Red Blood Cell Distribution Width is a Biomarker of Red Cell Dysfunction Associated with High Systemic Inflammation and a Prognostic Marker in Heart Failure and Cardiovascular Disease: A Potential Predictor of Atrial Fibrillation Recurrence.

At the beginning of the 21st century, approximately 2.3 million US adults had atrial fibrillation (AF), and there has been a 60% increase in hospital admissions for AF. Given that the expectancy is a continuous increase in incidence, it portends a severe healthcare problem.

Cardiac paraganglioma: stent in right coronary artery prior to surgery resection.

Cardiac paragangliomas are extremely rare. Sometimes surgical resection is a challenge owing to the proximity of vital structures and coronary arteries involvement. We report a case of a 34-year-old man with cardiac paragangliomas located between right atrium and right ventricle with a feeding blood supply from collaterals of the right coronary artery.

Coronary artery bypass grafting in Spain. Influence of procedural volume on outcomes.

Introduction And Objectives: To analyze the association between volume and outcomes in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in the Spanish National Health System.

Methods: We analyzed CABG episodes from 2013 to 2015. The selected outcome variables were in-hospital mortality in the index episode, 30-day cardiac-related readmissions, and mortality during readmission.

Contribution of interventional cardiology to the collective dose in Spain.

Introduction And Objectives: To estimate the contribution of interventional cardiology (IC) to the collective dose in Spain.

Methods: Using the information on frequencies of examinations sourced from the Spanish Society of Cardiology and the patient dose values obtained by the national DOCCACI programme.

Results: The fraction of the collective dose per million inhabitants derived from IC was 34 man-Sv (a total of 1600 man-Sv in Spain with 46.

Impact of Coronary Collaterals on Long-term Prognosis in Patients Treated With Primary Angioplasty.

Introduction And Objectives: The beneficial effect of coronary collateral circulation (CC) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction is controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of CC before reperfusion with primary angioplasty (PA) on the long-term prognosis of these patients.

Methods: Retrospective observational study of a cohort of 947 patients treated with PA and TIMI grade ≤ 1 flow in a single center from 2005 to 2013.

Five-year clinical performance of a biodegradable polymer-coated biolimus-eluting stent in unselected patients.

Objective: To evaluate the long-term follow-up of the unrestricted use of a biodegradable polymer-coated drug-eluting stent in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: The Nobori 2 study was a prospective, multicentre, observational registry evaluating the safety and the efficacy of the biodegradable polymer biolimus-eluting stent (BP-BES) among 3067 patients recruited at 125 international sites. The primary combined endpoint was a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction and target-lesion revascularisation (TLR).

Update on interventional cardiology.

This article provides a detailed review of the most important studies on interventional cardiology reported in publications or presentations during the year 2012. With regard to coronary interventions, ST-elevation myocardial infarction is extensively addressed in studies focusing on the relevance of reducing the reperfusion time and the utility of various devices and pharmacological strategies in primary angioplasty. Multiple comparative studies involving different generations of drug-eluting stents are available and indicate a favorable progression in terms of safety and efficacy.

Use of the radial approach in primary angioplasty: results in 1029 consecutive patients and analyses in unfavorable subgroups.

Introduction And Objectives: The transradial approach is associated with a reduction in vascular access-related complications after primary percutaneous coronary interventions. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of the routine use of transradial access in primary angioplasty and to evaluate how it affects subgroups with less favorable characteristics.

Methods: We analyzed 1029 consecutive patients with an ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome treated with primary angioplasty.

Clinical performance of a drug-eluting stent with a biodegradable polymer in an unselected patient population: the NOBORI 2 study.

Aims: Previous studies for approved indications (on-label) have shown the good safety and efficacy profiles of the Nobori DES. We conducted a prospective, multicentre study to validate the clinical performance of this stent in a real-world setting.

Methods And Results: A total of 3,067 consecutive patients undergoing a percutaneous coronary intervention with the Nobori DES were enrolled in the NOBORI 2 registry.

[Update on interventional cardiology].

This article contains a review of the most important studies on interventional cardiology reported in either publications or presentations. In the area of coronary interventions, ST-elevation myocardial infarction continues to take center place: recent studies have confirmed the importance of timely intervention and the safety of drug-eluting stents. The numerous studies that have compared different generations of drug-eluting stents indicate that there has been a steady improvement in safety and efficacy.

[Update in interventional cardiology].

This article contains a detailed review of the most important studies on interventional cardiology reported in either publications or presentations. With regard to coronary interventions, ST-elevation myocardial infarction is highlighted because of the ongoing substantial expansion in primary angioplasty programs. Drug-eluting stents, especially new-generation stents, continue to be the focus of numerous studies.

[Retrograde angioplasty: an option for total coronary artery occlusions].

The safety and effectiveness of angioplasty for chronic total occlusions of the coronary arteries have been demonstrated in several studies, but the success rate is less than for conventional interventions. The complexity of the procedures presents a major challenge. In selected cases, performing angioplasty of the occlusion via a retrograde approach has been used as an alternative.

[Endovascular treatment of long-term complications following surgical repair of aortic coarctation].

Surgical treatment of aortic coarctation has a high success rate. However, irrespective of the surgical technique used, a significant percentage of patients develop late complications affecting the aortic wall. Reoperation to repair these complications is a complex procedure and is associated with high mortality.

Intraarterial guidewire external compression: a simple technique for successful LIMA angiography through the right radial approach.

Specific techniques have been described for performing a left internal mammary artery (LIMA) angiography through the right radial approach. The unsuccessful LIMA angiography in anatomic situations, such as aorta dilatation or a far distal anatomical origin of the LIMA, among others, is a main problem not yet solved even with these techniques. In this report, we describe a simple and ready maneuver that can be helpful for a successful LIMA angiography in such situations.

[Percutaneous thrombin injection for closure of femoral pseudoaneurysms: preliminary experience].

An arterial pseudoaneurysm is an uncommon complication of cardiovascular procedures associated with considerable morbidity and increased hospital costs. Percutaneous thrombin injection is one approach to therapy. We describe our initial experience with this technique in 3 patients, with special attention to the utility of sonographic guidance.