Early safety and efficacy of percutaneous left atrial appendage suture ligation: results from the U.S. transcatheter LAA ligation consortium.

Background: Transcatheter left atrial appendage (LAA) ligation may represent an alternative to oral anticoagulation for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation.

Objectives: This study sought to assess the early safety and efficacy of transcatheter ligation of the LAA for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation.

Methods: This was a retrospective, multicenter study of consecutive patients undergoing LAA ligation with the Lariat device at 8 U.

Standard- vs high-dose clopidogrel based on platelet function testing after percutaneous coronary intervention: the GRAVITAS randomized trial.

Context: High platelet reactivity while receiving clopidogrel has been linked to cardiovascular events after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), but a treatment strategy for this issue is not well defined.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of high-dose compared with standard-dose clopidogrel in patients with high on-treatment platelet reactivity after PCI.

Design, Setting, And Patients: Randomized, double-blind, active-control trial (Gauging Responsiveness with A VerifyNow assay-Impact on Thrombosis And Safety [GRAVITAS]) of 2214 patients with high on-treatment reactivity 12 to 24 hours after PCI with drug-eluting stents at 83 centers in North America between July 2008 and April 2010.