Accuracy of intravascular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography in identifying functionally significant coronary stenosis according to vessel diameter: A meta-analysis of 2,581 patients and 2,807 lesions.

Introduction: Accuracy of intracoronary imaging to discriminate functionally significant coronary stenosis according to vessel diameter remains to be defined.

Methods: PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were systematically searched for studies assessing diagnostic accuracy (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC], the primary end point) and sensitivity and specificity (the secondary end points) of minimal luminal area (MLA) or of minimal luminal diameter (MLD) derived from intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) or optical coherence tomography (OCT) to detect functionally significant stenosis as determined with fractional flow reserve (FFR).

Results: Fifteen studies were included, 2 with 110 patients analyzing only left main (LM), 5 with 224 patients and 306 lesions using OCT, and 9 with 1532 patients and 1681 lesions with IVUS.

THE STORM (acute coronary Syndrome in paTients end Of life and Risk assesMent) study.

Introduction: Elderly patients with coexisting frailty and multiple comorbidities frequently present to the emergency department (ED). Because non-cardiovascular comorbidities and declining health status may affect their life expectancy, management of these patients should start in the ED. This study evaluated the role of Gold Standards Framework (GSF) criteria for identifying patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) approaching end of life.

Incidence and prognostic significance of new onset atrial fibrillation/flutter in acute pericarditis.

Objective: Data on the incidence of new onset atrial fibrillation and flutter (AF/f) in patients with acute pericarditis are limited. We sought to determine the incidence and prognostic significance of AF/f in this setting.

Methods: Between January 2006 and June 2014, consecutive new cases of acute pericarditis were included in two urban referral centres for pericardial diseases.

Meta-analysis of comparison between self-expandable and balloon-expandable valves for patients having transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Two different devices, 1 self-expanding and 1 balloon-expandable, have been developed for patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation with contrasting data about efficacy and safety. Pubmed, Medline, and Google Scholar were systematically searched for studies of these different devices, with data derived from randomized controlled trial or registries with multivariate analysis. All-cause death at 30 days and at follow-up were the primary end points, whereas postprocedural moderate or severe aortic regurgitation (AR), stroke, major vascular complications, bleedings, and pacemaker implantation the secondary ones.

A meta-analysis of sex-related differences in outcomes after primary percutaneous intervention for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Introduction: The increasing use of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) has improved clinical outcome in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients, but the impact of sex on early and mid-term outcomes remains to be defined.

Methods: Medline, Cochrane Library, Biomed Central, and Google Scholar were searched for articles describing differences in baseline, periprocedural, and midterm outcomes after pPCI, by sex. The primary end point was all-cause mortality at early and mid-term follow-up.

Usefulness of exercise test in the diagnosis of short QT syndrome.

Aims: Short QT syndrome (SQTS) is a rare arrhythmogenic inherited heart disease. Diagnosis can be challenging in subjects with slightly shortened QT interval at electrocardiogram. In this study we compared the QT interval behaviour during exercise in a cohort of SQTS patients with a control group, to evaluate the usefulness of exercise test in the diagnosis of SQTS.

Cardiovascular disease in HIV patients: from bench to bedside and backwards.

HIV patients are exposed to a higher risk of adverse cardiovascular events, due to complex interactions between traditional risk factors and HIV infection itself in terms of ongoing endothelial dysfunctional immune activation/inflammation and increased risk of thrombosis. On the other hand, long-span antiretroviral therapy administration still raises questions on its long-term safety in an era in which life expectancy is becoming longer and longer while treatment of non-HIV-related serious events is increasingly raising concern. In this article, we will critically analyse the current knowledge of pathological and clinical aspects pertaining to the increased risk of cardiovascular events associated with HIV.

Atrial fibrillation and female sex.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common supraventricular arrhythmia. Its prevalence increases with age and preferentially affects male patients. Over 75 years of age, however, female patients being more prevalent, the absolute number of patients affected is similar between sexes.

Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and adjusted observational results of use of clopidogrel, aspirin, and oral anticoagulants in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

The optimal antiaggregant therapy after coronary stenting in patients receiving oral anticoagulants (OACs) is currently debated. MEDLINE and Cochrane Library were searched for studies reporting outcomes of patients who underwent PCI and who were on triple therapy (TT) or dual-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with aspirin and clopidogrel or dual therapy (DT) with OAC and clopidogrel. Major bleeding was the primary end point, whereas all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), stent thrombosis, and stroke were secondary ones.

High prevalence at computed coronary tomography of non-calcified plaques in asymptomatic HIV patients treated with HAART: a meta-analysis.

Introduction: Asymptomatic patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are at increased risk of vascular disease. Whether asymptomatic HIV patients have increased prevalence or structural differences in coronary artery plaques is not clear.

Methods: Pubmed, Cochrane and Google Scholar were searched for articles evaluating asymptomatic HIV patients evaluated with coronary computed tomography.

Rate control management of atrial fibrillation: may a mathematical model suggest an ideal heart rate?

Background: Despite the routine prescription of rate control therapy for atrial fibrillation (AF), clinical evidence demonstrating a heart rate target is lacking. Aim of the present study was to run a mathematical model simulating AF episodes with a different heart rate (HR) to predict hemodynamic parameters for each situation.

Methods: The lumped model, representing the pumping heart together with systemic and pulmonary circuits, was run to simulate AF with HR of 50, 70, 90, 110 and 130 bpm, respectively.

Clinical assessment of hypoperfusion in acute heart failure – evergreen or antique?

Background: Cold hemodynamic profile assessed on physical examination predicts survival, although it has low specificity and low reproducibility. We herein propose a new cold profile definition (Cold Modified 2014), including renal and hepatic damage. The aim of the study was to evaluate the additional prognostic value of clinical and laboratory identification of hypoperfusion over hypotension in the setting of advanced acute heart failure (AHF).

Zero-Fluoroscopy Ablation of Accessory Pathways in Children and Adolescents: CARTO3 Electroanatomic Mapping Combined with RF and Cryoenergy.

Background: Fluoroscopic catheter ablation of cardiac arrhythmias in pediatric patients exposes the patients to the potential risk of radiation considering the sensitivity of this population and its longer life expectancy. We evaluated the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of accessory pathway (AP) ablation guided by CARTO3 electroanatomic mapping (EAM) system with both cryoenergy and radiofrequency (RF) energy in order to avoid x-ray exposure in pediatric patients.

Methods: We included 44 patients (mean age: 13.

Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation Without Radiation Exposure Using A 3D Mapping System.

Transcatheter ablation procedures have been traditionally performed under fluoroscopic guidance. However, x-ray exposure is afflicted by the risk of developing malignancies as well as other deterministic effects of radiation. For this reason, radiation doses in the interventional laboratory should be reduced "As Low As Reasonably Achievable", with respect to the safety of the patients and the medical staff.

One-year follow-up of conduction disturbances following transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Aims: To describe the postprocedural and 1-year follow-up incidence of heart conduction disturbances in patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

Methods: Ninety-five patients were enrolled from 2008 to 2011 (mean age 81.8 ± 7.