endothelin receptor antagonist atrasentan reduced the risk of kidney failure in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the SONAR (Study of Diabetic Nephropathy with Atrasentan) trial, although with a numerically higher incidence of heart failure (HF) hospitalization.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess if early changes in B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and body weight during atrasentan treatment predict HF risk.

Methods: Participants with type 2 diabetes and CKD entered an open-label enrichment phase to assess response to atrasentan 0.

Attitudes toward pharmacogenetics in patients undergoing testing following percutaneous coronary intervention.

Patient knowledge and attitudes toward pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing may impact adoption of clinical testing. Questionnaires regarding knowledge, attitudes and ethics of PGx testing were distributed to 504 patients enrolled in the ADAPT study conducted at two urban hospitals in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Responses were assessed using multivariable logistic regression.

Interventional cardiologists' attitudes towards pharmacogenetic testing and impact on antiplatelet prescribing decisions.

To determine if interventional cardiologists' knowledge and attitudes toward pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing influenced their antiplatelet prescribing decisions in response to results. Surveys were administered prior to participating in a randomized trial of testing. Associations between baseline knowledge/attitudes and agreement with the genotype-guided antiplatelet recommendations were determined using multivariable logistic regression.

Safety of Intravenous Cangrelor Administration for Antiplatelet Bridging in Hospitalized Patients: A Retrospective Study.

Objective: We aimed to characterize outcomes associated with cangrelor administration used in an antiplatelet bridging strategy in real-world clinical scenarios within a large academic medical system.

Background: Cangrelor has been used for antiplatelet bridging in perioperative settings or for patients unable to take oral medications. Prior studies in these settings have reported bleeding rates from 0%-40%.

Comparison of Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Contemporary U.S. Practice With ISCHEMIA Trial Population.

Objectives: The study sought to assess the proportion of patients in modern U.S. interventional practice that fulfilled criteria for enrollment in the ISCHEMIA (International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness With Medical and Invasive Approaches) trial.

SCAI expert consensus update on best practices in the cardiac catheterization laboratory: This statement was endorsed by the American College of Cardiology (ACC), the American Heart Association (AHA), and the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) in April 2021.

The current document commissioned by the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) and endorsed by the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, and Heart Rhythm Society represents a comprehensive update to the 2012 and 2016 consensus documents on patient-centered best practices in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. Comprising updates to staffing and credentialing, as well as evidence-based updates to the pre-, intra-, and post-procedural logistics, clinical standards and patient flow, the document also includes an expanded section on CCL governance, administration, and approach to quality metrics. This update also acknowledges the collaboration with various specialties, including discussion of the heart team approach to management, and working with electrophysiology colleagues in particular.

Trends in Coded Indications for Percutaneous Coronary Interventions in Medicare and the Veterans Affairs After Implementation of Hospital-Level Reporting of Appropriate Use Criteria.

Background: In 2009, the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association published Appropriate Use Criteria for Coronary Revascularization (AUC) to aid patient selection for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The subsequent decline in inappropriate PCIs was interpreted as a success of AUC. However, there are concerns clinicians reclassify nonacute PCIs to acute indications to fulfill AUC.

Evolution and Outcomes of Premature Coronary Artery Disease.

Purpose Of Review: The purpose of this review is to explore the evolution and outcomes of premature coronary artery disease (PCAD) while reviewing strategies for effective screening of those at high risk for developing this disease.

Recent Findings: Premature coronary artery disease (PCAD) affects a population of patients not typically identified as high risk by current risk stratification guidelines or traditional risk calculation tools. Not only does PCAD represent a large proportion of overall cardiovascular disease, it also afflicts a population in which the rate of mortality from cardiovascular disease has plateaued despite an overall declining population-wide cardiovascular mortality rate.

Referral Rates for Cardiac Rehabilitation Among Eligible Inpatients After Implementation of a Default Opt-Out Decision Pathway in the Electronic Medical Record.

This quality improvement study assesses referral rates for cardiac rehabilitation after a default opt-out option is added to the decision pathway in the electronic medical record.

Patient Characteristics Associated With Telemedicine Access for Primary and Specialty Ambulatory Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Importance: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has required a shift in health care delivery platforms, necessitating a new reliance on telemedicine.

Objective: To evaluate whether inequities are present in telemedicine use and video visit use for telemedicine visits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design, Setting, And Participants: In this cohort study, a retrospective medical record review was conducted from March 16 to May 11, 2020, of all patients scheduled for telemedicine visits in primary care and specialty ambulatory clinics at a large academic health system.

Performance of Hospitals When Assessing Disease-Based Mortality Compared With Procedural Mortality for Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Importance: Quality of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is commonly assessed by risk-adjusted mortality. However, this metric may result in procedural risk aversion, especially for high-risk patients.

Objective: To determine correlation and reclassification between hospital-level disease-specific mortality and PCI procedural mortality among patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

SCAI publications committee manual of standard operating procedures.

Evidence-based recommendations for clinical practice are intended to help health care providers and patients make decisions, minimize inappropriate practice variation, promote effective resource use, improve clinical outcomes, and direct future research. The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) has been engaged in the creation and dissemination of clinical guidance documents since the 1990s. These documents are a cornerstone of the society's education, advocacy, and quality improvement initiatives.

Prospective Genotyping to Guide Antiplatelet Therapy Following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Pragmatic Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: loss-of-function alleles impair clopidogrel effectiveness after percutaneous coronary intervention, but the clinical impact of implementing genotyping in a real-world setting is unknown. The purpose of the study was to determine whether returning genotype results along with genotype-guided pharmacotherapy recommendations using a rapid turnaround test would change antiplatelet prescribing following percutaneous coronary intervention.The primary outcome was the rate of prasugrel or ticagrelor prescribing in each arm.

Accuracy of Fractional Flow Reserve Derived From Coronary Angiography.

Background: Measuring fractional flow reserve (FFR) with a pressure wire remains underutilized because of the invasiveness of guide wire placement or the need for a hyperemic stimulus. FFR derived from routine coronary angiography (FFR) eliminates both of these requirements and displays FFR values of the entire coronary tree. The FFR Accuracy versus Standard FFR (FAST-FFR) study is a prospective, multicenter, international trial with the primary goal of determining the accuracy of FFR.

A Nurse-Led Limited Risk Factor Modification Program to Address Obesity and Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Atrial Fibrillation Patients.

Background Obesity and obstructive sleep apnea ( OSA ) are associated with atrial fibrillation ( AF ), yet these conditions remain inadequately treated. We report on the feasibility and efficacy of a nurse-led risk factor modification program utilizing a pragmatic approach to address obesity and OSA in AF patients. Methods and Results AF patients with obesity (body mass index ≥30 kg/m) and/or the need for OSA management (high risk per Berlin Questionnaire or untreated OSA ) were voluntarily enrolled for risk factor modification, which comprised patient education, lifestyle modification, coordination with specialists, and longitudinal management.

Association Between 30-Day Mortality After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention and Education and Certification Variables for New York State Interventional Cardiologists.

Background: Patients and other providers have access to few publicly available physician attributes that identify interventional cardiologists with better postprocedural outcomes, particularly in states without public reporting of outcomes. Interventional cardiology board certification, maintenance of certification, graduation from a US medical school, medical school ranking, and length of practice represent such publicly available attributes. Previous studies on these measures have shown mixed results.

Heart Failure After Ischemic Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack in Insulin-Resistant Patients Without Diabetes Mellitus Treated With Pioglitazone.

Background: The IRIS trial (Insulin Resistance Intervention After Stroke) demonstrated that pioglitazone reduced the risk for both cardiovascular events and diabetes mellitus in insulin-resistant patients. However, concern remains that pioglitazone may increase the risk for heart failure (HF) in susceptible individuals.

Methods: In IRIS, patients with insulin resistance but without diabetes mellitus were randomized to pioglitazone or placebo (1:1) within 180 days of an ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack and followed for ≤5 years.

Trends in Platelet Adenosine Diphosphate P2Y12 Receptor Inhibitor Use and Adherence Among Antiplatelet-Naive Patients After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, 2008-2016.

Importance: Current guidelines recommend prasugrel hydrochloride and ticagrelor hydrochloride as preferred therapies for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, it is not well known how frequently these newer agents are being used in clinical practice or how adherence varies among the platelet adenosine diphosphate P2Y12 receptor (P2Y12) inhibitors.

Objectives: To determine trends in use of the different P2Y12 inhibitors in patients who underwent PCI from 2008 to 2016 in a large cohort of commercially insured patients and differences in patient adherence and costs among the P2Y12 inhibitors.

Length of stay following percutaneous coronary intervention: An expert consensus document update from the society for cardiovascular angiography and interventions.

Since the publication of the 2009 SCAI Expert Consensus Document on Length of Stay Following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), advances in vascular access techniques, stent technology, and antiplatelet pharmacology have facilitated changes in discharge patterns following PCI. Additional clinical studies have demonstrated the safety of early and same day discharge in selected patients with uncomplicated PCI, while reimbursement policies have discouraged unnecessary hospitalization. This consensus update: (1) clarifies clinical and reimbursement definitions of discharge strategies, (2) reviews the technological advances and literature supporting reduced hospitalization duration and risk assessment, and (3) describes changes to the consensus recommendations on length of stay following PCI (Supporting Information Table S1).

Cardiac Outcomes After Ischemic Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack: Effects of Pioglitazone in Patients With Insulin Resistance Without Diabetes Mellitus.

Background: Insulin resistance is highly prevalent among patients with atherosclerosis and is associated with an increased risk for myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke. The IRIS trial (Insulin Resistance Intervention after Stroke) demonstrated that pioglitazone decreased the composite risk for fatal or nonfatal stroke and MI in patients with insulin resistance without diabetes mellitus, after a recent ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack. The type and severity of cardiac events in this population and the impact of pioglitazone on these events have not been described.