AngioVac Debulking in Endocarditis Patients with Large, Device-related Vegetations.

As the number and complexity of cardiovascular implantable electronic devices has increased, so too has the incidence of device-related infections. Such a rise requires that the focus be directed toward developing universal standards for infected lead removal. To date, no consensus currently exists regarding the optimal management of patients with large vegetations (diameter > 2 cm).

Sleep syncope: treatment with a permanent pacemaker.

Vasovagal syncope usually occurs during upright posture, but Jardine et al. have described a variant that occurs at night. During "sleep syncope" patients are awakened from sleep with nausea, abdominal cramping, or a sense of impending diarrhea; get up; and faint in the bathroom.

Blocking the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system to prevent diabetes mellitus.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is increasing around the world, and the public health impact of DM, driven largely by cardiovascular disease complications, underpins the importance of continued efforts toward primary prevention of DM. Only a few interventions have been shown to prevent DM, with none of them yet proven to improve cardiovascular risk commensurately. Accumulating evidence suggest that drugs that block the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), many of which have proven cardiovascular disease (CVD) benefit, also have favourable effects on parameters of glucose metabolism and incident diabetes.