Background: In patients under <40 years, traditional cardiovascular (CV)-risk factors are a less likely cause of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) compared to older counterparts.
Aims: To estimate the prevalence of essential thrombocytosis (ET), a hematological disorder and less-prevalent risk factor, in young patients presenting with ACS.
Methods: We constructed a retrospective database of all patients <40 years (n=271) that had consecutively undergone coronary angiography (CAG) after their ACS within our hospital within the last ten years (2010-2020) and had known thrombocyte counts (n=241).
Background: The proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type-9 inhibitor evolocumab produced coronary atheroma regression in statin-treated patients.
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of evolocumab on optical coherence tomography (OCT) measures of plaque composition.
Methods: Patients with a non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction were treated with monthly evolocumab 420 mg (n = 80) or placebo (n = 81) for 52 weeks.
Background: Patients on oral anticoagulants (OACs) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) also require aspirin and a P2Y12 inhibitor (triple therapy). However, triple therapy increases bleeding. The use of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) and stronger P2Y12 inhibitors has increased.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: The randomized REVELATION (REVascularization With PaclitaxEL-Coated Balloon Angioplasty Versus Drug-Eluting Stenting in Acute Myocardial InfarcTION) trial showed that in the setting of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), a drug-coated balloon (DCB) strategy was non-inferior to a drug-eluting stent (DES) strategy in terms of fractional flow reserve assessed at 9 months. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the long-term clinical outcome of this treatment strategy.
Methods: Between October 2014 and November 2017, a total of 120 patients with a non-severely calcified culprit lesion in a native coronary artery and a residual stenosis of <50% after predilation were randomized to treatment with DCB or DES.
Introduction: The POPular Genetics trial demonstrated that a CYP2C19 genotype-guided P2Y inhibitor strategy reduced bleeding rates compared with standard treatment with ticagrelor or prasugrel without increasing thrombotic event rates after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
Objective: In this analysis, we aimed to evaluate the cost effectiveness of a genotype-guided strategy compared with standard treatment with ticagrelor or prasugrel.
Methods: A 1-year decision tree based on the POPular Genetics trial in combination with a lifelong Markov model was developed to compare costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) between a genotype-guided and a standard P2Y inhibitor strategy in patients with myocardial infarction undergoing primary PCI.
Background: Patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who are carrying CYP2C19 loss-of-function alleles derive less benefit from clopidogrel treatment. Despite this, in elderly patients, clopidogrel might be preferred over more potent P2Y inhibitors due to a lower bleeding risk. Whether CYP2C19 genotype-guided antiplatelet treatment in the elderly could be of benefit has not been studied specifically.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSince the 1990s, there has been a steady increase in the number of cancer survivors to an estimated 17 million in 2019 in the US alone. Radiation therapy today is applied to a variety of malignancies and over 50% of cancer patients. The effects of ionizing radiation on cardiac structure and function, so-called radiation-induced heart disease (RIHD), have been extensively studied.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDespite high rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) among teens who are pregnant or parenting, the field is lacking evidence-based prevention programs designed for this population. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively adapt the evidence-based IPV prevention program and conduct a pilot study of the adapted program with female teens who were pregnant or parenting. We completed formative research including a literature review, focus groups, and pre-testing of adapted content to inform the revised curriculum.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHealth assessments were conducted on bottlenose dolphins in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, USA, during 2011 to 2018, to assess potential health effects following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, compared to the unoiled Sarasota Bay, Florida, USA, reference dolphin population. We previously reported significant increases in T-lymphocyte proliferation, as well as lower T helper 1 (Th1) cytokines, higher Th2 cytokine IL-4, and lower T regulatory (Treg) cytokine IL-10 in Barataria Bay in 2011 compared to Sarasota Bay, consistent with Deepwater Horizon oil exposure. Although values between 2013 and 2016 were more similar to those observed in Sarasota Bay, T-cell proliferation was again elevated and cytokine balance tilted toward Th2 in Barataria Bay during 2017-2018.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe describe a case of a compartment syndrome after transulnar coronary intervention. As far as we are aware of, this is the first report of such a complication after a transulnar approach described in the literature. Compartment syndrome is a very rare but possibly devastating complication of coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary interventions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAge is an important parameter to better understand wildlife populations, and is especially relevant for interpreting data for fecundity, health, and survival assessments. Estimating ages for marine mammals presents a particular challenge due to the environment they inhabit: accessibility is limited and, when temporarily restrained for assessment, the window of opportunity for data collection is relatively short. For wild dolphins, researchers have described a variety of age-determination techniques, but the gold-standard relies upon photo-identification to establish individual observational life histories from birth.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The uptake rate of non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOAC) for the treatment of non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) was far lower in the Netherlands (NL) compared to Belgium (BE). Also, patients on VKA in NL were treated with a higher target international normalized ratio (INR) range of 2.5 to 3.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: For the improvement of AF care, it is important to gain insight into current anticoagulation prescription practices and guideline adherence. This report focuses on the largest Dutch subset of AF-patients, derived from the GARFIELD-AF registry.
Methods: Across 35 countries worldwide, patients with newly diagnosed 'non-valvular' atrial fibrillation (AF) with at least one additional risk factor for stroke were included.
Background: Anxiety has been associated with adverse clinical outcomes in patients who have received an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). However, results are inconclusive likely due to different measures being used to assess anxiety. Hence, the current study aims to examine the prevalence and the association between anxiety, ventricular tachyarrhythmia's (VTa's) and all-cause mortality, respectively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Risk stratification within the ICD population warrants the examining of the role of protective- and risk factors. Current study examines the association between Type D personality, pessimism, and optimism and risk of ventricular tachyarrhythmias (VTa's) and mortality in patients with a first-time ICD 6 years post implantation.
Methods: A total of 221 first-implant ICD patients completed questionnaires on optimism and pessimism (Life Orientation Test) and Type D personality (Type D scale DS14) 10 to 14 days after implantation.
Background: It is unknown whether patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) benefit from genotype-guided selection of oral P2Y inhibitors.
Methods: We conducted a randomized, open-label, assessor-blinded trial in which patients undergoing primary PCI with stent implantation were assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either a P2Y inhibitor on the basis of early genetic testing (genotype-guided group) or standard treatment with either ticagrelor or prasugrel (standard-treatment group) for 12 months. In the genotype-guided group, carriers of *2 or *3 loss-of-function alleles received ticagrelor or prasugrel, and noncarriers received clopidogrel.
Objectives: This study sought to assess the efficacy and safety of a drug-coated balloon (DCB) strategy versus drug-eluting stent (DES) in primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).
Background: In primary percutaneous coronary intervention for STEMI, stenting has proved to be beneficial with regard to repeat revascularization, but not recurrent myocardial infarction or death, compared with balloon angioplasty alone. A strategy of DCB angioplasty without stenting might abolish the potential disadvantages of stent implantation while reducing the probability of restenosis observed in plain old balloon angioplasty.